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Easy to build paddle ideas?


Kudzu

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Some resourceful people on  here and I want to tap into your pool of wisdom.  Looks like I am going to be teaching a class in August, building some of my boats. Just realized they also want to build a paddle too.  I use nothing but Greenland Paddles and would love to introduce the class to the GP but time is not there to teach first timers to build a proper GP and I don't want to give them some hacked together GP that doesn't work well.

 

So I am looking for ideas for a paddle we can build in the class rather quickly and will still work well for a beginners. So what have you got?

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I don't know of any design that is much simpler than a GP and worth making.  I don't like any of the designs I have seen for a simple dowel loom with plywood blades type paddles.  I am a bit snooty when it comes to boat stuff, but even if I were to lower my standards I have yet to see a design I could live with.

 

Do you have students using power tools in your classes Jeff?

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I agree with Dave about GP paddles. However, I have two additional thoughts. 1) There are a number of native paddle designs other than those of western Greenland. See David Zimmerly's website on arctic kayaks and Tuktu paddles. 2) Phil Bolger shows plans for a wood European-style paddle along with his Kotick kayak design in his book "Small Boats."

Fair Winds, Andy 

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Cedar closet pole - add paddle blades using 4mm Okoumi marine ply. Shape ends of closet pole with a shallow dip and then epoxy blades on. Now you have a cupped blade paddle! If you feel artsy taper closet pole ends a tad with a plane. Blade shape? Whatever tickles your fancy.

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  • 8 months later...

Jeff, I realize this may be late for the teaching stint you mentioned in this strand.  www.qajaqusa.org/QK/makegreen2.pd is the website for Chuck Holst and he seems to have

a good design.  I made a paddle at his workshop.  The lines you need to draw on you wood are shown in his website.  You need to find a long straight grained

piece, runout is really bad for results. 

I have had many interruptions in my build of a curlew kit I purchased from you.  I am skinnig it now, going well and will send pictures of the build soon.  You and this site have been very,very helpful.

 

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