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Building the "Swiss Army Knife" of Small Boats...Wood Duck Double

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73K views 127 replies 14 participants last post by  DustyMark 
#1 ·
Overview

Needing an Intervention?
I like to plan and build things from wood…the more complicated, the better! I especially enjoy building small boats. Previous boat builds included a tandem sea kayak, single racing kayak, single recreation kayak, mini ski boat, single performance/play kayak, skin-on-frame rowing shell, and three duck hunting layout boats. I even built a teardrop camper in 2016.

I recently finished part of my basement and lost some of my small boat storage. That leaves me with space for two kayaks on the ceiling, my rowing shell and triple kayak on the wall, and my Grumman Sportboat in the third stall of the garage. My wife's single kayak occupies one space on the ceiling and that leaves me with one spot for a rereational kayak.

Can One Boat Do it All?
Having moved back to MN six years ago, I've settled into a number of outdoor activities that I enjoy a lot. These include fishing for northern pike, hunting ducks, kayaking on Lake Superior, and sailing.

Water Sky Hat Watercraft Boat


I netted this 32" northern pike for my wife when we were kayak fishing. She didn't have her own net as she had yet to experience the thrill of landing a toothy pike from a kayak and wasn't "all in." She has one now!

Water Hat Fisherman Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Casting (fishing)


I caught this 38" northern pike while fishing from my Grumman Sportboat.

Eye Boat Wood Font Rectangle


I've spent a lot of time searching for a boat that could safely and comfortably do all of these activities and I think the Chesapeake Light Craft Wood Duck Double kayak would work quite well. I sold my duck hunting layout boat and a solo canoe with a nice duck blind a few weeks ago. I'll sell my Current Designs Solara 135 fishing kayak after I complete the build of the new kayak. The kit will arrive in the next few days. I hope to complete the build in about a month…that could be wishful thinking since I'm also in the final stages of finishing my basement!!!

Next
Why the Wood Duck Double will make a good Lake Superior kayak.
 

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6
#43 ·
Applying Second Coat of Epoxy to Hull

Prep Work

Hand Wood Nail Gas Hardwood


The epoxy is only green cured and it's pretty easy to trim off the excess fiberglass with a razor.

Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood Tints and shades


Oops! I trimmed a little bit into the wood here. No problem, it will get epoxy over it.

Cloud Wood Flooring Tints and shades Hardwood


Here's a close-up of the weave after the first coat.

Applying Second Coat
The fiberglass takes way less epoxy on the second coat. I use the same techniques as on the first coat. Squeegeeing the epoxy well will cut down on your sanding later.

Brown Wood Beige Floor Amber


Here's the weave after the second coat of epoxy. Four-ounce cloth doesn't have a real aggressive weave. I'm satisfied with this level of fill for my "utility build" and won't apply a third coat of epoxy to further fill the weave.

Hatch Cover Stiffeners
The hatch covers are pretty thin and need a piece of plywood to stiffen them up.

Natural material Wood Table Rectangle Wood stain


Here's a hatch and its stiffener. NOTE: The thicker plywood underneath is not part of the hatch…it's simply a clamping base to ensure the hatch cover remains straight during clamping. I failed to do this when building a skeg box on my wife's kayak and it has a permanent/troublesome twist in it…forever!

Table Furniture Wood Rectangle Wood stain


This hatch cover is epoxied and ready for clamping.

Wood Tool Gas Metalworking hand tool Engineering


Both hatch cover stiffeners epoxied and clamped. They'll be cured enough to remove the clamps in the morning and fiberglass the hatch covers at the same time I fiberglass the deck.

Next
Fiberglass the deck.
 

Attachments

#44 ·
Fiberglassing the Deck

Same Process as Hull
After the hull epoxy was green cured, I scraped and rasped the drips and ensured the hull to deck joint was clean to accept a layer of fiberglass cloth across it. Fiberglassing the deck follows much of the same process as the hull.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


I taped the hatch ledges to avoid extra sanding, rasping or scraping.

Window Wood Table Floor Flooring


The fiberglass cloth is draped over the deck and trimmed so that it overlaps the hull a bit.

Table Wood Gas Coffee table Kitchen appliance


Cloth is trimmed for the hatch covers.

Brown Wood Tints and shades Peach Human leg


View of the bow after fiberglassing.

Wood Table Hardwood Natural material Flooring


Close-up of the hull-to-deck seam. You can see some fiberglass strands that I'll have to deal with later. A scraper will remove them pretty cleanly.

Window Table Wood Floor Comfort


I'll let the deck cure for about eight hours before applying the second coat of epoxy to fill the weave.

Next
Cleaning up the hatch openings and applying a second coat of epoxy to the deck.
 

Attachments

#45 ·
Fiberglassing the Deck

Same Process as Hull
After the hull epoxy was green cured, I scraped and rasped the drips and ensured the hull to deck joint was clean to accept a layer of fiberglass cloth across it. Fiberglassing the deck follows much of the same process as the hull.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Flooring Hardwood


I taped the hatch ledges to avoid extra sanding, rasping or scraping.

Window Wood Table Floor Flooring


The fiberglass cloth is draped over the deck and trimmed so that it overlaps the hull a bit.

Table Wood Gas Coffee table Kitchen appliance


Cloth is trimmed for the hatch covers.

Brown Wood Tints and shades Peach Human leg


View of the bow after fiberglassing.

Wood Table Hardwood Natural material Flooring


Close-up of the hull-to-deck seam. You can see some fiberglass strands that I'll have to deal with later. A scraper will remove them pretty cleanly.

Window Table Wood Floor Comfort


I'll let the deck cure for about eight hours before applying the second coat of epoxy to fill the weave.

Next
Cleaning up the hatch openings and applying a second coat of epoxy to the deck.
I enjoy the updates and see how you build this boat.
 

Attachments

#47 ·
Cleaning Up Hatch Openings and Applying Second Coat of Epoxy to Deck

Cleaning Up Hatch Openings
The hatch openings have four layers including the deck, hatch spacer, drip ring, and hatch sill. There was glue sueeze-out that I couldn't reach to clean up when it was wet and also the layers didn't line up perfectly. All this had to be cleaned up by a combination of scraping and sanding…a tedious process.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Composite material Beige


Stern hatch before epoxy.

Brown Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Wood stain


Stern hatch after epoxy.

Wood Wood stain Tints and shades Hardwood Art


Bow hatch before epoxy.

Brown Wood Natural material Hardwood Wood stain


Bow hatch after epoxy. These openings will receive a second coat of epoxy when I install the coaming ring.

Applying Second Coat of Epoxy to Deck

Wood Baseball cap Cap Flooring Floor


With the epoxy green cured (about eight hours), I trimmed the fiberglass cloth from the hatch openings and the cockpit with a razor. I also scraped the fiberglass cloth frays before they got to final cure.

Boat Wood Natural material Hardwood Window


Here's the boat after two coats of epoxy applied to the deck and the hull. I'm happy with how it's turning out. I sold my fishing kayak today, so I'm kicking the project into high gear to finish this replacement. We also have guests arriving in eight days, so I need to get the kayak done and finish the guest bedroom…nothing like a deadline!

Next
Attaching the coaming ring.
 

Attachments

#48 ·
Attaching the Coaming Ring

Lots of Clamps
The cockpit is 84 1/2" long and 20 1/2" wide…that took a lot of clamps to attach the coaming ring! The coaming ring is made up of two spacers and the actual coaming ring. This stack is glued with epoxy thickened with silica. The plan calls for mixing it to a mustard consistency. I made my batch a bit thicker to fill gaps better and it worked well. The danger with going much thicker is that you could lose adhesion and it could require more clamping pressure.

