How to Build a Kayak

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, kayakingholidays     Adventure Sports, building a kayak, Kayak, Kayaking, making a kayak, river kayaking, sea kayaking

Kayaking holidays are one of only a few trips you can take where you need no technology. Take your phone for safety, maybe even a GPS if your map reading is ropey, but forget the high-tec: this is traditional adventuring.

Even so, when it comes to the boats, these are still specialist machines.  The long-distance adventurers and world travellers out there don’t dare venture out with any old gear. Kayaks and canoes have been around for 4,000 years and many are still made with traditional materials.

Here’s how boat builder Richie Bracey of Ram-Leisure makes his kayaks: This kayak is a hybrid, and uses two different types of construction method: firstly the hull is built with stitch and glue, and then the deck is built using a strip-built method.

Marine plywood

Step 1: Sheets of marine plywood need to be cut down to the appropriate widths and then joined together with a joint known as a scarf joint, this then makes up the lengths required for the different parts of the kayak.

After the lengths are joined he then takes the offsets and plots positions on the ply, these marks are then joined using a flexible baton or something similar so that you get the shape that needs cutting out.

Step 2: Before stitching the pieces together he glues the sheer clamps to the side (this creates a firm joint between the deck and the hull) and glues the support rails in for the adjustable foot rest.

Rails for footrest

Step 3: Then the pieces are stitched together with copper wire threaded through a 1.5mm hole.  This is done every 4 to 6 inches until the hull is complete, and then a temporary support is added to keep the hull in the correct shape and so that the beam (width) is the correct distance before gluing the inside of the hull.
Step 4: Before the hull is glued he checks for windage to make sure the hull is true and not twisted, and that all the panels are correctly aligned.

stitched

Hull completed

Filled and faired

Step 5: After gluing, the deck beams are installed, the copper wire stitches are removed, and the outside of the hull is filled and faired with fillers, and sanded back again until it is smooth and shaped.

Step 6: Once Richie has fitted the deck and it’s once painted and prepared, it’s almost ready for it’s first kayaking holiday. But where you take it, now that’s down to you.

Deck beams installed

Decks on

Ready to roam

Thanks to Rich Bracie at Ram-Leisure

About the author

Mark Pawlak wrote 194 articles on this blog.

Editor at Adventure Sports Holidays, Mark's love affair with travel and the challenges of adventure sports continues... "You could save all year for a two-week, all-inclusive, doss by the pool, booze and buffet binge. Or, with a little planning and some good equipment, get off your arse and plan an adventure!"

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