mwagner

Hi all, I did try to post earlier but not sure where it went so if this is a double post please feel free to let the moderator delete it. I rescued an old Clark Craft canvas kayak and sewed on a new skin. Wish my research went deeper than just watching Jeff's sewing video and jumping right in as some sort of foot rests would be sure nice to have. The gunnels are about 5/8" thick and the stringers are close to 1/2" X 5/8". The frame isn't like Jeff's fuselage in that only every other frame is plywood with a half plywood on top and thin rib on the bottom in between. All I have come up with is a loop of webbing running forward from the seat but not too comfortable that my feet wouldn't get tangled as I am still learning and thus have lots of wet exits. Maybe someone on this forum has built a boat without foot rests and has some good ideas on how to build them or added the store bought rails. I include a picture of the frame after I took the old wood and canvas off and then of the frame forward from the coaming after the nylon was sewed on. Apprediate any and all feedback. Thanks, Mike

Excellent footage!

Hi Jeff, Thanks for the description. That along with seeing the picture makes a lot more sense than just the pictur alone. I will have to give that a try sould I get to that point. Mike

Hi Jeff, I did see this or similar in your book but couldn't figure out how you made it. Would you care to share plans? Thanks, Mike

I can't be silent any longer. You guys ROCK! It's great when learning can be so much fun.

Hi Jeff, Would you be able to opost a few pics of your boats that you have the metal stips applied on for reference? Thanks, Mike

Have 24" of ice on the lake. Not sure how much snow is piled up but I can still see my mailbox from the street! Also won't be doing anything with water other than my shower for a few more months. Mike

Yes, my lunch and drinks.

Most interesting topic indeed. Hits exactly on one of my posts about making a kayak entry larger so I can get in and out easier. Touching my toes with legs straight is extremely painful. Palms flat on the floor, ...only if I lie down first. I did take Jeff's comments to heart on the exercise thing and have taken to consciously stretching. Only been a few day and as with anything expect the more I do it the easier it gets but have to tell you my hamstrings are sore as heck and my lower back is also sore so I must be bending my back more to try to get to my toes. I did sign up for yoga at work but have never been able to sit indian style and know exactly what you mean by adding lower abdominal strain if not sitting straight up. (the ladies outfits are nice though) Unfortunately I didn't think of foot braces as there were none in the boat when I got it. I did figure out a very convenient way to make them from webbing but feel just not safe to use as I could get tangled up in wet exits which I have a habit of doing, alot. Good suggestion on moving the seatback to an more upright position in the truck. Tried that today and can't say I can stretch any more but after about an hour's drive didn't find it uncomfortable. I would say I am an average tallish little overweight 60 year old male that has had a very seditary job and not much physical activity and last year gave kayaking a try. I definitely finished the year less sore than I started and hope to continue improvements in the comfort area this coming season. Thanks for your tips. Mike

Hirilonde, Ok PVC wood substitute. I bought a piece of white brick mold that was and trimmed it to roughly 3/4 X 7/8 or whatever it was that gave me the larger pieces. But basically the original model had a full length keel, two additional wooden strips either side of the keel about 5' long and a metal band (brass) at each end for protection. I think the rub rails running the deck perimeter were to both protect and to cover all the tacks. I haven't added anything other than two strips along the bottom to protect it from parking lot, truck bed, boat ramp and such. Originally the white strips blended in with the nylon but now it has a nice yellowish tint to it so the white really stands out. NOT that it bothers me in the least as I was thinking of tinting but everyone said the two part poly would age after a few months. Now it isn't bleach white and more pleasing to me anyway. In one pic you can see the white pretty well and the others are of the coaming without the seat strapped in. I think you are right in that the bottom is not very flat or at least the flatter area is not very big and if I am not sitting forward enough to get it to level out it is too tippy for me. It was a fun project and I am looing forward to doing one from scratch some day. Jeff, Canoecopia it quite an event but I havn't gone in a few years. I did find an outfitter for a boundry waters trip that was an eye opener. A lot more to it than just renting an ultralight canoe. I found out the hard way about double portaging. Still since I don't have all the high tech light weight items I rented and found it a great 6 nights in the woods and paddled and fished every day, all day. I am meeting a guy there this year in hopes of relieving him of a folding kayak frame. I thought it might make another fun project to skin it, have another go at the goop and to see how it compares to the one I have. In the past 15 years I would guess I made it 6 times but don't recall seeing any SOF there. I will take some pics if I see some vendors there but expect maybe a couple folding kayaks and lots of really nice kayaks and canoes and all manner of supplies that I can't afford but sure like to look at. Didn't realize a spot was so expensive! Thanks all for your suggestions! Mike