Wood Varnish Hardwood Wood stain Composite material


View of the first coaming spacer at the bow with epoxy applied for the next layer. Notice that I failed to remove the CNC nibs. That's no issue on cockpit side since there is easy access with a file, but the nibs on the other side are going to require some chisel work…oops!

Wood Table Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Wood stain Automotive exterior


View of first coaming spacer at stern.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Automotive exterior Varnish Bumper


View of second coaming spacer.

Vehicle Watercraft Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Urban design


I used all of my mixed collection of 46 small clamps, that I've acquired over nine previous boat builds, to complete this task. The deck is a three-dimensional shape, so the coaming layers must be coaxed into position and lined up as evenly as possible as the clamps are applied. My wife was out kayaking and I ended up doing this solo. My haste made this more of a challenge, but it's done.

Boat Watercraft Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Wood Window


I used my finger to squeegee glue squeeze-out into the inevitable gaps formed between the layers, especially at the bow with its compound curves. Even on a varnish-quality build, this is hidden by the shadow of the coaming at normal viewing angles. The plan calls for an epoxy fillet under the coaming to increase its strength. Much of this fillet is formed by the squeeze-out from the assembly. I may add more after the clamps are removed and I can flip the boat upside down to form it in a more controlled manner.

Next
Clean up the layers of the coaming assembly, form a radius on the inside edge, and fiberglass the coaming.
 

Attachments

#49 ·
Fiberglassing the Coaming Ring

Filing
There was quite a bit of filing to get all the layers even on the coaming ring. I used a Nicholson #49 rasp that was the perfect tool for the task. I've got grinder wheels from chair making that would do a quicker job, but doing it by hand was a more controlled and sure thing.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


I sweated out my clothes on this job!

Brown Wood Powder Floor Wood stain


Stern coaming after filing.

Wood Wood stain Varnish Hardwood Natural material


Bow after filing.

Routing
With the coaming layers evened up, it was time to route the top edge with a 3/8" round-over bit.

Cap Table Baseball cap Wood Power tool


The routed edge came out nice and even. I then used an 80-grit disc on my random orbit sander to touch things up and round over the bottom edge. This is the area your legs rub against while paddling.

Fiberglassing

Tire Table Wood Wheel Flooring


Fiberglass cloth cut on a bias of 45 degrees drapes over complex shapes quite well. I ordered extra cloth to be able to cut nice long strips for this and the extra coaming rings I'll produce for the spray deck.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Varnish


The cloth frays less when cut on the bias. That's a bonus!

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Varnish Automotive exterior


The inside angle is sharp, so I used two pieces at the bow.

Brown Wood Flooring Hardwood Wood stain


Stern after fiberglass.

Musical instrument Wood String instrument Musical instrument accessory Wood stain


Bow after fiberglass. The coaming turned out nice.

Next
Apply second coat of epoxy to various parts and sand the kayak.
 

Attachments

#50 ·
Fiberglassing the Coaming Ring

Filing
There was quite a bit of filing to get all the layers even on the coaming ring. I used a Nicholson #49 rasp that was the perfect tool for the task. I've got grinder wheels from chair making that would do a quicker job, but doing it by hand was a more controlled and sure thing.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


I sweated out my clothes on this job!

Brown Wood Powder Floor Wood stain


Stern coaming after filing.

Wood Wood stain Varnish Hardwood Natural material


Bow after filing.

Routing
With the coaming layers evened up, it was time to route the top edge with a 3/8" round-over bit.

Cap Table Baseball cap Wood Power tool


The routed edge came out nice and even. I then used an 80-grit disc on my random orbit sander to touch things up and round over the bottom edge. This is the area your legs rub against while paddling.

Fiberglassing

Tire Table Wood Wheel Flooring


Fiberglass cloth cut on a bias of 45 degrees drapes over complex shapes quite well. I ordered extra cloth to be able to cut nice long strips for this and the extra coaming rings I'll produce for the spray deck.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Varnish


The cloth frays less when cut on the bias. That's a bonus!

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Varnish Automotive exterior


The inside angle is sharp, so I used two pieces at the bow.

Brown Wood Flooring Hardwood Wood stain


Stern after fiberglass.

Musical instrument Wood String instrument Musical instrument accessory Wood stain


Bow after fiberglass. The coaming turned out nice.

Next
Apply second coat of epoxy to various parts and sand the kayak.
Beautiful project and love the blog!!!
 

Attachments

#52 ·
Sanding the Boat

Running Out of Epoxy
I'm at the very end of my epoxy and will need to supplement with a different brand available locally. That twist nudged me to sand the boat and possibly use the remaining epoxy for touch-up after sanding. The kit contents completed the build. It's the extras like the Dynel rub strip and hip braces that make an extra purchase necessary.

Wood Table Wood stain Automotive exterior Hardwood


This photo shows the irregularities in the epoxy finish even after a good squeegee with a spreader. The 80-grit disc knocks it down quite well. I'm thankful for the good dust collection of this tool since I'm sanding the kayak in the future guest room!

Wood Table Flooring Floor Hardwood


Hull-to-deck seam scuffed up to show what needs to be feathered.

Brown Wood Flooring Hardwood Tints and shades


Progress made at feathering the joint. The goal on sanding is to remove excess epoxy, but not cut into the fiberglass weave. When feathering a joint, you obviously need to cut into the weave to blend it in. Four ounce fiberglass cloth is a challenge to sand as it doesn't hold much epoxy and it's easy to sand through. Edges are especially challenging and the build plans recommend hand sanding the edges. I've got a good feel for it and just dial back my RPM and used a more worn disc when working the edges. I only sanded through in one spot on this boat…

Wood Waste container Automotive tire Flooring Hardwood


Half the hull sanded.

Wood Flooring Natural material Hardwood Wood stain


Photo shows transition from completely feathered to almost feathered.

Brown Wood Tints and shades Hardwood Wood stain


Hull sanding complete. This photo shows the one spot I sanded through the fiberglass. I'm adding a strip of Dynel to the keel, so I won't need to fix it separately. Dynel is a very abrasion resistant cloth when soaked with epoxy. This is often applied to the bottom of canoes to make them more durable. I applied a strip to my skin-on-frame rowing shell and it's held up to some serious abuse.

Punch List
There are lots of little things to complete at the end of a boat build. Today's punch list included, 1) Applied second coat of epoxy to hatch openings, under deck lids, and on coaming ring. 2) Applied fillet under the coaming ring. 3) Sanded the kayak.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Thumb Automotive exterior


The coaming ring seems awful thin, so I followed the kit instructions and beefed it up with a fillet underneath. I used silica as a filler since it makes a smoother fillet, if done well. Silica is harder to sand than wood flour, but I made a special spreader and it turned out real clean. I shouldn't need to sand the fillet much, if any.

Next
I'll depart from the plan and fit hip braces to transition this boat from a "recreational" to more of a "performance" kayak. The hull is a great design. It's the wide-open, loose cockpit that degrades it to recreational status. My modifications should make the boat straddle both categories…
 

Attachments

#53 ·
Apply Keel Rub Strip

Change of Plans
Well, the kayak build has moved back out to the garage. I'd planned to install hip braces today, but I needed to make progress on the guest bedroom, so I applied the keel rub strip instead.

Liquid Paint Fluid Personal care Plastic bottle


I found West System epoxy at a local marine supply today! I used this on my first two boat builds from plans back in the 90's and it's good epoxy. Due to COVID-19 supply chain issues, my kit didn't come with dispensing pumps. I was able to purchase pumps for the new epoxy. That makes life easier for mixing up smaller batches since you just do one pump of each.

Dynel Cloth
Dynel feels like heavy t-shirt material and soaks up a lot of epoxy.

