Pilotlon

Tnx, bagarre. Borrow away! Btw....I bought a $2 rubber door mat from Wally World, to put on the seating stringers. Worked a treat!

No one at the lake to take the launch pix. And, I guess without pix, it really didn't happen. Paddled for about 45 minutes. Like Jeff said, it's a little twitchy, but much of that is just me getting used to it. What I can tell you is that it is very quick...almost effortless paddling.

I'm reminded of that scene from The Great Race where the Italian driver's first action is to yank off the review mirror, stating, "What's behind me is not important!" The auto transmission wasn't that difficult. However, mating it to the Yamaha outboard was. Tomorrow we launch!! Well....assuming thunderstorms don't interfere. We have a week of storms forecast ahead, all starting tomorrow morning. If there's a storm on the horizon in the morning, it might be one of the fastest kayak transits of Loch Lomond, here in Bella Vista. This morning was formal picture day, since the registration stickers need to go on both sides of the bow later today. Obviously, the Property Owner's Assn doesn't appreciate the aesthetics of kayaking. The stickers are big, green, and ugly....but, so are the Lake Patrol boats. Maybe it's all of a piece. Thanks for following along at home as this construction took place. Lon "just a hog paddler" in NWArkansas

Out of the hanger....er...I mean the garage, and the painting is done. I'm working on the rope lip coaming today, but it must be around 230 degrees in the garage, I'm certain. The goal is to take a short test paddle tomorrow morning, and then have it posed for formal pictures. Tested pedal positions today, and told a nosy neighbor that the left pedal is the clutch, and the right pedel is the accelerator.

Thanks, AT I'm going after a "Stars & Stripes" motif, and am starting on the white enamel primary coat today. Did the primer yesterday. Then, some blue and red later in the week, and finally a few stars for fun. "Freedom", since that's what she represents to me....freedom to explore the lakes locally. I plan to meet up with the local paddler's group on Aug 2nd, for the first time, and paddle Lake Windsor, here in Bella Vista....a lengthy, skinny, no-wake lake, in which a novice like me can be comfortable. I might have been a pilot, but I have yet to earn my...er...water wings.

Looks like she's ready to paint. WoooHooo! Long road to here! Especially long when you barely know what you're doing!

Certainly agree. I am also well into sinew spool two on my Short Shot.

Was $118 delivered, from Carolina Knife Company, which I realize is an extravagance. But, it was worth every penny to this novice!! At least I do have other uses for it in projects not yet started.

Installing the coaming today. I should be ready for the first coat of paint (primer) tomorrow.

Thanks!Finished sewing up the frame today...just as a storm hit. Good timing!! Coaming is ready to go...probably on Saturday.

Welcome, bagarre. Nick Schade has some lovely designs. I've had my sights on building a stripper, but I know that there just aren't enough hours left, and too much water to be played in. My "ShortShot" has taken long enough, since I'm a first-time builder. That was plenty for now. Hopefully painting this weekend, and on the water before the end of July.

I started the skinning today, and almost finished the bow. I highly recommend the welting cord seam, and I used Corey Freedman's video...watched it over and over until I was comfortable with the whole procedure. I'm really pleased with the results. I also watched his video for deck rigging without hardware, and I plan to follow that video when rigging time comes. The painter knots idea came from animatedknots.com, as I just didn't like any other solution that I had seen to this point. I'll do the same thing in the stern over the next day, or two. Hope to be painting by this weekend. I'm using the new 6oz polyester, and couldn't be happier with the results. It's just as tight as a tick, and I could play drums on it. Very few wrinkles, especially when using this two-cord stitching process.

LOL.....no problem guessing what it is, when it goes under the tree at Christmas, however. Friends told me I should name it "Casper The Kayak". Planning to start stiching the top tomorrow. Using Corey Freedman's video, and double-corded process. Also using his coaming with the rope-edged spray skirt.

Well, the fabric cutter might have been a bit pricey, but I'll use it in other projects. And, it was just worth every penny being able to quickly cut away the excess fabric. No top stitching yet. I'll start on that tomorrow. But, with the excess fabric cut away, it's beginning to actually look like a kayak.

Working on the coaming today. I found that repurposing some floring worked the best. I'm using 3/4" strips of solid oak, 1/8" thick. With the heat gun, it relaxes pretty quickly and I was surprised to find that it bent around the smaller end of the coaming blank with relative ease, where cedar, pine, and Douglas Fir all snapped easily. I hope to be finished with the coaming this week and actually be about ready to skin "Freedom" by next weekend.

No harm done. Only spent $9.87 for the 3/8" ply. It really would not have added much height, and the seat part was nicely curving to fit the slats in the area of...er...kayaker cheeks! However, I'll ditch all that and move on to the footrests tomorrow.

OK, I hear you, but in Ch 7, p 61, illustration 155, you have fairly complete directions on installing the floorboards. My assembly manual is only dated 11 May 2015.

I thought about the fabric counter at Walmart, but it's probably worth the $3 in postage, just to have it come to my doorstep.

Wow....just terrific pictures. Congratulations!!

Found the same foam welting at Sailrite for .09/ft. With shipping, it still worked out to be 16.8 cents/ft

What cord to use? I have some of the perimeter line cord, but only enough for that purpose. What should I be looking for? Find it at Walmart, perhaps? Or one of the BB hardware stores?

Mmmm, floorboards and seat mostly because I wanted 'em. The floorboards are actually in the assembly manual, which got me to thinking about a matching seat. Some of it is for the pure joy of working with wood, too. Hope to get the footrests installed over the next day or so, and have just started the laminated coaming. With some luck, I'll be on the water by mid July. Found a very good sale price on a folding, roof-mounted kayak rack today also, complete with tie-downs and security straps.

There are actually 8 of those short stringers, aren't there? That's what I have, and I also left about 3/4" extra on each end for the lashing. In the section just fore of the 7'1" frame, they also provide a little support for the floorboard. I'm also adding a seat. Pictures: - finished seat stringers -.the seat -.the floorboards in place - easing of the front floorboard, just in case the skin rises there - where floorboard section ajoins frame 7'1" . Still have to sand and seal all edges.

Stitching, color, illustrations....all wonderful. Way nice job!! You will get many "oooooohs" and "aaaaahhhhs" with this one!