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Build a Greenland Kayak

by nativewater on December 18, 2007

Table of Contents

Build a Greenland Kayak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Intro: Build a Greenland Kayak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Step 1: Skin on frame technology is adaptable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 2: Nomenclature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Step 3: Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Step 4: What's next . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/
 Author:nativewater author's website
skin on frame kayak builder since 1987

Intro: Build a Greenland Kayak

This instructible will teach you how to build a 17 foot long Greenland kayak that will weigh between 30 and 40 pounds and cost less than $300 in materials. Compare that
with the 45 to 60 pound weight and $1000 to $3000 of a commercial plastic kayak.

The Greenland kayak is one of dozens of different Arctic kayak designs that uses skin on frame technology. In skin on frame technology you build a lightweight frame by
pegging and lashing together pieces of wood and then covering the frame with a skin. The result is a boat that is light and yet strong.

Total time to build a Greenland boat the first time around is about 100 hours. That doesn't count time spent buying or collecting materials.

This instructible is fairly long so I've broken it up into a number of sections.Besides this intro, there will be the following sections.
Preparing the gunwales
Building the deck
Adding the keelson, stem and stern
Adding the ribs
Adding the hull and deck stringers
Sewing on & painting the skin

Skin on frame building is fairly easy and does not require either fancy tools or great wood-working skills. Skin on frame boat builders in the Arctic were hunters first and
boatbuilders second. Everybody built their own boat. There were no professional boat builders and so the technology was at a level that was accessible to everyone.

And for pictures of more Greenland kayaks in action go to the qajaqusa website.

Image Notes
1. wow, cool looking boat. Can't believe you can make one of these without prior
boat building or wood working experience!

Image Notes
1. and the boat is so light you can wear it as a hat when you're not paddling it.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/
Step 1: Skin on frame technology is adaptable
Once you have built a Greenland kayak using skin on frame technology, you will have picked up enough knowledge to build other styles of skin on frame kayaks using
only drawings as a resource. One place to get these drawings is David Zimmerly's web site.

http://www.arctickayaks.com/plans.htm

But you aren't limited to original skin on frame designs for the boats you build. Pretty much any small boat design can be adapted to skin on frame construction. For
instance, I built the canoe shown below using skin on frame construction. The originals of this type was an Ojibway birch bark canoe.
Or you can go small and ultralight and make yourself a 20 pound boat that you can hold up with one hand.

Image Notes
1. Once you've figured out how wood behaves by building the Greenland kayak,
you can build any kind of boat up to 40 foot long using skin on frame construction.
This one here is an Ojibway style canoe based on a birchbark original.

Image Notes
1. And you can't beat skin on frame for light weight. This ten foot play boat
comes in at just over 20 pounds.

Image Notes
1. boy, this is one bad reproduction, but you can get a good pdf at the Zimmerly
website. Zimmerly has at least a dozen drawings of other kayaks on his website.
Lots of construction details and ideas when you're ready to branch out beyond the
Greenland kayak.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/
Step 2: Nomenclature
Boat parts have names that you may not be familiar with. I will list them here so you don't have to wonder what I'm talking about. See pictures below for what these boat
parts look like.