Gas Engineering Flooring Solvent Wood


The objective is to soak a lot of epoxy into the cloth to build up a tough protective strip on the keel. I cut the strips ahead of time and soaked the first layer in a flat container.

Hood Automotive tire Bumper Automotive design Motor vehicle


After applying the first layer, I quickly laid the second strip on to soak up the extra epoxy before it dripped off. This worked well.

Shoe Automotive tire Yellow Wood Wheel


I cut the cloth on the bias for the tight turns of the bow area. It laid down nice without any wrinkles.

Ingredient Food Wood Cuisine Dish


I thought about trimming a neat line in the cloth with a razor at the green cure stage, but decided to remove the tape and just feather it a bit with a sander after it cures since I'm painting the entire hull green anyways.

Wood Natural material Composite material Wood stain Building material


I applied more epoxy after this photo to soak the cloth even more. The cloth literally swells as you add more epoxy; it's a lot different than working with fiberglass. I had to come back later to squeegee some drips, but I now have a nice, thick rub strip consisting of two layers of Dynel heavily soaked in epoxy.

Wood Floor Flooring Automotive design Motor vehicle


The kayak is protected well from keel scrapes.

Next
Fitting out the cockpit.
 

Attachments

#54 ·
Apply Keel Rub Strip

Change of Plans
Well, the kayak build has moved back out to the garage. I'd planned to install hip braces today, but I needed to make progress on the guest bedroom, so I applied the keel rub strip instead.

Liquid Paint Fluid Personal care Plastic bottle


I found West System epoxy at a local marine supply today! I used this on my first two boat builds from plans back in the 90's and it's good epoxy. Due to COVID-19 supply chain issues, my kit didn't come with dispensing pumps. I was able to purchase pumps for the new epoxy. That makes life easier for mixing up smaller batches since you just do one pump of each.

Dynel Cloth
Dynel feels like heavy t-shirt material and soaks up a lot of epoxy.

Gas Engineering Flooring Solvent Wood


The objective is to soak a lot of epoxy into the cloth to build up a tough protective strip on the keel. I cut the strips ahead of time and soaked the first layer in a flat container.

Hood Automotive tire Bumper Automotive design Motor vehicle


After applying the first layer, I quickly laid the second strip on to soak up the extra epoxy before it dripped off. This worked well.

Shoe Automotive tire Yellow Wood Wheel


I cut the cloth on the bias for the tight turns of the bow area. It laid down nice without any wrinkles.

Ingredient Food Wood Cuisine Dish


I thought about trimming a neat line in the cloth with a razor at the green cure stage, but decided to remove the tape and just feather it a bit with a sander after it cures since I'm painting the entire hull green anyways.

Wood Natural material Composite material Wood stain Building material


I applied more epoxy after this photo to soak the cloth even more. The cloth literally swells as you add more epoxy; it's a lot different than working with fiberglass. I had to come back later to squeegee some drips, but I now have a nice, thick rub strip consisting of two layers of Dynel heavily soaked in epoxy.

Wood Floor Flooring Automotive design Motor vehicle


The kayak is protected well from keel scrapes.

Next
Fitting out the cockpit.
Heavy duty I think,
Having never worked in this type project before but I have had a couple a boats and lived on the rivers of Alabama for 8 years so know you got to protect those parts that will be hitting the shore quite often..
 

Attachments

#56 ·
Spray Deck Frames

Designing at the Bench
I've been mulling over the design of the spray decks in my head for some time and today I began to construct them with 1/4" Baltic birch plywood. The beauty of this wood is that the glues are outdoor capable. I don't use it below the waterline, but I've used it for years successfully above the waterline. I glue parts together with polyurethane construction adhesive and finish them with marine varnish. This is enough protection for these type of accessories that get wet, but then are dried.

Ruler Rectangle Office ruler Plant Wood


I had a fiberglass cockpit cover from my triple kayak that I traced for the outside shape of the new coaming rings. I then came in 1 1/2" to form the inside edge of the coamings. This photo is of the tracing of that inside edge after I cut it. Here I'm going back out 3/4" and this became my master template for the coaming ring spacers.

Road surface Asphalt Wood Font Circle


This is a photo of the coaming ring that will fit our current spray skirts well.

Boat Naval architecture Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Wood Hardwood


View of the tandem spray deck frames. Each frame will be clamped/bolted into position in four spots. I'll sew a large cockpit cover out of vinyl that will attach around the perimeter of the cockpit with 1/4" bungee. The edge around the coaming and the deck frame will receive vinyl cement and the coaming ring will sandwich the vinyl cover between the deck frame. This should keep water from seeping between the layers. I chose to make these spray deck frames from separate pieces of plywood so that the entire spray deck could be folded and stored in the back of my truck.

Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Hardwood Composite material


Close-up of bow spray deck frame.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Flooring Floor Wood stain


Close-up of stern spray deck frame.

Next
Cut the rest of the coaming spacers and laminate them to the coaming ring.
 

Attachments

#57 ·
Solo Spray Deck and Coaming

Decisions Made
Today I made decisions on how to configure my solo spray deck. I set the seat back 13" from the tandem paddling position. I chose this distance since my rudder pedals have 14" of adjustment. I'll have the pedals all the way forward for tandem paddling and and all the way back for solo paddling. I also decided to make a new dog cockpit attachment rather than retrofit the one from my triple kayak. This allowed me to make the rear spray deck opening the rectangular shape of the dog cockpit. This would also make for great cargo access if we were to use the boat for overnight camping in the Apostle Islands.

Boat Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Wood Naval architecture Canoe


The overall length of this spray deck will fit in my truck box, so I made it from one piece of plywood.

Boat Naval architecture Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Table


Coaming spacers and rings laminated, but not glued to the spray deck. I used polyurethane construction adhesive to glue up the coamings. The rings are glued while clamped to the deck so that they take the gradual curve of the deck.

Wood Automotive tire Gas Engineering Machine


The rear spacer is made from a single, 3/4" piece of Baltic birch plywood. I had some left over from my teardrop camper build…nice stuff!

Table Wood Wheel Wood stain Hardwood


Tandem spray deck coamings and spacers cut and ready for lamination tomorrow.

Next
Tomorrow I'll fit cross beams to the spray decks, start devising clamps to hold the spray deck to the main coaming securely, and laminate the coaming rings for the tandem spray deck.
 

Attachments

#58 ·
Tandem Spray Deck and Clamps

Second Spray Deck…Same as the First
The process for building the tandem spray deck is the same as the solo.

Boat Vehicle Naval architecture Wheel Tire


I dug into my bigger clamps in order to clamp the stern coaming ring at the same time as the bow.

Wheel Tire Automotive tire Wood Bumper


I drilled a hole in the stack when dry fitting and used silicon bronze nails (leftover from a previous build) to line up the layers during glue-up. This helps to minimize drama during the glue-up.

Gas Auto part Wire stripper Wire Electric blue


I cut the nail flush after removing the clamps.

Clamps

Table Wood Grey Floor Flooring


This is a close-up of a clamp that holds the spray decks in place. A 3/4" piece of plywood is glued and screwed in place to line the spray deck up with the coaming of the kayak.

Wood Gas Flooring Thumb Hardwood


A 1/4" threaded insert is screwed into that plywood and provides the means for the 1/4" thick by 1" wide aluminum clamp to grab hold under the deck.

Wood Wood stain Plank Natural material Hardwood


I used a 5/16" nut as a spacer; the 1/4" bolt turns freely through it. This provides a pivot point for the clamp to adjust to the angle of the deck. I've cut aluminum spacers, stacked washers, or even glued in extra wood on previous clamps, but this was a lot less work and likely more effective.

