Rex Maddy

Nice looking frames.

I know this is an old post, but I still wanted to say NICE JOB Andy. The faux stitching reminded me of the Inuit sof covered with hide. Even when oiled, my work shoes soak up water from wet grass and get heavy. How much more weight an sof must have been at risk of gaining. Piecing available hides together would have been an art. I have read that in an Inuit village there was the expert kayak builder and expert kayaker, not the same person. Maybe there wasn’t enough time in the day for being a master of both. Thanks Jeff for sharing your passion and making it possible for us to get a taste of both.

That looks like a nice Greenland paddle. I’ve never seen them for sale, so I’m guessing you made it. Nice The floor boards are probably 3/8” and mounted under the frame. The trail seat is less than 1/2 inch high once I sit on it. This was my first time to use it, I got it along with a used canoe that I bought. It is nice in that it has a folding back support. I sometimes have back trouble and it worked well. I’m also about 5’11”, with 30” inseam, kind of long torso maybe that’s the difference. I tried using a real nice gray foam seat made by Joe Greenly at Redfish Kayaks. It was too high and caused noticeable instability in the curlew. I don’t know about others, but aging is not improving my balance. Safe Paddling, Rex

Will, Congratulations you made a beautiful kayak. I agree that a laminated coaming is better. If I do another, I will make it laminated. I also like the look from the Rustoleum enamel paint. In regard to performance, I had an interesting experience with my 15' curlew on the St. Joe River in South Bend Indiana on 9/26/21. I did not make it the day before to the St. Joe River Races. That was just as well as I would have come in around 20 minutes behind the last finishers. There were several racing kayaks on the 7.2 mile course. The course record is 63 minutes (6.8mph) and this year the winner finished in 66 minutes. Serious racers The next day with a bit of wind,, but good conditions, I did the course in 1 hr and 41 minutes (4.2 mph). It is 1/2 downstream and 1/2 upstream and I don't know how this would translate to down and back on a lake and Jeff's expected speed for curlew cruising speed. I used a thin trail seat, low c of g, and felt stable through most of the course. Wakes from fishing boats sometimes felt threatening as I did not take them head on. Safe Paddling, Rex

Great memories, beautiful boat. It gives me the itch to build another SOF!

You came to the right place. I built a Curlew from Kudzu and Jeff's directions were spot on. Well researched, understandable directions. Lots of support from this site.

Glad you and your friend are OK, and your boat as well. For me it is a cautionary tale to take risk management more seriously. I am getting older and need to reconsider choices sometimes. I couldn't help but remember Shakleford himself as your recounted your experience.

Nice color, beautiful design with a classy paddle. Did you make the paddle as well?

I have been on the ocean around Vancouver and in some high waves on Lake Michigan. I was in a plastic tandem or a 60 lb cedar strip kayak each place and I thought their heaviness was an advantage in rough water. The Curlew is light bug responsive. I don't know how that would all play out.

I used the 12 oz per sq foot nylon that Jeff sells. I know a lot of guys like the dacron, and I may use it some day, but I have wanted to use balistic nylon since back in the 90's when I first got interested in the thought of making a SOF after seeing some information about Bill Dyson's research. I found that you can stretch it the best you can during the sewing process and it is still too loose. If you wet it down, then it will dry and shrink. In my research one guy mentiioned that you need to be careful because if you keep doing that it can shrink so much that it will break your chimes or frames (especially the12 oz fabric). Since getting it wet only once after being sealed I haven't noticed any more shrinking. Corey wasn't familiar with the Kudzu boat - his boats have steamed, bent wood ribs - but he guessed I would need 1 1/2 orders at about $90. I really used one. He just didn't want me to run out during a coating. It is useful stuff. I put it on some wear spots on my bicycle seat and the tips of a greenland paddle I made. Who knows where I will use the rest of it. I have mixed as little as a 2 spoon ot 1 spoon mix and have good results, just mix it for 5 minutes to allow the CO2 bubbles to form and get out of the way, you don't want foaming. I also found some useful advice for the lashing part at the end of the build. There is a tutorial at the site below. It involves making a 9/16 hole, too small for the bungee cord to go through (I used about 15 feet). It works because you stretch the bungee, making it thinner, as you lace it through your holes. I will lash a cedar strip kayak I made but never was satisfied with the way they advised to attach the bungee lashing so I waited until I found a way to avoid screwing on brackets. I don't like to use screws on these things if I can avoid it. When he used bamboo chop sticks, or dowel rods to seal holes for the end loops I used 2 thicknesses of the bunge to squeeze in there to seal the braided strap I made for the ends. It seems to be watertight so far. Enjoy the journey. Jeff's passion has produced a lot of enjoyment for those of us who are restless, looking new challenges. I have proven to myself that it can be done with limited ability and few tools. http://www.skinboats.org/#!deck-lines/c1nw3