1. gunwales - pronounced gunnels. Gunwales are the two boards that form the outside edge of the deck.
1a. Risers - Triangular pieces of wood doweled to the ends of the gunwales to create more upsweep of the deck at the ends of the boat. See second picture at the bottom
for an illustration.
2. keelson - This piece of wood runs down the center of the bottom of the hull. It is called a keelson because it is inside the skin. If it were outside of the skin it would be a
keel.
3. hull stringers - also called chine stringers. These are long narrow pieces of wood that run parallel to the gunwales and halfway down the hull toward the keelson. Their
job is to hold the skin off the ribs.
4. Rib - the ribs are the main structural elements of the hull. Their shape determines the shape and beahvior of the hull.
5. Stem board - A board that connects the keelson to the gunwales at the front of the boat.
5. Stern board - A board that connects the keelson to the gunwales at the back of the boat.
6. masik - this is the arched deck beam that supports the front of the cockpit. Some boats have a separate knee brace and masik and some boats combine both functions
in one deck beam.
7. knee brace - the arched deck beam that falls right behind your knee caps and that you brace your knees against when paddling.
8. foot brace - the 4th deck beam from the front that you rest your feet against when paddling.
9. Back brace - the deck beam that you rest your lower back against. It also supports the back of the cockpit coaming.
10. deck beams - boards that run from gunwale to gunwale to keep the gunwales at the proper distance from each other.
14. deck stringers - pairs of narrow boards that span the space between deck beams in front and in back of the cockpit. They provide support for gear stowed on deck.

Deck lines - these are pieces of rope that cross the deck both in front and in back of the cockpit and allow you to store gear on the deck of the kayak.

Image Notes
1. riser, this one at the bow.
Image Notes
1. The stem board
2. gunwale
3. keelson
4. hull stringer
5. ribs
6. masik or knee brace or deck beam 6

Image Notes
1. deck lines
2. cockpit.
3. coaming

Image Notes
1. knee brace or deck beam 6
2. foot brace, or deck beam 4

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/
 Image Notes
1. rear deck stringer
2. deck beam 7 or back brace
3. deck beam to gunwale lashing
4. rib to keelson lashing
5. 1/4 inch dowels

Step 3: Tools
You will need relatively few tools to build a kayak. Although you can build a kayak entirely with hand tools, access to power tools makes the job go faster but is not
essential. On the other hand, nowadays lots of power tools are cheaper than good hand tools. Your choice. Garage sales are a good source of wood working tools,
especially hand tools.

I have illustrated some of the less common tools below.

Saw horses
You will need two saw horses to build your boat on. Folding ones are easier to store, but you can make your own out of two by fours.

Tape Measure
Your tape measure should be at least 20 foot long. Though the common length seems to be 25 foot.

Combination square
You will need this tool for marking right angles. The edge of the flat bar is also handy for drawing straight lines.

Drill and bits

You will be drilling a fair number of holes. A battery operated drill is handy but an electric drill with a cord will work along with an extension cord to let you reach all parts of
the boat. You can also use a hand drill if you can find one.

You will need the following drill bits.

1/4 inch for drilling rib mortises if you are not using a router.
15/64 inch for drilling doweling holes for 1/4 inch dowels.
19/64 inch for drilling doweling holes for 5/16 inch dowels.

Hammer
You will need a claw hammer to pound dowels into holes and to pull nails used to temporarily hold boat parts together. A light weight hammer with a 12 or 16 oz head is
fine. You do not need a heavy carpenter's framing hammer for your boat.

Block plane
A block plane is used to smooth the edges of boards and also to round edges and shape pieces of wood. This small short plane can be used with one hand while the
other hand holds on to the piece of wood. Bigger planes require two hands and are not nearly as useful

Spoke shave
Spoke shaves are handy for quickly rounding the sharp edges of boards. The are also useful for shaping curved deck beams.

Clamps
Some 2 inch spring clamps are handy for temporarily holding parts together. You can mail order these for about a dollar a piece. Two bar clamps with a 12 inch opening
are handy for clamping stuff to your sawhorses so it doesn't move around while you are sawing or drilling on it.

Knife
You will need a knife for cutting string and dowels. It should be a knife with a fixed blade. If it is a folding knife, the blade should lock. Folding knives without a blade lock
are dangerous since they want to fold up on your fingers while you are using them.