Brown Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


Brown Wood Material property Hardwood Tints and shades


Close-ups of some of the clamps on the solo spray deck.

Boat Watercraft Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Wood Naval architecture


Photo of the cross beams, alignment blocks, and clamps used on the solo spray deck.

Trying it on for Fit

It was time to try the boat on for size and also try the fit of my spray skirt on the new coaming ring.

Vehicle Sports equipment Paddle Outdoor recreation Sports


It's a good fit!

Plant Tree Watercraft Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Outdoor recreation


Copper has good small boat manners and he hopped right into his place.

Boat Dog Watercraft Vehicle Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies


I'll build a removable 8" extension to contain him better and also keep out Lake Superior! I'll top that off with a custom dog spray skirt. When Copper's not on board, I'll cover that opening with a bungeed cover.

Boat Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Paddle Watercraft Sports equipment


Mary gave the boat a try also.

Feathering the Rub Strip

Wood Peach Natural material Nail Human leg


I didn't like the way the edge of the rub strip turned out. I also sanded through the fiberglass in a couple of spots adjacent to it. Since I had to fix those bare spots, I opted to feather the joint with epoxy thickened with silica. It looks a lot better now.

Next
Fiberglass the coaming rings, sand and varnish the spray decks.
 

Attachments

#59 ·
Amine Blush Setback

Small Disaster
Amine blush is a residue that forms over epoxy as it cures. It must be scrubbed off with hot, soapy water before proceeding with another coat of epoxy or paint. Future coats won't cure properly over amine blush. Non-blushing epoxy hardener is available at extra cost.

Feathering the rub strip turned out to be a bad idea. I selected regular hardener when I bought my replacement epoxy and should have purchased West System's special, non-blushing hardener. All of Chesapeake Light Craft's kits ship with non-blushing hardener. I thought I had done the rub strip with my last bit of non-blushing epoxy…not! All the epoxy I applied last night to feather in the rub strip was only partially cured overnight. I knew my mistake right away. I had to scrape and sand every bit of epoxy off that I had applied last night. That took over two hours working at a steady pace.

I'll toss the blushing hardener and purchase non-blushing hardener before I use anymore epoxy. It's simply not worth the hassle dealing with amine blush. These kind of mistakes are unfortunate, but not devastating.

Next
Install the foot pedals.
 
#60 ·
Rudder Pedals and Foot Braces

Time to Drill Holes Through the Hull
Installing rudder pedals and foot braces meant drilling a total of eight 1/4" holes through the hull. You want to get them right the first time. I positioned seats where they go and we both sat in our positions and experimented with the best pedal placement.

Boat Wheel Tire Automotive tire Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies


We installed the Keepers foot braces for the stern cockpit first. I drilled a 1/8" hole initially and screwed the braces in temporarily to test the fit.

Saw Tradesman Wood Watercraft Carpenter


Once confirmed, I drilled the 1/4" holes.

Wood Table Floor Flooring Wood stain


I bedded all the holes in 3M 5200 Fast Cure Marine Adhesive caulk. This is real good for through-hull fittings.

Wood Sleeve Elbow Finger Bicycle handlebar


Installing the starboard bow rudder pedal assembly. This is for the Smart Track Rudder System, which is a toe control rudder.

Epoxy Disaster Update
I applied unthickened epoxy along the entire length of the keel rub strip to seal up a few spots where I went through the fiberglass.

Wood Tints and shades Human leg Peach Flooring


View of keel approaching the transom.

Next
Fit hip braces.
 

Attachments

#61 ·
Primer

Sanding Coamings and Spray Decks
I worked a lot on sanding the coaming rings and spray deck frames today. After a light sanding with 220-grit sandpaper, they'll be ready for varnish. There are seven sub-assemblies between the two spray decks and prepping them is a lot of attention-to-detail work. I was tired of sanding and decided to finish up the work day priming the kayak. NOTE: My Fein Turbo 2 vacuum motor burnt up today…it served me well for many years. I think the bearings failed.

Primer
I used Parker Coatings duck boat primer. I find it easy to apply and incredibly durable.

Boat Naval architecture Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Watercraft


I painted the hull first.

Food Packaging and labeling Tints and shades Magenta Wood stain


Grille Hood Automotive lighting Car Motor vehicle


Velour rollers are an amazing match to this paint. The paint rolls on well with great coverage and no runs.

Hood Automotive tire Wood Automotive exterior Vehicle


After the hull primer had cured about 10 hours, the paint along the deck-to-sheer edge is feathered with 220-grit sandpaper before painting the deck.

Boat Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Composite material Hardwood


Entire kayak primed.

Hood Automotive design Bumper Trunk Automotive exterior


Close-up of deck at the bow.

Wood Automotive exterior Aircraft Varnish Boat


Close-up from cockpit looking at bow. I'll paint the inside after I'm done making further modifications and upgrades. It was past time to get the rest of the boat painted…

Next
Paint the kayak and varnish the spray decks.
 

Attachments

#62 ·
Primer

Sanding Coamings and Spray Decks
I worked a lot on sanding the coaming rings and spray deck frames today. After a light sanding with 220-grit sandpaper, they'll be ready for varnish. There are seven sub-assemblies between the two spray decks and prepping them is a lot of attention-to-detail work. I was tired of sanding and decided to finish up the work day priming the kayak. NOTE: My Fein Turbo 2 vacuum motor burnt up today…it served me well for many years. I think the bearings failed.

Primer
I used Parker Coatings duck boat primer. I find it easy to apply and incredibly durable.

Boat Naval architecture Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Watercraft


I painted the hull first.

Food Packaging and labeling Tints and shades Magenta Wood stain


Grille Hood Automotive lighting Car Motor vehicle


Velour rollers are an amazing match to this paint. The paint rolls on well with great coverage and no runs.

Hood Automotive tire Wood Automotive exterior Vehicle


After the hull primer had cured about 10 hours, the paint along the deck-to-sheer edge is feathered with 220-grit sandpaper before painting the deck.

Boat Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Composite material Hardwood


Entire kayak primed.

Hood Automotive design Bumper Trunk Automotive exterior


Close-up of deck at the bow.

Wood Automotive exterior Aircraft Varnish Boat


Close-up from cockpit looking at bow. I'll paint the inside after I'm done making further modifications and upgrades. It was past time to get the rest of the boat painted…

Next
Paint the kayak and varnish the spray decks.
Looking really good!
 

Attachments

#64 ·
Paint and Varnish

Lots of Roller and Brush Work

Aircraft Wood Missile Aviation Airplane


This morning I painted the hull flat green with Parker Coatings duck boat paint. I noticed that I had rushed the primer cure a bit since I had some rub marks in the primer from the cradles. I let it go since that area is going to get scraped up quickly in use anyways.

Liquid Fluid Plastic Electric blue Electronics accessory


I switched from the mohair roller I had used with the thicker primer and used a foam roller for the paint. I knew from past experience with the product that the paint is quite thin. The foam roller gave me one-coat coverage on the hull. The boat will receive maintenance coats after I've used and abused it, so I won't apply a second coat of paint now.

Boat Wood Table Automotive design Watercraft


I sanded the seven spray deck components to 220 grit this morning and applied the first of three coats of marine varnish this afternoon. I used existing screw and bolt holes to raise one side off the table so I could varnish both sides at once. That works well if you're disciplined to not apply the varnish too thick. I use Tried and True satin marine varnish that I order from Raka in Florida. I've used this on my teardrop camper, my wife's kayak, and lot of boat accessories. It's a very forgiving, low VOC varnish that is pleasant to work with. You can go through three coats without sanding, if you don't wait too long between coats.

Next
Fit the rudder.
 

