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Author: Brian

Hi, I'm Brian, I've been building skin-on-frame kayaks for 17 years. I'm a (formerly) avid kayaker living in Portland, OR. I hope you enjoy the post!

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CAPE FALCON STUDENT BUILDS

Blog your build is a new way to share your build, get connected with other Cape Falcon Kayak owners and builders, and save some money at the same time.

Bloggers still purchase the online building course, but receive their plans for free. In exchange, every time they build, they post some photos and comments about their progress, along with an initial paddling impression and another one 6 months later.

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FYI, there’s a time lapse of this entire bend in

FYI, there’s a time lapse of this entire bend in yesterday’s post.
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I’ve changed my steam bending technique a bit in the last year. I still work a nice tight bend over my thumbs before putting the rib in the boat, but now instead of pushing down in the center of the rib to further tighten and even out the bends, (which translates into a more stable kayak) these days I’m grabbing the rib out by the bends and pushing downward and inward with my thumbs simultaneously on both sides.
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It’s a subtle difference but I feel like it helps me get the same tight bends without pressing down so much in the center, which can give the ribs a little bit of a memory that slowly leads to keel-collapse over time.
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I can’t definitively prove that this new method is better for preventing keel collapse, but I think it will be. Either way it’s really important to leave a slight arch in the rib otherwise the pressure of the skinning process alone will force a reverse curve into the ribs before you even get on the water!
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Working with strong enough ribs in the first place is also important. When I first started building, my kayaks weighed around 27 pounds and now they are pushing closer to 31, with 2 1/2 of those pounds being stronger ribs! That extra rib strength is the difference between a kayak frame that will last 15 years vs 5!
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#steambending #skinonframekayak #bendingwood #kayakbuilding

Bent in the ribs today using some beautiful white

Bent in the ribs today using some beautiful white oak from @zenaforestproducts . FYI Theres groovy music here as usual.
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Although not shown in this video I added an extra rib at each end. The one in the bow was just because I was curious to see if it would work, and the one in the stern I need to stabilize that area for the potential of adding a rudder.
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Both seemed to work out pretty successfully, so I’m considering adding them to the system. It would strengthen the ends at the cost of 5 more ounces.
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#skinonframekayak #woodworking #boatbuilding #steambending #buildityourself

I decided to use a sawn curved deck beam for the f

I decided to use a sawn curved deck beam for the flat deck F1, mostly because I can’t think of any way to laminate that shape that I would feel comfortable putting in a plan set. (I am open to suggestions?)
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I made several of these and stood on them, comparing the deflection to my existing arched deck beams. The arch is plenty strong enough either way but the tenon is more vulnerable to breaking than my laminated deck beams. I will have to think more on how to make this stronger.
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It wouldn’t be a day at the Cape Falcon shop if I didn’t rebuild some thing that I just finished making, so with the deck complete I decided to glue some extra wood onto the next deck beam forward that I carved into a slight arch with an angle grinder. I’m doing this because I’m concerned that that extra half inch will be the difference between me being able to load the gear bags or not.
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This is one of the things I like most about skin on frame building; it’s generally pretty easy to back up if you want to make a change or you need to fix something.
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#skinonframe #woodworking #joinery

Starting in on sailing/catamaran flat deck F1 kaya

Starting in on sailing/catamaran flat deck F1 kayak, it always surprises me how much there is to think about with these things.
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A standard F1 with a sail will naturally track onto a beam reach which can be pretty scary in high winds. I will add a rudder if I need to but I will try everything else first before doing that.
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One of the things I’m trying to get better directional stability is to move the sail center of effort forward by pushing the first deck beam (where the mast step mounts) as far forward as I dare without leaving too long of an unsupported span between deck beams, or too narrow of an area for the stays, or pulling the boom so far forward that I can’t use the deck beam at the front of the cockpit to mount the sail tie down.
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The attachment hardware for the sail tiedown has to be mounted in exact locations so the stowed sail doesn’t interfere with the spray skirt or the paddle stroke, so I have to make sure I am thinking about that when designing the deck beam at the front of the cockpit.
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I’m giving myself two options for the forward catamaran board location, One directly ahead of the cockpit that I hope will work and one much further forward that I know will work. I need to make sure that all the control lines the sail and the spare paddle won’t interfere with either position.
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I’m checking to make sure that the deck stringers won’t interfere with toe clearance. These are going to have a lot of stuff mounted to them cell I’m checking that scantlings match common fastener lengths, so I don’t end up in a situation where screw tips are poking out the bottom but the next size down is too short.
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It’s an interesting puzzle although sometimes hard to make final decisions and move forward.
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#kayakdesign #kayakbuilding
#boatbuilding