Hand saw
You will need a hand saw to trim pieces of wood to length

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/
Table saw or circular saw
You will need one of those for cutting wider boards into narrower boards. Table saws are fairly expensive and if you don't have one, don't buy one just to build one kayak.
You should be able to find someone to do the cutting for you. If nothing else, check with your local high school. They usually have wood shops set up and might want to
help you.
A circular saw is much cheaper than a table saw and can be used to do the same cuts as a table saw. This is a dangerous tool. If you've never used one before get
someone to show you how to use it safely. If it gets jammed, it kicks back and is liable to wound you. Find out about kickback and avoid it.

Rip saw
A rip saw is a hand saw that is used to do long cuts along the length of a board. You can do everything you would do with a circular saw though more slowly and with less
noise. They also take some practice before you can make straight cuts, but they don't require electricity.

Jig Saw
This is a pretty handy tool and can be used for cutting curved shapes such as your kayak bending form or the curved deck beams.

Sewing needles
You will need a straight and a curved needle for sewing on the skin. Curved needles are the same kind as used for upholstery. The straight needles are about 3 inches
long and have a fairly large eye for heavy thread.

Image Notes
1. I got this block plane at a garage sale. This one is fairly simple. Some are
fancier and have knobs for adjusting blade depth.

Image Notes
1. this clamp has a max jaw opening of 6 inches.
2. This clamp has a max jaw opening of 12 inches.

Image Notes
1. Chisels are like the poor person's router. They come in different width
depending on what width trough that you want to dig in your wood. A 3/4 inch Image Notes
and quarter inch width are pictured here. These only work when sharp. 1. table saw. Very dangerous. If you buy one, get one with a blade that has
carbide tipped teeth. These are also noisy and you want to wear ear protection
while using them.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/
 Image Notes
1. you think I got enough curved needles? The size on these is such that they fit
nicely in your palm and you can use your palm rather than your fingers to push
them through the fabric. You can also use smaller curved needles though the
big ones are easier to use.

Image Notes
1. cordless drills are cool because you are not tripping over cords. They are also
cool because you can use them one handed and use your other hand to hang
on to the thing you're drilling. Hand drills take two hands to operate. The
downside of the cordless drills are the batteries. Once they go out the drill
becomes worthless and one new replacement battery typically costs more than
half of what the drill with two batteries and a charger cost originally.

Image Notes Image Notes

1. jigsaws are handy for cutting curved lines. The base tilts so you can cut at an 1. this is a Swedish sloyd knife and handy dandy plastic sheath. Swedes can
angle as well. The downside is that it cuts on the upstroke and pulls up sawdust carve everything from spoons to boats with one of these, though my uses for it
and wood splinters which obscure the line that you are trying to cut to. So it's are more limited.
not a precision instrucment. There's not much curved line cutting on a kayak, so
this saw is not real essential, but still handy to have.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/
 Image Notes
1. This is a German curved sole spoke shave and is handy for shaping wood.
Avoid cheap Chinese immitations. This is not a slam on the Chinese but rather
on the people who have them manufactured overseas and don't do quality
control. The problem with bad immitations is that the blade sits at the wrong
angle and the sole is ground to the wrong shape so instead of smoothly
removing wood, that bad immitations gouge or tear at the wood. Image Notes
1. the combination square can draw lines at both a 90 and 45 degree angle. The
ruler part is detachable and can be used as a straight edge all by itself.

Step 4: What's next

The next step is the preparation of the gunwales. This is a separate instructable, so click on the link to go there.

Related Instructables

Build a
Greenland
Build a
kayak part 7 by
Greenland
Build a nativewater Build a
kayak part 4 by Build a
Greenland Build a Greenland
nativewater kayak part 6 by Greenland Greenland
kayak part 2 by
nativewater kayak part 5 by Kayak Part 3 by
nativewater
nativewater nativewater

Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 59 comments

franztek73 says: Mar 8, 2011. 10:33 AM REPLY

Thanks for posting. I used your technique for shaping the gunwales on my kayak and it worked beautifully. Total cost for my Kayak was around $60 thanks to
some freecycling.

armored bore says: Dec 1, 2010. 3:20 PM REPLY

After about three months and ~400$, mine is done!

http://i339.photobucket.com/albums/n461/julieandcandy/76986_1609303625744_1030826900_31648388_2363298_n.jpg

I have to say this project is within reach of anyone who knows which end to hold a handsaw by. I can't wait to make another one!