Attachments

#65 ·
Fitting Out the Boat

Paint and Varnish
I applied a second coat of varnish to the spray deck systems and painted the deck of the kayak. The only painting remaining will be spot painting of accessories after I install them. The spray deck systems are on track to be done after the third coat tomorrow.

Fishing Kayak Outfitting
I began the process of setting up the kayak for fishing. This won't take very long since I had my previous single kayak set up quite well and I'm mostly transferring parts.

Wood Aircraft Vehicle Automotive exterior Airplane


This board is located behind my seat. I'll install three or four rod holder bases and an Anchor Wizard retrieval system. It fastens the same way as the spray decks. The cooler will be strapped to the floor and I'll need to fasten four footman loops to keep it secure.

Hood Vehicle Automotive tire Automotive exterior Trunk


The front shelf is extremely handy. I'll mount a rod holder base, fish finder, anchor cleat, ram mount ball for my transducer, and my hook removal kit. It's nice having everything within arm's reach.

Boat Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Wood Naval architecture Automotive exterior


The nice thing about this setup is that all of it removes quickly to transition the kayak to other uses. My seat is a little forward, but the cooler should offset my weight for fore and aft trim purposes.

Smart Track Rudder
I also began the installation process for the rudder. I've not installed this model before, so I'm taking my time to be sure I get it right the first time.

Audio equipment Gas Fender Wood Motor vehicle


The transom of the kayak is not plumb. If I had mounted the rudder as is, it would have been angled towards the bow! I made a wedge out of white oak to get the rudder plumb. I haven't floated the boat, so this was an educated guess, but it's going to be better no matter what.

Plumbing fixture Bag Luggage and bags Fender Gas


View from starboard side.

Tire Automotive tire Hood Automotive lighting Motor vehicle


The rudder cables run along the sheer line, come through the stern bulkhead and then exit the deck at a shallow angle. I'll slather this hole up with 3M 5200 fast cure adhesive caulk once everything is routed and adjusted.

Hood Boat Vehicle Wood Motor vehicle


The rudder lift mechanism runs through only one fairlead to minimize direction changes and friction.

Wood Automotive exterior Bumper Gas Vehicle door


A jam cleat holds the rudder lift in the desired position.

Brass Pad Eye

Table Automotive exterior Wood Plumbing fixture Gas


The stern pad eye provides a secure means for lifting the kayak…once I tie in the handle.

Brown Wood Tints and shades Hardwood Wood stain


I made a backing plate from 1/8" aluminum scrap. This ensures the screws won't tear out. You can also see the opposing wedge backing plate for the rudder bracket in this photo. The bow pad eye is screwed into an epoxy end pour. I'll do the pour later in the week.

Next
Finish installing the rudder and fitting hip braces.
 

Attachments

#66 ·
Deck Hatch Covers

Hatch Covers
I finished installing the hatch covers today.

Automotive tire Rim Tire Wood Automotive wheel system


I upgraded to the Derlin hatch retainers. They're durable and work quite well as opposed to a piece of plywood. NOTE: All of the above water line holes through the hull receive a dab of silicon to help prevent water damage in the exposed plywood.

Automotive exterior Bumper Composite material Automotive design Gas


The retainers are each held in place by a #10 stainless machine screw, washer, and nut.

Wood Musical instrument accessory Wood stain Hardwood Plywood


This Frost King weather stripping is amazing. My hatches have always stayed mostly dry even with big waves washing over the deck. Sometimes a few drops make it through the hatch gaskets.

Table Vehicle Bumper Gas Automotive exterior


I added a lop of webbing at the aft end of each cover to help remove it. Sometimes the weather stripping gets a good suction grip and there's nothing to grab onto when there's only about an 1/8" space all the way around.

Rudder Cable
I glued the rudder cables in place with 3M 5200.

Wood Flooring Floor Automotive lighting Hood


I globbed it on pretty thick where the cables came through the stern deck. It's ugly now, but primer and paint stick to it okay and I'll paint over it once it's cured.

Brown Wood Amber Natural material Hardwood


I caulked the cables the same way where they came through the stern bulkhead. I'll tighten up the rudder cables when the caulk is cured. Once that's done, I can permanently set the rudder cables.

Spray Deck
I began sewing the fabric portion of the spray deck today.

Rectangle Road surface Asphalt Flooring Automotive exterior


This is 3 yards of Shelter Rite vinyl. It's the perfect material for a heavy duty spray deck like this. I marked it out to yield two spray decks.

Boat Watercraft Naval architecture Wood Composite material


Spring clamps held the material well as I traced around the coaming. I then added 1/2" all the way around for my seam allowance. I traced the first one to make the second. I'll also sew webbing straps and clips to hold safety gear and may also sew a spare paddle holder. It's best to do these mods before pressing any further. Once the accessories are sewn on I'lll sew a polyester sleeve around the perimeter to hold the bungee cord.

Varnish Progress
It was 75% relative humidity in the garage yesterday, so I didn't do a third coat of varnish on the spray deck components until tonight. I went over 24 hours between coats and had to scuff everything with 220-grit sandpaper. That's going to make for a better final finish. I tried a modest quality bristle brush instead of a quality foam brush tonight and got much better coverage on these odd-shaped pieces. I should have used a bristle brush from the first coat…still learning!

Next
Final rudder adjustment and sew the spray deck covers.
 

Attachments

#67 ·
Installed Seats

Creature Comfort Seats
In installed two Creature Comfort seats from Chesapeake Light Craft today.

Wood Luggage and bags Tent Bag Shade


View of the stern seat. The seats are held in position on the floor by a 2" x 9" patch of velcro. A rope runs through the seat back and is fastened at the port side via a webbing loop screwed to the underside of the coaming. The starboard side runs through a jam cleat for quick and secure seat back adjustments. These seats are pretty comfortable. I've used them since 1996.

Table Wood Automotive exterior Varnish Hardwood


View of the bow seat.

Anchor Trolley
I installed an anchor trolley on the port side. An anchor line runs through a hoop on the line and can be moved anywhere along the length of the kayak so that you can have the wind at your back or in your face. These are wonderful additions to any fishing kayak.

Wood Gas Composite material Automotive exterior Aviation


View of the pulley at the bow.

Vehicle Naval architecture Wood Boat Automotive exterior


This cam secures the anchor trolley in your desired position. You can also see the hoop that the anchor line runs through aft of the cam.

Hood Automotive tire Vehicle Motor vehicle Bumper


View of the stern pulley.

Final Rudder Adjustment
I made the final rudder adjustments and fixed the wedges that hold the cables at the correct tension.

Wood Tool Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


The rudder cable housing runs all the way to the rudder assembly. This works a lot like the brakes on your bike. I had an older version of this system on my last kayak and it worked quite well.

Next
Launch the kayak!
 

Attachments

#68 ·
Launched the Kayak!

Launch Day!
With the seats installed and the rudder operational, it was time to take the kayak for an initial paddle.

Water Boat Plant Sports equipment Paddle


You can see that I'm slightly bow heavy, but most of the time I'll have some extra weight behind me that should trim me out. I was able to paddle without the rudder and had no directional control problems from this position. Check out this video of me paddling solo.

Water Sports equipment Boat Paddle Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies


Stability was amazing. I was able to stand up and paddle with no difficulty. Check out this video showing me trying this the first time. I don't anticipate any problems taking the dog out for deep water retrieves while duck hunting.