Thanks, my lighting and picture taking abilities were not so good. It is finished with 'Corey's Goop'. I found this online at the skin boat school in Washington state. http://shop.skinboats.com/2-Part-Urethane-Coating-for-Kayak-Skin-goop1.htm%C2'> It is a 2 part urethane, odorless and, unlike urethane you buy at the hardware store, most of it does not evaporate when it dries. It is tough, Other uses include sealing the surface of parking garages and making the heal of shoes. There is a tutorial on how to apply it at the skin boat school site. I think you can add an orange tint if you like. For me, I was going for a more naturall, buckskin, look that alowed the fuselage to be seen.

Your Stonefly looks great. I think sometime in the future I will try your Tandem Crawfish. I was thinking of the Longshot, but if I can take my wife with me in the tandem, it would be nice. For versitility, how does the Tandem Crawfish handle with one paddler? Just looking at your boats makes the gears start turning out reasons I need another SOF.

I just finished a Curlew Build. It was a 2 year process with many interruptions but very enjoyable and memorable. Right after taking the last pictures I tried it out and it tracks well, is maneageable in the wind and all I was hoping for it to be. I also have a 17' cedar strip kayak that I made. I like it too, but it is much heavier. I will be taking to Curlew to Lake Monroe (Bloomiongton IN) to look for some new mushroom spots. Thanks Jeff for all of the design work, advice, building directions and a quality job on cutting the frames. Members of the forum were also invaluable for explanations when I was mired down with overthinking and stuck on perfection. Next up will be a Long Shot, once I get my first mate used to thinking of kayak storage as kayak display and any other sales pitches I pick up from you guys.

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Nice job Pickman. I like your alterations. I made a cedarstrip kayak and, as you say, I am kind of particular about scratching it up. I am nearing the end of a curlew build and I am sure I will enjoy it being light weight. The 17 foot cedar strip ended up being around 60 lb. Jeff is on to something with his designs. Congratulations on your new boat - I like the tatoo.

Scientific American Frontiers had a nice section on this in 1991 on episode 203 -The Baidarka : A Legendary Aleut Kayak It shows the cool Aleut hat as well. They uncovered one on Anangula Island that was built about 8,750 years ago (3,000 years before the Great Pyramids). It tells of George Dyson reconstructing one. I googled the episode at Scientific American Frontiers episode 203. George Dyson says the reconstructed versions behaves well in waves. He also mentions that stealth was one of the Aleuts main objectives.

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.

Hirilonde I think you hit on a possibility. I once attended an event called something like the Native Inuit Kayak Symposium in Washington State, along the West Coast. Those guys were teaching kayaking skills and my wife and I were able to make a nice Greenland paddle and a sprayskirt. What I was interested in was the Inuit type of kayaks and paddling and so on. What I found was they should have been called the Greenland Kayak Symposium because all they new could be traced back to instructions given by an old fellow in Greenland whose skills were nearly lost before he passed away. The kayaks had made their way east over hundreds of years and had been tailored for their particular needs. The answers for questions we have about Inuits were lost because of the speed in their demise at he hands of Russian and European cultures. Whatever their methods, I have learned to respect their 'Kahunas' for being willing to hook up to a whale in the open ocean while in a kayak. I know motivation is intense when your family is hungry. Still, I can remember the fear I encountered while being in waves on Lake Michigan way beyond my skills and I wasn't hooked up to anything. Hats off to the original kayakers.