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/
 nativewater says: Dec 2, 2010. 5:54 AM REPLY
Nice job. and it floats.have fun.

nativewater says: Sep 7, 2010. 9:26 AM REPLY

I don't have time to do a canoe instructable right now, but it's a good suggestion. You might also want to search on the name Tim Anderson. He has an
instructable on a skin on frame outrigger canoe.

funkybassman105 says: Sep 4, 2010. 9:40 PM REPLY

Would you mind making an instructable for that canoe? I'd love to make one but I can't quite figure out how to skin it.

nativewater says: Sep 7, 2010. 9:24 AM REPLY

The skin on open boats was usually stretched over the gunwales. A seam was necessary only at the bow and stern. The edges of the skin were laced to
a batten attached to the ribs on the inside of the boat. Leather laces were run through holes in the edge of the skin.
Fabric works a little differently. You could tack it to the outside of the gunwale and trim it flush at the top, then screw or nail a batten to cover the tacks.
This is how wood and canvas canoes were covered.
In the canoe pictured, I attached the skin by putting grommets to the edge of it and lacing it to the batten on the inside of the hull. See here for some
pictures:
http://wolfgangbrinck.com/boats/tales/ojibwaycanoe.html

armored bore says: Aug 25, 2010. 2:08 PM REPLY

Aside from the bending portions for the gunwales and ribs, this looks very doable even for an amateur like me! How hard do you suppose it would be to add
a mount for a canopy? I'd love to make one for my wife, and that would be a great addition to protect her from the wrath of the Flame Orb (or "Sun" as it's
popularly called)

nativewater says: Aug 30, 2010. 10:58 AM REPLY

adding a canopy mount wouldn't be that hard. But if you added a canopy to the boat, you would have to make the boat wider, probably thirty inches plus
so the wind doesn't knock the boat over. or you might want to add an outrigger to the kayak or inside ballast. The Greenland kayak in its original
configuration is relatively unstable so adding a canopy without modifying the basic design would be an invitation for disaster. Keep in mind that a skin on
frame kayak is very light and narrow compared to traditional wooden boats so adding any superstructure would raise the center of gravity to unstable
heights.

starrydynamo says: May 25, 2010. 11:42 PM REPLY

My dad built one of these canoes; held up great until we scraped on a rock in a reservoir--thank god for duct tape! We've been talking about making a pair of
kayaks, I will definitely keep this ible in mind! Thanks!

nativewater says: May 29, 2010. 11:59 AM REPLY

modern materials are pretty tough. And duct tape is always a fallback. Skin on frame has its limitations, but overall, very good technology.

Quiksilver2693 says: Mar 27, 2008. 6:15 PM REPLY

I don't like the idea of taking this through rapids.

nativewater says: Mar 28, 2008. 7:38 AM REPLY

It's a sea kayak. It's too long for rivers. You want a short plastic boat for rapids, one that turns easily. But before there were plastic boats, people used to
take fiberglass boats on rivers. Skin on frame is at least as strong as that construction. So theoretically, you could build a skin on frame river kayak. But
nobody bothers because plastic can take more abuse.

graeme.t.cooper says: Sep 6, 2009. 5:30 AM REPLY

Robert Morris also has some whitewater skin on frame kayaks. One of which, the alaskan retrieval, I'm currently in the process of "skinning" using a
thick canvas, instead the suggested 15 oz nylon.

