Planking the new kayak

 Sorry for lack of progress, but we have been busy (mainly traveling) for the past three months.  Now I am getting back to planking the new kayak design.  Starting from the keel, the first projection is comparatively wide, Thus, I used 2" wide planks for that section.  As the cross-sectional shapes start to include more curvature, I will switch to narrower planks.  Using no fasteners, many clamps are required to hold each plank in place while the epoxy adhesive cures.

A straight, full-length plank is placed butted alongside the keel, and its position is marked on all frames.  At the ends of the hull, a short plank is placed by hand, marked by hand with pencil, then removed and tapered to fit the open triangle between keel and full-length first plank.  It takes a small plane and some trial fitting.  A much smaller scrap of planking is similarly marked and adjusted to fill the remaining small space.  These pieces were then immersed in a bathtub overnight before being clamped in place to dry.  This is an area of maximum curvature, the soaking makes them more pliable when clamping requiring less force.

The first full-length plank has been placed port and starboard, and the second plank has been clamped in place for a trial fit.  The planks may look straight at first glance, but almost every plank has a slight curve which needs to be accommodated or removed using a small plane.  There will be one scarph joint per side.

These are full length, straight planks.  As you see, the planks are already reaching sheer height.  Following planks will be tapered and less than full hull length.  I do cleanup frequently, light sanding, knocking off resin blebs, vacuuming, so that I can make a better assessment of progress and note any flaws to be corrected.

Creating and fitting these tapered-less-than-full-length planks is exacting.  Each one requires a scarph joint.  Each plank about 11 feet long by 1 1/2 inches wide and with slight curvatures instead of being truly straight.  This is definitely not for the beginner boat builder or anyone with limited patience.  Then you must wrap each plank around the ever-changing frame curvatures and come out with consistent results.

Soon, the hull will be sheathed up to the sheer level, and I will post some new photographs.  Planking the deck should be much easier, but the inside of the hull needs to be finished prior to decking.

Before I start on the deck, I really need to finish the hull interior (while I have access), and perhaps I should finish the hull bottom.  The bottom sequence will be to sand any gross high points, do a penetrating coat of unfilled epoxy, then sand lightly, then a fill coat of epoxy slurry for any low points, and finally sand in preparation for primer and a final paint job.

  

The view is from the starboard side of the stern.  If you look closely, you can see that there are three partial length planks which taper to a point short of the stern (also short of the bow).  With somewhat straight planks and a changing bevel to the topside frames, this is what you get.  Some clamps are present because that final tapered plank has not been bonded yet and is held in place only by the clamps.

The hull has now been sanded with an orbital sander and 60-grit discs.  I am waiting on varnish ordered from Amazon.com; Colorado has no dedicated marine supply stores.  I need to varnish the hull interior before beginning the deck.  No new photos because the sanding does not alter the hull sufficiently for much of a visual difference. 

I now have three coats of varnish on the hull interior, and the first decking plank has been bonded, port and starboard.  "The decking planks should be a comparatively quick task.  It is just a matter of trimming the ends."  Fitting the cockpit edging will be slightly more difficult. 

Contrasting planks, light/dark, planks many of which are only resting in place.  Cockpit edging also passively placed.  As I work towards the centerline, access to the underside of the deck becomes very limited.

What I wrote above is wrong:  Fitting the deck planks is an exacting task.  Those planks, as initially cut, have variations (mainly curves) which need to be accommodated.  If you plane the planks until they are truly straight, they may end up being noticeably narrower.  The deck is highly visible, and the boards have to appear uniform and centered.  The centerline reference constantly needs to be rechecked.  I spent time planing boards to get what was needed.  Anything more than about 1/4-inch variation stands out.  Joints need to be tight, but not so tight that resin is excluded.  I can't have resin-filled gaps showing with exposed wood grain.

All those loose planks were trimmed, epoxy was applied, and they were all set in place in one session.  I used bricks for weight to hold the planks in place.  What you see here is after further trimming and sanding.  Using bricks seemed like a risky method, but the result looks good.

The deck does not look as good as it should.... my fault.  I used too coarse sandpaper and did some cross-grain sanding which left scratches in the wood.  The first coat of varnish really made those scratches stand out.  I was too impatient.

I probably have 2-3 more coats of varnish to apply.  Then, I turn the hull over and start painting.  The blue stripe is painters' tape.  Should I paint the hull blue/gray with a white stripe (where the tape is), or reverse it? These are the colors I have on hand.  The completed hull weighs 46 pounds; not light, but it is size, not weight, that makes it awkward to handle.  The frame with keel, prior to planking, weighed 17 pounds.  I think that I prefer a more rugged hull rather than a lighter but more delicate hull.
  

Having all the right tools is such a blessing.  When on active military duty (moving often)), I had a very limited tool set.  Now I have a well-equipped shop; no fancy tools, but a variety of modest tools that can get the job done.    

 

Final finish, and I am happy with it.  In places, I was impatient, and the finish could have been better, but the design looks good.  Visitors have said, "Why don't you build these to sell?"  I expect that I will be selling the oldest one, but only to make space for new projects.  We are going to be busy traveling for much of the next year, so I can't put a time schedule on a future boat project.

We took my two completed kayaks out to a local lake recently, along with another couple who brought their own plastic kayaks.  There were wind and active powerboats (wakes) on the lake, and these kayaks handled everything okay.      

At this point, I am pleased with all the dimensions/ proportions chosen for this project. I am wondering if my use of a slightly wider keel plank will noticeably increase hull stability.