Joe Greenly of Redfish Kayaks in Port Townsend, Washington says it is not for more effeciency as it cuts through the waves. His theory is that it is the shape required because of the seal skin you are using limits you to this option only. How that is the case I do not understand. I would like to someday see a seal skinned bidairka. One documentary from the early 90's I remember seeing said they managed the waves of the ocean better when built this way.

Hello Jeff, The Curlew I ordered came in before I left for vacation, just in time. I took the book with me to Colorado for the vacation at my son's house. Seems I left it or got separated from it somehow. Just ordered another. With your book I have some of it built in my mind, a few more repititions and I will be doing the real build, have to finish a bathroom rmodel first. Thanks for getting the kit to me so fast. Rex Maddy

I will be gone on the 24th of March (next Saturday) so if you could ship it early next week it might make it before I leave. It would be great to have it before I leave so I can start building right away when I get back. I guess it bepends on how many days for the shipping - Indiana is not that far away. Rex

Dave, That is a great paddle. I like the idea for the trip edge too. I made a greenland paddle in Washington State and had UPS ship it back to Indiana. It was broken in the middle - don't label anything 'handle with care' that just tee's off the guys on the dock. I glued it together and it works well. I am just in enough shallow water that the greenland style isn't what I need a lot of the time. Someday I will try to make one of these, like you my wife and I do this for exercise and sightseeing, weight is not always a big deal for us.

Jeff, I just ordered a Curlew (Delux Kit) and in the excitement I forgot to order the skin. It is in a separate order that followed right after, hope that doesn't cause confusion with shipping and if you can put it all together to save some on shipping it would be nice. Dave Finnegan - thanks for your reply and I have learned a lot by reading the forum, contributions from you and Jeff. I can use a lot of advise as I go through this build. I had "ballistic nylon" in my mind when I started thinking of SOF, so that is what I went with this time. Maybe I will try the dacron later. As for shipping, please don't have it arrive before April 2. From what I have read that could be the earliest it might be shipped, but we are going to have interruptions before that time. Thanks for the website, I am getting familiar with it and it makes sense. Rex Maddy

Hi Jeff, I'm still thinking about buying the curlew and was wondering how much of the skin it would need. I am thinking of the dacron, because it doesn't stretch when wet. I am also considering the nylon because it is stronger and I have read that it can be wet and cool when you stretch and sew it and that helps it stay tight. Have you found that to be true? Anyway it doesn't seem like the skin is a part of your pricing and I would like to know how much more is required than is included in the delux kit. By the way, I am thinking of making more than one and would be happy to pay the $25 for each repeat as I go. Is there anything else beside the Keel (center timbers) and the hatches and the skin that is added to the pricing? Rex Maddy rvmaddy@comcast.net

Hello Jeff, I built a cedar strip kayak a few years ago. My real goal has been to make a skin on frame. Do you have the Ravenwood or Curlew 2 kits ready to ship out or is there a back order? I am a recreational (exercise, and watching wildlife) paddler and found that racing is a good way to ruin an afternoon on the water. I would be paddling mostly on a 15 acre lake where we live, Lake Monroe (Bloomington IN), White River and the Wabash Rivers. The Curlew (15') or the Ravenwood (15' 6") sound plenty long. My wife occasionally accompanies me. On those trips we have a 12'6" Catalyst and a 13' Catalyst when I am alone I use the 17' cedar strip. If I can get one of these kayaks, the 2 seater canoe you are talking about also sounds interesting. Any advice on Curlew 2 or Ravenwood would be appreciated. Rex Maddy rvmaddy@comcast.net 765-342-3268