Barton

I agree, Jeff. The pictures Todd showed in his previous posts showed a plywood that isn't what I would call marine ply. I will report on my Vardo with 1/2 inch true Baltic birch when I get her done. Please keep us posted with your findings on Todd's plywood.

I can't say if it's marine plywood or not, but it looks to be poor quality. Just as a side note, I'm using Russian Baltic Birch plywood and it has 9 equal in thickness plys. You may look into getting a small piece for the repair. Baltic birch link. https://www.amazon.com/Single-Piece-Baltic-Birch-Plywood/dp/B003A0JBC0 You may also score a piece of scrap the right size from a kitchen cabinet maker's shop. I also don't think the frame would have cracked if the kayak were fully supported in the water.

I think this maybe a good idea, if you hadn't oiled the frames. I'm thinking that glue won't stick to an oiled frame. You could sandwich the break with pieces of new ply and mechanically fasten it with screws? I'm making my frames out of real Russian Birch ply. I've seen the quality of marine ply go down over the years, so maybe with care, mine will support my weight until I'm a lean machine. :-)

Thanks for the reply. I'm glad to hear that it will fit me! I'm sorry to hear about your cracked rib. I'll have to think about how to reinforce mine. Was it the forward frame with the floor lashed to it? I'd be interested in learning where it cracked and where you were stepping. I may have to use some of my RC sailplane spar building techniques with carbon fiber tow to reinforce the frame.

Ben, Yes I've had a plastic kayak in the past, but weighed less in those days. I couldn't even legally fly that sailplane with my instructor now. I'm going ahead with building the Vardo. I laid out the frames last night and will start cutting them out tonight. If I don't fit in the Vardo, I'll either make some adjustments, or wait until I do, but I've since seen pictures of people in their Vardos, and I'm now confident that I'll fit. Mark

Same for me also.

I am in the process of losing weight and getting back into shape and would like to get back into kayaking before I'm at the "ideal" weight. I'm currently 290 lbs with a 43 " waist and am 6'2" tall with a 36 inch inseam. Anybody with any of those dimensions that give me feedback on how you like your Vardo?

Jeff. I'm game to try the new fabric on the left of your photo. I don't have my Vardo built yet, but if that fabric is available when I need it, I'd put it on my kayak. I like the tightness of the weave. Mark

Great job! I can't wait to experience my launch. Just received my Vardo plans yesterday. What will you build next?

Really sharp! Your build thread inspired me to build one for myself. I ordered the plans Friday night. Now I'm like a 4 year old waiting for Christmas!

I'm no expert on painting, but my first thought was to wonder if the paint had fully cured? My assumption would be that it will get harder over time.