Assessment
The boat finished out at 56 pounds with both seats, the rudder, and the anchor trolley. I'm pleased with its light weight. Stability was better than I could have ever hoped for. This boat is fast. We paddled in a river with a slow current, but our average moving speed was 3.7 mph round trip; that's with some drift time and Mary not paddling on the way back. Tandem performance is poor with me in the bow seat. I weigh 30 pounds more than Mary and steering was severely impaired with me in the bow. We switched positions and the kayak tracked well without a rudder. Fore and aft trim of a kayak is easy to judge by its steering/tracking performance. I ordered an extra set of rudder pedals and cables for the stern position. The rudder's design makes for an easy swap between cables that attach to the rudder head assembly. That's another $190 with tax and shipping but, "in for a penny, in for a dime."

Next
Outfit for fishing.
 

Attachments

#69 ·
Launched the Kayak!

Launch Day!
With the seats installed and the rudder operational, it was time to take the kayak for an initial paddle.

Water Boat Plant Sports equipment Paddle


You can see that I'm slightly bow heavy, but most of the time I'll have some extra weight behind me that should trim me out. I was able to paddle without the rudder and had no directional control problems from this position. Check out this video of me paddling solo.

Water Sports equipment Boat Paddle Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies


Stability was amazing. I was able to stand up and paddle with no difficulty. Check out this video showing me trying this the first time. I don't anticipate any problems taking the dog out for deep water retrieves while duck hunting.

Assessment
The boat finished out at 56 pounds with both seats, the rudder, and the anchor trolley. I'm pleased with its light weight. Stability was better than I could have ever hoped for. This boat is fast. We paddled in a river with a slow current, but our average moving speed was 3.7 mph round trip; that's with some drift time and Mary not paddling on the way back. Tandem performance is poor with me in the bow seat. I weigh 30 pounds more than Mary and steering was severely impaired with me in the bow. We switched positions and the kayak tracked well without a rudder. Fore and aft trim of a kayak is easy to judge by its steering/tracking performance. I ordered an extra set of rudder pedals and cables for the stern position. The rudder's design makes for an easy swap between cables that attach to the rudder head assembly. That's another $190 with tax and shipping but, "in for a penny, in for a dime."

Next
Outfit for fishing.
Pretty cool Mark
I've been quietly following along and am impressed. Great work and blog.
Kuddo's to you sir!
 

Attachments

#73 ·
Rigged for Fishing

Video of the Fishing Setup
Check out this video of how I set up the kayak for fishing.

Table Plant Furniture Outdoor table Tree


View from bow.

Plant Table Watercraft Boat Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies


View from stern.

Anchor/Rod Holder Module
I'm taking a modular approach to my customizations when possible.

Gas Automotive tire Machine Auto part Audio equipment


The anchor reel, anchor holder, and four rod holder bases all fit on a 5" wide by 24" long board clamped behind my seat like the other accessories I've detailed.

Tool Shotgun Air gun Engineering Gun barrel


It's a "busy" setup, but I think it will work out well. Check out this video for how the anchor system works.

Fish Finder Module

Office equipment Motor vehicle Audio equipment Office supplies Gas


The front shelf includes my Humminbird Helix 7 fish finder, hook removal kit, rod holder base and transducer arm. It's a great work area when you're switching lures.

Boat Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Watercraft Gas


This view shows how the transducer arm is routed. I've got side scan, so I made sure it is just below the keel line.

Transducer Clip

Wood Wood stain Automotive exterior Plank Hardwood


This clip keeps the transducer arm from shifting while paddling. Water drag swings it out without this…even with the Ram Mount ball.

Footman Loops
Footman loops provide a way to tie down the fish cooler.

Wood Hardwood Automotive exterior Auto part Wood stain


I needed something to screw the loops into. I made mounting bases of white oak and epoxied them in place. Notice my high-tech clamping method.

Wood Tent Floor Flooring Gas


The mat helped keep the weights from shifting…it worked well.

Anchor Pole

Watercraft Vehicle Wood Gas Naval architecture


An 8' long, 3/4" diameter fiberglass anchor pole is a great way to secure a small boat in shallow water. It's my first choice whenever possible. I connect it to the anchor trolley system. This is also a good photo of the YakAttack HD anchor trolley system.

Paddle Holder

Bumper Wood Automotive exterior Hood Musical instrument accessory


YakAttack paddle holders are a little bit bulky, but are easy to use.

Boat Sports equipment Door Wood Watercraft


I'm hoping that my placement doesn't result in bloody knuckles when I paddle!

Next
Make the dog cockpit attachment.
 

Attachments

#74 ·
Rigged for Fishing

Video of the Fishing Setup
Check out this video of how I set up the kayak for fishing.

Table Plant Furniture Outdoor table Tree


View from bow.

Plant Table Watercraft Boat Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies


View from stern.

Anchor/Rod Holder Module
I'm taking a modular approach to my customizations when possible.

Gas Automotive tire Machine Auto part Audio equipment


The anchor reel, anchor holder, and four rod holder bases all fit on a 5" wide by 24" long board clamped behind my seat like the other accessories I've detailed.

Tool Shotgun Air gun Engineering Gun barrel


It's a "busy" setup, but I think it will work out well. Check out this video for how the anchor system works.

Fish Finder Module

Office equipment Motor vehicle Audio equipment Office supplies Gas


The front shelf includes my Humminbird Helix 7 fish finder, hook removal kit, rod holder base and transducer arm. It's a great work area when you're switching lures.

Boat Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Watercraft Gas


This view shows how the transducer arm is routed. I've got side scan, so I made sure it is just below the keel line.

Transducer Clip

Wood Wood stain Automotive exterior Plank Hardwood


This clip keeps the transducer arm from shifting while paddling. Water drag swings it out without this…even with the Ram Mount ball.

Footman Loops
Footman loops provide a way to tie down the fish cooler.

Wood Hardwood Automotive exterior Auto part Wood stain


I needed something to screw the loops into. I made mounting bases of white oak and epoxied them in place. Notice my high-tech clamping method.

Wood Tent Floor Flooring Gas


The mat helped keep the weights from shifting…it worked well.

Anchor Pole

Watercraft Vehicle Wood Gas Naval architecture


An 8' long, 3/4" diameter fiberglass anchor pole is a great way to secure a small boat in shallow water. It's my first choice whenever possible. I connect it to the anchor trolley system. This is also a good photo of the YakAttack HD anchor trolley system.

Paddle Holder

Bumper Wood Automotive exterior Hood Musical instrument accessory


YakAttack paddle holders are a little bit bulky, but are easy to use.

Boat Sports equipment Door Wood Watercraft


I'm hoping that my placement doesn't result in bloody knuckles when I paddle!

Next
Make the dog cockpit attachment.
You will need a place for a Electronic Warfare Officer/Weapons Systems Officer (EWO/WSO).
 

Attachments

#82 ·
Reworked Anchor/Rod Holder Module

Moved it Back
I had an "ah hah" moment this morning and decided to try moving the anchor/rod holder module back just past the cooler hinge. This made everything easier to reach since it wasn't immediately behind me, allowed me to move my seat back 5" for way better fore and aft trim and gave me free access to the cooler without having to weave through fishing rods.

Water Boat Vertebrate Natural landscape Paddle


This is me fishing tonight with the new setup. I rotate my torso and lean an arm on the cooler lid to reach the rods behind me with no stability problems. The green tub, stored in front of me, is my stripping basket that holds my fly line and prevents a tangled mess when I'm casting. Notice that I'm sitting pretty level in the water. The boat cruises easily at 3.5 mph and can do 4.0 mph with a modest effort.

I lost a big northern tonight because we were one rod holder short and I opted to wedge the net between the cooler and the side of the kayak. The fish was taking out line at will whenever it made a run and I have a pretty stout setup. I had the fish approaching the side of the boat and it took me a little too long to find the net handle. As I was searching, the fish made a run toward me and used the slack to get free from my single-hook Johnson's Silver Minnow. I didn't see the whole body, but it had a pretty big head…oh well!