nativewater says: Sep 6, 2009. 12:41 PM REPLY

Yeah, that's a nice little boat. I built one for my wife but she doesn't like that it turns on a dime and takes effort to keep going straight. Soon as I
get a chance, I'm going to add a skeg to it so it tracks better. You can make one of these at about 20 pounds. Very easy to carry and accelerates
quickly. Has no glide but will go up to 4.5 mph. 15 oz nylon seems like overkill. Does Morris really recommend that? I've been using 8 oz more
recently since the heavier stuff tends to warp frames when it shrinks in hot weather. But if you do river boating, heavier fabric might be good for
beating the boat into rocks.

graeme.t.cooper says: Sep 7, 2009. 3:54 PM REPLY

ya, for the "canadian" canoe and the recovery/retrieval kayaks, he recommends the heavier nylon for rocks and branches and what-not. I
have canvas kickin around, so I'm gonna be cheap and use that instead.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/
 sean13 says: Sep 22, 2009. 1:20 PM REPLY
Hi there. Last year I built a retrieval kayak from the Morris book; I covered it in canvas, which makes for an abrasion-resistant skin after a
few layers of polyurethane. I think you will find it very satisfactory. However, I've used 10oz nylon on a subsequent boat - and will likely
continue with it as it is much easier to stretch and sew! It is not that much more expensive either.

Quiksilver2693 says: Mar 28, 2008. 2:14 PM REPLY

That makes sense now. What type would be best for Lake Superior, rivers, and exploring small caves?

nativewater says: Mar 30, 2008. 8:09 AM REPLY

There isn't a single boat to do all things well. Generally, you would want a sea kayak for lake Superior and a whitewater kayak for rivers. But if the
rivers are class I or class II, you can handle them with a sea kayak. Conversely, people use white water kayaks for surfing big water. As for
caves, I'm not sure what kind you mean. I've been in the Sea caves around Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior in a sea kayak. You just don't want
to go in them when there are waves.

Quiksilver2693 says: Mar 30, 2008. 10:08 AM REPLY

Okay. Thanks. =]

Scott Hadley says: Apr 13, 2009. 5:03 PM

(removed by author or community request)

Scott Hadley says: Apr 23, 2009. 4:30 PM

(removed by author or community request)

nativewater says: Apr 25, 2009. 2:57 PM REPLY

some people have. more comments on other pages. This thing comes in 7 parts.

Kayakguy says: Jan 7, 2009. 7:36 PM REPLY

Excellent guide on building such a beautiful Kayak. I am an avid kayak builder and put together my own site with information on different types of kayaks and
how to build them. Kayaking is so much fun and its something I am really passionate about. Build Beautiful Kayaks Build Beautiful Kayaks

camperken says: Dec 10, 2008. 5:47 PM REPLY

I built one of these about 10 years ago. Great experience and it was so quiet paddling in the lake I lived on at the time. Don't be afraid to try making one. Its
just one step at a time

sleahcim says: Jan 7, 2008. 10:26 AM REPLY

I would like to also add my appreciation for such a comprehensive guide on building the Greenland Kayak. You've ignited a fire (I understand this is a
common occurrence for other builders as well) that will become a new passion of mine. I've already begun to assemble my materials and hope to have my
first kayak built by spring. I've spent the last few days (countless hours) searching out other resources for building similar kayaks and found yours to be the
most detailed, well explained and illustrated. And best of all it's free. I really appreciate all of the hard work you've done to put this together. Thanks a million.

AndrewTheImpaler says: Jun 5, 2008. 11:31 PM REPLY

i would write my own comment, but the above poster summarized my thoughts COMPLETELY. thank you so much for this. buying kayaks is for chumps
lol

trooperrick says: Sep 8, 2008. 3:29 PM REPLY

I second that.

skuthorp says: Jul 21, 2008. 4:13 PM REPLY

I'm looking at the lack of leg space forward and the small cockpit. I've already decided to adjust both and dome the deck somewhat forward to make life a
little more comfortable. I'll build a boat with a flatter midships section for SWMBO as she's a novice at this but only 43 Kilos. I'll probably start her with
sponsons till she get's used to it. I'm 75K but I'm used to a K1 and paddling a decked canoe in a seaway so the narrowness shouldn't worry me too much.