So I have to be honest here and admit that somethi

So I have to be honest here and admit that something I was planning with my last two Greenland Kayaks was to add pop-up sails and catamaran system very similar to what I do with my canoes. I modified both frames to handle the forces but at the last minute I came to my senses and realized that a Greenland kayak is just the wrong tool for that job.
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So for the last two weeks I’ve been contemplating a flat decked pair of F1s with sails and catamaran functionality built-in. On one hand it sounds ridiculously fun, but on the other it would mean giving up my forward cargo area.
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A bit of background: Skin on frame kayaks can be frustrating to camp out of, so when I re-designed the F1 I literally designed the frame around the float and gear bags. I can stuff the bow bag tightly with no special care, pull my foot braces back, slide the whole bag forward and it fits like a glove and then the foot braces lock it in place.
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I worked hard for that functionality so you can see why I’m having a hard time letting it go. Especially because if I can successfully catamaran and sail these I will absolutely want to take them on camping trips.
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Nothing comes for free though, so I’ll just have to build a pair and see if the catamaran is really more fun then the camping is frustrating without my beloved forward cargo area.
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My oldest kayak design actually had a flat deck so I dug out the old surveys looking for inspiration. The “Ginnyak” was a lovely paddling, rolling, and surfing boat, but it was kinda dumb looking and filled a niche that nobody was interested in so I let the design fade away.
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After a trip down memory lane I headed to the lumber store for supplies and found this beautiful piece of figured cedar. Seems almost a shame to slice it up for kayak parts.
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I’m juggling a lot of projects right now so it will probably be at least a month before I get both prototypes finished.
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#kayakdesign #kayakbuilding #kayak #skinonframe

Thanksgiving around these parts might just be anot

Thanksgiving around these parts might just be another boat building day with turkey, but at least everyone’s getting fed. My 1942 direct drive Parks planer chows down on 11 inch wide 5/4 white oak from @zenaforestproducts . Turn on the sound, it’s kind of cool.
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#woodworking #woodworkingtools #boatbuilding #vintagetools

One of my favorite builds from this last year was

One of my favorite builds from this last year was from Iain in Scotland who is an experienced canoeist and wanted to try our building system.
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He put together a fantastic Student Build blog on our website (you can get there via the link tree in our bio) and also has been adding videos of his paddling adventures to his YouTube channel: Adventure Made.
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Ian and his friends seem to paddle a lot of bigger swift water rivers with the occasional more serious rapids.
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I’m always really upfront about the durability of skin on frame in these applications: excellent impact resistance but not so great with a lot of long-term abrasion. The lifespan of a skin depends on skin thickness, coating thickness, judgment, and the type of rocks you’re paddling around.
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Basically, if you get surfed into a rock you’re gonna have a lot less chance of putting a hole in the boat then you would with anything made of fiberglass, kevlar, or carbon. But if you’re scraping over granite ledges all day long you’re going to be replacing the skin sooner than later.
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Iain used 9oz Nylon cloth and 3 coats of Coelan polyurethane. 12 ounce cloth and five coats of two-part polyurethane would add a lot more toughness to the skin, but significant weight as well.
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#skinonframecanoe #mycapefalconbuild #canoebuilding #buildyourownboat #woodworkingproject #boatbuilding

Today’s tool tip: for the past 5 years I’ve be

Today’s tool tip: for the past 5 years I’ve been using these Diablo circular saw blades to slice up my bending oak to get the best possible yield on my kayak and canoe ribs. I’m currently using a lower-powered ‘craft’ table saw because my normal saw won’t fit in my current workspace.
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Cutting with this set up all my ribs would start and finish at 64th over the measurement and be the correct width in the middle. So I figured that just has to be something about my tablesaw not having enough power or some kind of alignment issue? Not a huge deal.
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But then a buddy of mine gave me this Makita framing blade and every rib was dead straight! It wasn’t the saw it was the blades the whole time!
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So if you happen to be taking one of my courses or watching my videos, forget what I say about those little Diablo blades. This Makita blade cuts a lot better. My friend did mention however that Makita makes several blades of this type that look almost identical, so if you’re going to get one pay close attention to the specifications on the blade in the picture. He also said they are somewhat inconsistent compared to the Diablos but considering the Diablos are all screwed up 100% of the time I guess that’s an improvement?
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This batch of ribs is headed for New Zealand where it’s pretty hard to find decent steam bending wood.
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#woodworkingtips #skinonframe #bendingoak #steambending #whiteoak