Reworking the Module Board
I had to remove the old clamp boards that were already glued and screwed to the module board. The photos below showed how I made the modification without having to redo the whole module. I'll just need to do some spot varnishing on the bottom.

Table Furniture Wood Wood stain Hardwood


My Stanley flush cut saw did a good job of sawing off the old clamp.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas Varnish


Not perfectly flush, but pretty close.

Plane Wood Table Rebate plane Wood stain


Nothing like a sharp plane to clean things up a bit.

Wood Hardwood Bumper Automotive exterior Tool


Real clean.

Plane Block plane Smoothing plane Jack plane Rebate plane


The shoulder plane allowed me to work close to the bolts without having to remove them.

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Composite material Automotive exterior


Looking good.

Wood Table Hardwood Automotive exterior Flooring


After sanding.

Gas Audio equipment Wood Shelving Hardwood


The cooler top is slightly above the gunnel, so these spacers raised the module 1 1/4".

Musical instrument Wood Gas Shelf Metal


Close-up of the final result. I used it without varnish tonight and will begin coating it tomorrow.

Next
Try to integrate the hip braces with the spray decks…another "ah hah" moment I had today!
 

Attachments

#83 ·
Reworked Anchor/Rod Holder Module

Moved it Back
I had an "ah hah" moment this morning and decided to try moving the anchor/rod holder module back just past the cooler hinge. This made everything easier to reach since it wasn't immediately behind me, allowed me to move my seat back 5" for way better fore and aft trim and gave me free access to the cooler without having to weave through fishing rods.

Water Boat Vertebrate Natural landscape Paddle


This is me fishing tonight with the new setup. I rotate my torso and lean an arm on the cooler lid to reach the rods behind me with no stability problems. The green tub, stored in front of me, is my stripping basket that holds my fly line and prevents a tangled mess when I'm casting. Notice that I'm sitting pretty level in the water. The boat cruises easily at 3.5 mph and can do 4.0 mph with a modest effort.

I lost a big northern tonight because we were one rod holder short and I opted to wedge the net between the cooler and the side of the kayak. The fish was taking out line at will whenever it made a run and I have a pretty stout setup. I had the fish approaching the side of the boat and it took me a little too long to find the net handle. As I was searching, the fish made a run toward me and used the slack to get free from my single-hook Johnson's Silver Minnow. I didn't see the whole body, but it had a pretty big head…oh well!

Reworking the Module Board
I had to remove the old clamp boards that were already glued and screwed to the module board. The photos below showed how I made the modification without having to redo the whole module. I'll just need to do some spot varnishing on the bottom.

Table Furniture Wood Wood stain Hardwood


My Stanley flush cut saw did a good job of sawing off the old clamp.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas Varnish


Not perfectly flush, but pretty close.

Plane Wood Table Rebate plane Wood stain


Nothing like a sharp plane to clean things up a bit.

Wood Hardwood Bumper Automotive exterior Tool


Real clean.

Plane Block plane Smoothing plane Jack plane Rebate plane


The shoulder plane allowed me to work close to the bolts without having to remove them.

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Composite material Automotive exterior


Looking good.

Wood Table Hardwood Automotive exterior Flooring


After sanding.

Gas Audio equipment Wood Shelving Hardwood


The cooler top is slightly above the gunnel, so these spacers raised the module 1 1/4".

Musical instrument Wood Gas Shelf Metal


Close-up of the final result. I used it without varnish tonight and will begin coating it tomorrow.

Next
Try to integrate the hip braces with the spray decks…another "ah hah" moment I had today!
Looking great and nice your able to fine tune the set up.
 

Attachments

#85 ·
Hip Braces

End Pour
I did the epoxy end pour of the bow yesterday. The objective of this step is to provide a strong means of mounting the pad eye on the bow. My parents came over for dinner and my Dad helped me flip the kayak onto its nose and tie it to the ladder on the rear of my camper. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture.

Wood Plant Wood stain Hardwood Tints and shades


This is 8 ounces of lightly thickened epoxy and it cooked off pretty good with so much epoxy in such a tight area. There was no good way for the heat to escape from the chemical reaction of the cure. Smoke was wafting out of the hatch.

Gas Automotive exterior Door Wood Composite material


Here's the pad eye installed. I'll tie the toggle to it once the paint cures.

Touch-Up Paint
I primed and painted all the parts that weren't green on the outside of the boat. I also applied a couple coats of varnish to the anchor/rod module that I reworked.

Hip Braces
I've pondered what to do about hip braces for quite a while and even considered not installing them. However the gunnel on such a long cockpit has quite a bit of flex and would surely benefit from some braces. I plan to paddle this boat in Lake Superior quite a bit and it's always better to have a good fit in the cockpit in the waves.

Wood Floor Flooring Wood stain Automotive exterior


I opted for a permanent hip brace for the stern paddling position. I struggled more than I care to admit to get this set installed well, but I eventually prevailed. The black board is used to keep the braces in alignment during the gluing process.

Brown Wood Amber Flooring Floor


The bottom cleat is made of white oak and has a 10 degree bevel at the bottom to ensure a good fit on the floor. Pieces are screwed and epoxied.

Wood Creative arts Floor Flooring Hardwood


The solo paddling position hip braces had to be removable since they get in the way of your feet if paddling from the stern position. I used similar techniques as the stern position, but used threaded inserts instead of screws to attach the cleats. I added a second alignment board at the top and a 20 pound weight to get everything in position. I had to be careful not to accidentally glue the plywood brace to the cleats. I'll trim the top of the brace flush with the top cleat later.

Wood Bumper Flooring Floor Wood stain


Note that I used plenty of heavy plastic to keep parts separated. This cleat has a 7 degree bevel (how's that for picky?)

Next
Fit the front hip braces.
 

Attachments

#86 ·
Front Hip Braces

Different Approach
The front hip braces are different since they're anchored at the top to the spray deck. That way there's not a permanent cleat below the coaming in this busy area.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Plywood


Here's the assembly (upside down) ready for gluing the lower cleat to the floor.

Wood Rectangle Office ruler Wood stain Material property


This is the hip brace cleat for the middle paddling position that I installed last night. I was happy when I was able to confirm that it doesn't get in the way of my foot when paddling from the aft position.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


Similar approach for holding in position, except the top is already anchored well by the cleat attached to the underside of the spray deck.

Tandem Spray Deck
With the braces glued in, I'm shifting my focus to completing the spray decks. I'm glad I hadn't sewed them earlier since I ended up adding the hip brace cleat to the front position of the tandem spray deck.

Boat Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Wood Naval architecture Automotive exterior


This photo shows how the tandem spray deck will assemble. I'll start sewing the vinyl that binds it all together and seals it from waves tomorrow.

Next
Dog cockpit.
 

Attachments

#87 ·
Dog Cockpit Attachment

What We Do for Our Pets!
Copper has great small boat manners and he's fun to take kayaking, so I'm building him a place to sit in the new kayak. The solo spray deck has a rectangular coaming ring behind me and that's Copper's spot.

Wood Creative arts Hardwood Art Workbench


The dog cockpit attachment is a 1/4" plywood box with two sections of trim around the perimeter. 3" up from the bottom is a 3/4" by 3/4" piece of trim that rests the attachment on top of the coaming ring. The second section of the trim is 1" by 3/4" and forms a coaming for him to rest his chin and also creates a lip to attach a doggie spray skirt. I've experimented with him and know that I have to cut the trim all the way to the plywood at the corners. This prevents the spray skirt from hanging up and trapping/drowning the dog if we tip the boat.