teamcoltra says: Apr 17, 2008. 4:15 PM REPLY

I don't want to "nit pick" but i just wanted to inform you there are 15 "names to know" you didn't give "risers" a number (its the second word) under
nominclature. otherwise GREAT instructable... I hope to be able to do this one soon.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/
 nativewater says: May 5, 2008. 8:09 AM REPLY
Thanks for pointing that out. I made it 1a. Too lazy to renumber everything.

nativewater says: May 5, 2008. 7:55 AM REPLY

Robert Morris has some details in his book called Skin-On-Frame Boatbuilding. See Amazon dot com
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Skin-Frame-Robert-Morris/dp/0881791911/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209999278&sr=8-1

cico0815 says: May 5, 2008. 1:34 AM REPLY

Hi! I'm going to build the "Guillemot Stitch and Glue Version" from Nick Schade as a Skin on Frame version but I really like your "HowTo"! Thanks a lot for it!
What I also like to ask you is where to find a plan for that quite nice looking playboat shown in the picture! I think that would be nice for my son! :-) Best
regards, Heiko

Chil says: May 3, 2008. 10:14 AM REPLY

Wolfgang, Great Instructable! I have been following your superb instructions and will soon be the proud owner of a complete skin over frame Kayak ( I
started a week ago and am now ready for step 6!). I shortened my frame by two feet and eliminated 2 deck beams (I have 9) but otherwise have followed
your instructions closely. I had been researching this type of Kayak for a couple of months but still had some unanswered questions. You answered them
ALL! Thanks for all your hard work. Jon

Charlie1138 says: Apr 4, 2008. 5:29 AM REPLY

This is incredible! Thank you so much for sharing this!

osun says: Mar 20, 2008. 7:25 AM REPLY

This is fantastic and has made the process quite clear. Even though I have all the books on SOF building your pictures and words bring the process alive.

My question is this:

You size the boat for you:

(6ft, 220lbs, size 12 feet) => so 21 to 22 wide

How do you know that you will get enough "freeboard" and not a submarine? I am looking for around 2-2.5 inches of freeboard. Thanks for any help.

nativewater says: Mar 20, 2008. 8:49 AM REPLY

If you make the boat six inches wider than your hips and the depth described in the instructable, you will not get a submarine. Go to my website
http://www.wolfgangbrinck.com/boats/ and check out the picture of three guys in kayaks. The guy in the middle weighs 300 pounds. Adequate freeboard.
I think the beam on his boat was 23 inches.

sardines454 says: Jan 9, 2008. 1:34 PM REPLY

this is incredible. did you come up with this idea on your own or did some one teach you?

nativewater says: Jan 9, 2008. 5:39 PM REPLY

I built my first Greenland kayak following sketchy instructions in a book I ordered from Denmark. Lots of details were missing so I had to do a lot of
improvisation. Later I met some other people who built these kinds of boats and learned some additional tricks in addition to what I had figured out on my
own and gotten out of the book.

dsetzer says: Jan 1, 2008. 1:56 PM REPLY

I just read through the set of Instructables... pretty much killed my last few hours (whoops). The only thing I'd really ask is for a comprehensive list of
materials and tools collected into 1 place. Great job - I'm sure this took a tremendous amount of time to put together!

nativewater says: Jan 2, 2008. 9:03 AM REPLY

Good suggestion re the comprehensive materials and tools list. I'll work on that.