Thanks to all for you replies. The padding I added was behind me that took up space between the back of the coaming and my back. In the end added enough support to put me about 12 to14 inches towards the bow and it made me float with a much leveler attitude. After thinking about it and looking at the bottom of the boat thought the farther back I sat the more the CG was above the narrow rounded stern VS. the wider and flatter bottom. The kayak is from the 60's and was a home built affair offered by Clark Craft and is basically the same except I sewed on nylon instead of tacks, canvas and rub rails. The shape is very symetrical so the further bak I sit the more bow is elevated. Sitting more forward would be easier if the opening was bigger. Yes, Jeff, I do need to exercise. Darn! I am not sitting on the bottom but really close to it. Bought a seat from walmart (backcountry) or similar so the padding is really more like two layers of thick material but it has a back section with webbing that I wrapped around the frame and it keeps me upright because as you said I need to exercise to regain some flexibility. I straddle sitting on the back deck and start the process to get my 6'3" 230lb butt and legs into it. Feels like I'm putting on a show for the circus! Once inside I tighten the straps till it holds me in a more or less upright position. In the 60's I don't think they thought of foot braces and I never thought of them till I started using it. Too late now to add them but have been thinking of how I might add something to rest my feet on as every 15 minutes or so I have to slide myself back into the seat. I have perfected the 1/2 eskimo roll so very confident I will not get trapped inside. Wet entry so far has been unsuccessful so I float to shore or shallow water and climb back in. I added two 6' strips of PVC wood to the bottom attached to stringers to either side of the keel as protection. This way I can set it in the boat ramp and get in and out while protecting the bottom. I will admit by fall last year I had limbered up enough to paddle for almost three hours and still climb out. This was monumental for me as my usual method was getting a few feet from shore and floating out of it. What a treat my first time was to only have wet feet instead of ending my outing with another baptism! I did rent a plastic yak a few times after completing mine and wish I would have done it before starting my project. I would have ordered your foot braces along with you book for sure. The commercial boat was very heavy but also very stable and with the seat back and foot braces I could get comfortable and handle it pretty well. With it I have come to appreciate the weight of mine as well as how quickly I get to speed. Despite my dousings I am still not discouraged at using the kayak and looking forward to Madison's canoecopia next month. It will surely get me in the mood and I would still like to find a better paddle if only they sold them for twenty bucks! LOL Above zero today but still ice fishing! Mike

Hi Jeff, I have a hard time (flexibility) getting into and out of an old canvas Kayak I refurbished with nylon. You book helped alot, thanks. The kayak is nice and if I position the seat forward enough it seems to float level but my legs are cramped. Sitting to the back brace and I have about an inch of rear deck showing and can't go but ten feet before a 1/2 roll. I don't mind swimming but I really wanted to try a kayak. I like several of the higher volume plans you have but wondered if you offered plans for larger entrances. I realize the use of spray skirts and the like are almost nill but for me I have the interest to go out for a few hours and definitely not in bad weather. Here is my first attempt in a kayak. The first three pics you can see me start out with a lot of bow in the air and I would flip it within feet from shore. I included one with a makeshit seat and kept adding padding till it seemed to float leveler. Since I have moved my CG about 10 inches or more ahead of the back brace i can paddle for a few hours and not tip over. Problem is getting in and out. I need the room to get in and then have to inch forward until my kneed are under the front deck. I did not build this as it was a canvas type boat but recovered it so it was a cheap way to see if I could kayak. Thanks for any input you might have on augmenting plans for a larger opening, Mike Oregon WI