Wood Tool Floor Workbench Power tool


I'm on a time crunch and went with 1/4" galvanized crown staples and polyurethane construction adhesive to assemble the box. The staples are really just clamps holding everything together while the glue cures. I filled the staple holes with epoxy putty.

Wood Flooring Hardwood Space Plywood


3/4" by 3/4" pine cleats hold the adjacent panels together.

Wood Table Art Wood stain Hardwood


This photo shows both rows of trim. The whole assembly is locked in by two 1/4" bolts tightened into threaded inserts under the spray deck. This is secure and makes for a quick installation. A vinyl spray skirt will wrap around this box's perimeter and secure with a bungee to the rectangular coaming of the spray deck. This keeps water out of the boat.

I'll sand and prime this attachment in the morning and paint it green late in the evening. It should be cured enough the next day to fit the doggie spray skirt.

Next
Sew the spray decks.
 

Attachments

#88 ·
Spray Decks

Dog Cockpit
I had only two days to complete the dog cockpit attachment and sew the spray decks before we departed on our annual paddling-centered camping trip to Lake Superior. I got it all done with a couple of near-sleepless nights!

Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Boat Watercraft Naval architecture Wood


Here's the attachment all rounded and sanded. I sealed it with a coat of epoxy.

Hip Braces
There are three different paddling positions, so I built three sets of hip braces.

Wood Flooring Wood stain Floor Varnish


This photo shows the permanent hip braces at the stern position and the white oak cleats to hold the mid and forward hip braces to the floor and the mid hip brace cleats glued to the gunnel. The forward hip brace mounts at the top to a cleat on the underside of the spray deck.

Table Wood Gas Office equipment Flooring


I used contact cement to bond 3/4" minicell foam to the braces. It takes 3 or 4 coats to get adequate coverage on the foam since it keeps soaking in.

Spray Decks
The process of sewing the spray decks is pretty straight-forward canvas work.

Table Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Gas


Begin with the deck and allow at least 1/2" for seam allowance. I used Shelter Rite vinyl for the decks and 6 ounce polyester for the bungee sleeve. Here I'm fastening the bungee sleeve to the deck with basting tape before sewing it.

Wood Guitar accessory Musical instrument accessory Hardwood Wood stain


I used spur grommets to run the bungee cord in and out of the bungee sleeve. I reinforced the sleeve with vinyl before attaching the grommets.

Automotive tire Automotive design Bag Personal protective equipment Electric blue


Sewing the bungee sleeve with a half-felled seam.

Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Vehicle Boat Wood Automotive exterior


At this stage, I've got a nice cockpit cover.

Boat Naval architecture Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Watercraft Wood


These next steps transform it into a spray deck. First I make some relief cuts.

Boat Naval architecture Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Vehicle


Then I trimmed the vinyl to within 1/4" of the coaming rings with scissors.

Safety glove Calipers Finger Wood Revolver


Mark the coaming screw holes with an awl.

Hand Wood Gesture Table Finger


A punch makes a clean hole.

Wood Bumper Musical instrument accessory Rim Automotive exterior


The slightly undersized punch allowed the screws to grab the vinyl and "tent" it for applying vinyl cement to both surfaces.

Boat Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Watercraft Automotive tire Hat


Applying vinyl cement under the vinyl and to the deck.

Arm Clock Glove Personal protective equipment Sports gear


You can see how the screws suspend the vinyl and give me room to work.

Tradesman Wood Artisan Table Saw


Applying vinyl cement to the coaming ring.

Boat Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Wood Watercraft Naval architecture


Tandem spray deck done. The clamps were in place until the glue cured and then I was able to drive the coaming screws for that section.

Boat Watercraft Automotive exterior Automotive tire Naval architecture


Solo spray deck done.

Water Smile Hat Boat Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies


Dog cockpit done!

Water Boat Paddle Sports equipment Outdoor recreation


Water Boat Water resources Plant community Vehicle


This was at the Meyer's Beach sea caves in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

Jam Cleat

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Varnish


This is the jam cleat for adjusting the seat in the middle or forward positions. I screwed it to a piece of white oak and then epoxied the white oak assembly to the underside of the deck using Gorilla repair tape as a clamp. It worked well.

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Lake Superior performance assessment.
 

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#89 ·
Performance Assessment

Retrieval Practice with Copper
I removed the spray decks and had Copper do five retrieves from the boat. This was an important test to determine if he'd be hunting with me from this new kayak. I couldn't believe how stable the boat was for retrieval work! It took Copper a while to figure out how he'd exit the boat, but he eventually did and it went real smooth. He puts his feet on the side beyond the coaming and lunges out into the water. The boat rocks, but I never felt like we were even close to tipping. I kneeled and faced the stern to recover Copper. He puts his front paws onto the deck and I support the back of his head with my left hand, while I hold the opposite coaming with my right hand, to nudge him into the boat. We're a "go" for duck hunting!

Wet Exit Results
NOTE: Without my added spray deck, the Wood Duck Double is a horrible Lake Superior boat. I removed the spray deck and did a wet exit with the bare boat. The cockpit filled up with water as I'd suspect, but I was able to remove a lot of it when I flipped it upright. However, the sides are so low that I could not do a paddle-float self-recovery from the side. The boat would simply take on more water over the coaming…no matter what I did. I managed to enter the boat from the rear and it took forever to bail it out. If I were in conditions rough enough to dump me…it wouldn't be a good situation. To be fair, Chesapeake Light Craft does only advertise this kayak as a calm water vessel. My solution is to build and install a portable bilge pump system. I'll run a a Rule 1100 pump with a 9 amp hour 12-volt battery installed in a Pelican box. (Yeah, I've built one of these before for my last folding kayak!) I'm making it portable so that I can relocate it based on my configuration. Another step to displace water in the event of tipping is to lash down anything that floats. My duck decoys would provide a lot of help if they were tied down well. The same goes with any other waterproof bags on board. A person can also install flotation bags to fill unused space. The big cockpit is both a "blessing" and a "curse."

Coastal Paddling
We paddled six miles exploring the sea caves along Meyer's Beach. The dog cockpit attachment doesn't get in my way and Copper didn't cause any instability. I cruised easily at 3 mph with the dog in the stern. The boat tracks well with or without the rudder.

Longer Crossings with Waves
Our second paddle was a 10-mile round trip with a 3-mile crossing to Sand Island. We had a tailwind going out and a headwind coming back with seas of one to two feet both ways. Mary and I paddled using the tandem spray deck (we left Copper in the camper.) We were thankful for the rudder with the following seas. (Mary wasn't happy that she had to operate the rudder from the from the bow position, but she did well!) Waves lapped over the side of the boat onto the spray deck quite often with the following seas. Without a spray deck, that water would have come into the boat. The spray deck worked well at keeping the boat dry inside. I plan to add a one-foot section of velcro in the middle of the long, straight section for peace of mind. Bungee does well on curves, but can roll out of position in extreme conditions on the straight sections. We averaged 4 mph with the following seas and 2.7 mph with the increasing headwinds on the paddle home. This is quite amazing for a 14' kayak paddled as a tandem! The kayak does a nice combination of slicing/bobbing as it goes through/over steep chop of one to two feet. I'm super happy with the hull performance.

Fog Crossing
Our third paddle was an 8-mile round-trip to York Island. There was heavy fog with visibility of only 100' the entire paddle out. (We had GPS, compass, chart, and a horn readily available.) We paddled our kayaks solo and I took Copper in the back of my boat. The massive stability of the Wood Duck Double was comforting while paddling in such poor visibility. We were attempting to beat a thunderstorm on the way back and averaged 3.0 mph with a 10-knot headwind.

I'm very happy with the performance of the Wood Duck Double kayak.

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Duck blind planning.
 
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