Vidar_76 says: Dec 25, 2007. 1:20 PM REPLY

And by the way, its fun to see our swedish morakniv being used in America! :-) Now they make many other models but that one is the most usable knife.

nativewater says: Dec 27, 2007. 6:33 AM REPLY

I bought that knife in the 70's and it's still going strong. I think there might be a moral in there. I think the moral is that if you buy good hand tools they last
a lifetime. Actually, they will outlast you. Your relatives will be selling them at a garage sale when you die unless you teach someone else in your family
how to use them.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/
 Vidar_76 says: Dec 25, 2007. 1:17 PM REPLY
Really nice instructable! I build one two years ago, used cotton canvas and coloured lineseed oil. Spent about 120 hours and $150, im quite good at finding
free or cheap stuff :-) Looking forward to se the rest of your instructable.

jodybaker says: Dec 21, 2007. 4:56 AM REPLY

I built one of these using Bob Boucher's video "Build Your Own Sea Kayak." Beautiful boats, great to paddle and you should go out and build one. This looks
like a great instructable. 100 hours and $300 seems a little optimistic, though. I spent way more time and a lot more money getting quality lumber, good
canvas and I spent about 2 full weeks on it.

ledzep567 says: Dec 22, 2007. 7:50 AM REPLY

really? how much did you spend on the canvas?? art stores carry it in rolls for around $40 USD

nativewater says: Dec 21, 2007. 9:43 AM REPLY

optimistic on the time, yeah, maybe. The first kayak I made was a Greenland type and I had very little guidance for how to do it. Took a total of 6 months
for me to finish the boat. But they go faster now. It's a matter of coming to an understanding of wood and the building process and once you have that,
the boats go together more or less effortlessly and time ceases to be an issue. As for expense, it depends on where you buy your supplies. I suppose
you could pay more than $300, though I usually pay less.

kadris3 says: Dec 21, 2007. 3:16 PM REPLY

wow. excellent job. i've also heard of using aircraft dacron and canvas to make them. canvas took 10 coats of latex paint. it gave a rubberized fabric which
was almost industructable. the hull has the traditional sea kayak curves. beautiful in my mind. X

callmeshane says: Dec 20, 2007. 12:56 PM REPLY

Hi I understand that there are "benefits and drawbacks" or "Pro's and Con's" to everything, - be it material and design. This is why aircraft fly high and fast -
and fall apart easily, and tanks are slow, don't fly but are fairly robust. The first kayak I ever bought was a plastic hulled step in design cockpit, made for
touring lakes and all that, with easy access and exciting. 2 weeks later I did a solo 750Km trip down the river Murray in Australia..... (brilliant) Since I am quite
adverse to the idea of skinned hulls tearing and sinking, wayyyyyyy out in the middle of the ocean... and bobbing around until I bob no more... The bonus of
having a VERY light and strong boat appeals to me greatly. But having done much leather work and all - the ease of putting major rips in the hull on snags -
ummmm well I do I like some swimming, but not alot of swimming. I am quite interested in building said craft... but I'd like to go for a "skin" that is quite tear
resistant - I'd like to use something like thin kevlar sail off cuts from a sail makers...... Do you know or can recomend any rip or tear resistant alternatives to
skin? Cheers Shane Brilliant boats tho...

bryanhansel says: Dec 20, 2007. 5:04 PM REPLY

Most of these modern SOF kayaks use ballistic nylon, which if very durable. This is a fun and easy project. When I built one, I used Jr. Ballistic and never
managed to put a hole in it.

nativewater says: Dec 20, 2007. 5:26 PM REPLY

Correct, as Bryan points out, the nylon is quite strong. 10 oz nylon is strong enough that you can't drive a screwdriver through it. And if you're really
worried, you can get higher weights, up to 23 oz. But with heavier nylon you would have to build a heavier frame because nylon shrinks out in the sun
and will warp a light weight wooden frame. I haven't worked with kevlar, though I suspect that it has no stretch which is what makes it suitable for
sails, but hard to get a tight fit on to a convex hull like a kayak. You would probably have to sew a lot of darts into the skin. Nylon is nice because it
stretches and you can get a good tight fit on the boat.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Greenland-Kayak/