Kayak – Can You Really Design One?
The answer to that question is a resounding YES! Designing a kayak would be a work of art if the correct specifications are used with accurate planning and willpower. Kayaks are some of the most popular boats in the industry today and you get plans and designs to build your own online from an assortment of places.
The most convenient and affordable material to use in designing and building kayaks would be wood; for many reasons. One of the major advantages in using wood, in the form of sheet plywood, is that the material makes building rather easy and the required tools are usually sitting right in your garage. Building a kayak doesn’t require any major electrical tools or equipment.
There are 2 common methods for constructing quality kayaks: stitch-and-glue and strip-built. The stitch-and-glue method is where the sheets of plywood are cut into shapes and stitch into place with the use of wire alongside the edges and the glue is used to tighten the fixture on the seams. If done according to directions or instructions this method makes for an excellent build. This is one method that’s most suitable for beginning builders. If you want to succeed in designing a perfect kayak, FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.
The strip-built method is where slim strips of wood are placed over forms in order to properly construct the hull design. When the edges are properly glue and fastened together, it’s then coated with a fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin as with the stitch-and-glue technique. This method has proven to be one of the safest and reliable ones to use in building kayaks because of being lightweight and durable.
Of course, the method or technique of building depends upon the plans in which you’ve chosen and the skill level of the builder. Overall, designing kayaks is a form of art anyone can do with the right frame of mind.