Hello Ray, That was the reason of asking her to give it a go. If she could sit in a more normal location and it wasn't tippy then my weight is wetting too much skin. I had better say a buck-fifty is a fair assessmant. Yes it its much lighter than the shorter plastic boat. My bathroom scale said 31 pounds but at the time I did not have the seat installed. Very easy to lift and carry one handed. I did check out Kudzucraft and bought one of his books and found it a good read. Another book by Cunningham was also informational. Between those and some internet reading I got very interested in trying to build one on my own. During my search for long clean 'cheap' boards ran across this old wood and canvas that needed to be reskinned. I thought the long boards just got really cheap as I gave about $50 for it. A little glue and lots of clamps and the frame seemed good enough to skin. Corey at the SkinBoatSchool was helpful in setting me up with materials for skinning and helpful tips to boot. I attached some pictures but remember I am not a photographer so they are what they are. More of a translucent offwhite that looks to be getting a parchment tint to it. So far I am comfortable enough to go out and not get wet. My first day was the only time I went swimming and about those Eskimo rolls? Definitely the easy half. Almost like I wasn't trying at all! First two are of the finished boat excluding seat. The next three are my maiden voyage. Just in, hanging on and man overboard! Thanks for the comments, Mike

Hi Jim, I have just posted a question about a kayak weight limit and saw your post. I have rebuilt a 14.5 ClarkCraft kayak that I think originally was from the 60-70 era. Anyway it is no longer canvas nor has the outside trim but the coaming looks very similar. Thing is when I sit in it the bow is almost out of the water and flips very easily. By the time I move far enough forward to level it out I am really wedged into the narrowing part of that large 49" opening. Any tips for me? And I agree it was a fun project. Thanks, Mike Oregon, WI

I repaired a 1960-1970 ClarkCraft canvas on frame kayak. Removed all the wood trim and torn canvas, repaired some cracked wood and then covered it with 850 nylon and waterproofed with 2 part poly. When I sit in the boat the gunnel at the stern is almost at the waterline while the bow is showing the last stringer. While the bottom is fairly flat in the middle third the two ends are very curved and both ends also curve up (rocker). I have moved myself so far forward that the there is little room left in front of me in an otherwise large cocpit of 49". I can at least stay dry now but it is still very tippy. My question is could 230 pounds and a 6 foot 3 inch frame be too much for this 14.5 foot relic? I have read about sitting near the rear of the opening and adding weight to the front until it sits level in the water but to me this is just adding even more weight to the boat. My loving bride refuses to get in it after seeing me execute about 15 perfect 1/2 Eskimo rolls on my maiden 30 minute voyage. Since this is the first kayak I was ever in I rented a commercial one (old towne 12.5) that also had a very large opening and called a recreational boat. I felt like I could about stand up in it. It initially seemed tippy until I leaned farther and then it just stopped. It took some good effort to get it to continue to lean further. I was also sitting in the rear of the long opening with plenty of leg room and very comfortable. I enjoyed playing with the rehab of this boat but my main reason was to use it but it seems very unstable and even uncomfortable sitting about to the forward limit of the opening. So is there some measurement I can take that might tell me if I am just too big for this boat? When I balance the boat across a sawhorse it is pretty much in the middle of the boat (very symetrical) which is about 29 inches from the rear of the opening. A difficult place to sit. I took it to a neighbors pool to check for leaks before using it and it seems to float very evenly both front to back and side to side. Any insight from this group is appreciated. To me it is a very cool looking boat, light weight, but with me in it is too stern heavy and thus trying to balance on a round log. Thanks in advance for any comments, Mike Oregon WI