Strip Built Kayak-Continued

[KenfromCali]

So I haven't posted since March. I've been pretty busy building a strip kayak. Its a 17' 2" Guillimot Micro Bootlegger design. Its a two person hybrid (open cockpit like a canoe but the hull is closed like a kayak). So far I've probably clocked about 175 hours working on it. Stripping out the kayak was a long process, but sanding and filling (marine epoxy mixed with wood flour) has been taking forever. Partially because I can't stand sanding and I drag it out. Here's what I have so far. I'm getting pretty close to laying the fiberglass after a few more sessions of filling and sanding. The images look as if there is a finish on the boat, however, I just got done sanding and wiped it down with some water to raise the grain so I can sand it down again. This also shows the epoxy I missed while sanding.

I started with milling the strips (about Feburary 07). The first photo is about 1800 linear feet of western red cedar, birch and purple heart. The strongback I build the form from is also in the photo.

Built the form (Sometime in March 07)

I blew it and didn't take any photo's of the process of stripping out the hull on the form.

The last photo's are the almost finished hull still on the form before I will fiberglass the hull on the outside, then remove it from the form and sand out the inside. Then fiberglass out the inside of the boat. I'll then put the two halves together and glass the two halves together...

I probably have about 100 hours of work left before completion.

[charliex]

OK... WOW!! Nice work..
Chas

[DUD]

Your kayak looks like a labor of love. Thanks, Bill

[JR]

Beautiful!!!!!

[Pappy]

Georgeous work, Ken. The design is fantastic!

[cgallery]

That thing belongs in an art gallery, not a body of water.

[atgcpaul]

Very cool, Ken. A home made canoe is one of my lifelong goals. Can't wait to
see you realize yours with the kayak.

Paul

[LinuxRandal]

I think you need to take that Whalers way for the action shots.

Looks good!

[Brian in Dawson Creek]

I don’t know the first thing about a kayak but that has some very fine line lines that pull your eye’s to follow the curves.

Real nice

Brian

[Scottydont]

Beautiful job! A work of art.

[Tom Slick]

That looks great!

Where do you paddle it at?

[jhart]

Looks like a lot of work ken, but it sure is pretty.

[LCHIEN]

That's really cool!
I assume you make the paddles, too! Wouldn't do to have synthetic paddles on a wooden kyak.

[lrogers]

BEAUTIFUL! Hope you have years of paddling fun with that one.

[crokett]

wow. it looks beautiful already. I really want to see pictures when it is finished