"Best" Kayak

[Chris Martin]

If you lurk around SOF discussion boards you will often hear "my kayak is the best, because ..." and it often this centers around the following:

 

1. It is the narrowest, lowest freeboard, most Inuit/Aluet like.

 

Personally never really cared to compete in this area. I do appreciate what the Inuit/Aleut did but my body even with the leanest bodyweight would never fit and second there are no seals in the Houston waterways.

 

2. My kayak is the lightest, used all WRC and 6oz fabric and it tips the scale at 23 lbs.

 

While weight is important seems to me anything 25 - 40 lbs still beats any glass or plastic kayak.

 

3. My kayak is the cheapest at $250

 

While noble it is your life out there and if you are stuck alone out in the water in something that just pops up did that $100 cost saving really matter.

 

4. My "Best Kayak" is

 

a. Frames - Okoume and Baltic Birch close second

 

b. Stringers, Keel - Cypress most rot resistant, people talk WRC but have heard it is "brittle" and the dust bothers some people. Might go "fir" for those 2 stringers you sit on behind the seat to wiggle in for strength.

 

c. Cloth - Would not mind trying polyester 11.5 but I already have 12 oz Dyson Nylon. Keep hearing people say nylon is more abrasion resistant.

 

d. Coating - I like the 2 part Corey Goop but think I would give nod to Coelan.

 

 

So what is your best?

 

 

[P Doug (WA)]

HA!  I've have only built the one so my best is Baltic Birch for the frames, salvaged pine for the stringers, Jeff's 8oz polyester, no longer available, Zar varnish with a little Zar stain mixed in.  Please keep in mind that probably most builders of these are like me, first time builders, limited experience in boat building, if any, low budget and inexperience paddling.  I personally have no plans to go in dangerous waters.  I just wanted the experience and personal satisfaction of building my own and doing a little pleasure paddling.  I really enjoy reading and learning from the more advanced/experienced builders, but I'd hate to have the impression given that the most expensive/best material is required and you have to be a very profitent builder. 

 

I just want to ensure that the newbee's, like me are not discouraged by not being able to get to the best, don't mean to ruffle anyone's feathers. 

[Kudzu]

My best on is the one I like to paddle the most. 

[Kudzu]

Since no one has answered, I will elaborate on my best "favorite" and it applies directly to the above statement. Two most important things are weight and how does the boat paddle. My new Baidarka is heavy compared to my other boats and I tend to grab one of the others first. I read recently a quote that goes something like this. "The amount a boat is used is inversely related to how much it weights". I find that I tend to grab the lighter boat all things being equal. It's just easier to handle and so much easier to load.

 

Second is how it paddles. I like a boat that turns with a little leaning but still tracks straight on open water. I don't like a boat that is hard to turn nor do I like a boat that is all over the place. Just like with kids, I like well mannered boats. They are both a lot more fun than one that needs constant correction.

 

Your list.

1. I like the look of Greenland boats. The sweeping sheer and low lines. I prefer more volume than is traditional however. I don't want a boat I have to wiggle into.

 

2. The lighter the better! Under 35 lbs and I am OK and I don't go out of my way to get it under that. But I do love a 30 lb boat! But I don't compromise the boats integrity to gain that.

 

3. Cheaper is better but see #2, last sentence

 

4.       a. Frames -  Baltic Birch because that is the best I can find locally

 

b. Stringers, Keel - WRC because it is what I can find locally. 

 

c. Cloth - 8 oz polyester is my first choice but now I can't get it. (see a pattern forming?)

 

d. Coating - Enamel paint. Cheap, easy to u se, durable and no problem to touch up. (But it is going away too.)

[P Doug (WA)]

Yes, I hope more chime in here and hope I didn't put a damper on the thread with my stated concerns.  If I did, I apologize, was not my intent.  I was just trying to insure that newbies realized the best/most expensive is not alway achievable, but proceed with the best you can get. 

[Chris Martin]

Not your fault P Douglass, perhaps I did not formulate the question clearly.

 

I was not so interested in design shape as much as building practices and I admit many design choices are trade-offs and often what is easy to get.

 

Sometimes "more" is not better as in 8oz or 12oz fabric is great but 15 to 20oz for a kayak may not bend or sew on correctly.

 

Sometimes a particular coating might seem great but you need a hazmat suit and respirator to put it on.

[woodman]

Most of the time I spend on the water I'm fishing.... so.. function-comfort-lightweight-durability=a boat that is going to see a lot of paddling...I could add handeling-tracking etc...which is a given....

[labrat]

My thoughts on this are very much like Jeff's except that I prefer the look of baidarkas.

 

We don't get baltic birch here and top quality marine ply is horrendously expensive so I used "hardware store" marine ply. Knowing what to look for helps to avoid getting something unsuitable.

 

WRC is good but in Aus we can also get plantation grown paulownia at a reasonable price. I have read comments elsewhere the WRC bends better (interestingly the opposite of earlier comments in this thread) but I found that for me the paulownia was superior in this regard. I suspect it depends on the degree of grain runout in the particular pieces you have.

 

Totally agree on the 8oz polyester and oil based enamel.

 

I have 3 kayaks, all under 35lb, and even if they only last 5 years the light weight makes them worth more than a heavy boat that lasts forever because it stays in the shed.

 

At the risk of sounding too philosophical it has just occurred to me that while you can't build a good boat out of truly inferior materials you can build a truly inferior boat out of top quality materials.