One of the most frustrating things for me is when

Over the years I’ve found the toggle and leather

Over the years I’ve found the toggle and leather deck line systems seen on many traditional kayaks to be far superior to shock cord. Objects on deck are held more securely (especially in surf) and any line on the boat can be used to lift, tow, or rescue.
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Like a lot of people I started out making toggles out of hardwood, bone, or bits of antler but quickly realized the reason you almost never see this on traditional kayaks is because those materials just aren’t durable.
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Ivory was used almost exclusively and machines very similarly to Delrin plastic. Delrin is overkill here so I’ve been using high density polyethylene for most of my kayak building career.
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Fast forward to a couple days ago I decided I just didn’t like the look of white plastic on my new Greenland kayak so I hauled out this weird set of antlers I found on the side of the road and cut off the points. Of course, just like every time I had tried this before, the antler was much too fragile and chipped before I was even done cutting it. So it was back to the plastic.
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I scratched up the toggles on a belt sander and Liz worked in some acrylic paint. Still nowhere near the ivory look I wanted, (you can see an actual piece of ivory next to the plastic in one of the photos) but at least it takes the edge off the white.
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Pretty hard to photograph anything white against the black background, but you can see two stained toggles above a non stained one in the first and last photos.
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#traditionalkayak #toggles #kayakbuilding #sofkayak

Mary and her dad Saul are getting ready to tackle

Mary and her dad Saul are getting ready to tackle a pair of F1 kayak builds. I strongly approve of her proposed modifications (see second image)
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Posted with permission from dad.
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#mycapefalconbuild #kayakbuilding #buildyourownboat #fatherdaughterproject

West Greenland Kayak Build Timelapse 9: adding dec

West Greenland Kayak Build Timelapse 9: adding deck lines and seating. Total build time on this kayak, about 44 hours.
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Rigging the deck lines is always my least favorite part of the kayak building process. I pull 3/8” wide English bridle leather straps through progressively smaller holes to stretch and round them, and then these days I’m burning 5/32” holes in the skin offset upwards from the underlying hole in the wood, and then summoning an unholy incantation of swear words, I somehow manage to pull the lines through the ridiculously undersized holes and tighten then. It REALLY sucks but it keeps leaks to a minimum.
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All of my deck lines are tied through the inside of the gunwales because I strongly believe you should be able to tow, carry, or rescue by any deck line on a kayak.
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The new seating arrangement here involves a suspended fabric seat which is incredibly comfortable while keeping your center of gravity as low as possible, and a clever little back rest that is a complete game changer for the comfort of these boats. I’ve already got a tutorial for how to make the suspended seat on my YouTube channel and I will be adding the backrest to the kayak building course on our website in few days.
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The finished kayak is striking and I will make sure to talk more about the color soon because there’s a lot to think about if you’re going to go to this dark.
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I’ve been re-shooting course videos for the last week and Liz’s is working on the plans set, so hopefully this kayak be ready for release by December.
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#greenlandkayak #skinonframekayak #kayakbuilding #leathercraft

West Greenland Kayak Build Time Lapse 8: Coating t

West Greenland Kayak Build Time Lapse 8: Coating the kayak. Build time so far, about 40 hours.
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A quick FYI, For some reason yesterday’s video showing how I sew the skin barely got served, so if you’re curious about that process scroll back a post. Also there’s fun music on this one!
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I’ve recently started experimenting with mixing rare earth pigment directly into the two-part polyurethane. The advantage to this is that the finish is far more colorfast and UV resistant than using acid dye to color the fabric, especially in the darker colors. The disadvantage is that it’s much more difficult to apply evenly without making an ugly, streaky mess.
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The problem is that even slight differences in coating thickness show up as color changes. My rolling technique creates a fairly even layer, but as always, rolling too much for too long is a big mistake. Also I like to follow each layer with a careful smoothing with the scraper card which is a lot less forgiving.
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The material has to be cured enough that when you hit it with the card it will smooth down any imperfections, but not so cured that it won’t self level after that. Also every variation in pressure and speed shows up as a color change.
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There was also just a lot of stress from pushing the envelope of pigment concentration. I chose to mix black and brown this time even though I’ve seen the polyurethane have boat-ruining chemistry problems with too much black dye and pigment. As usual I’m using myself as a guinea pig to find the disaster threshold so I can tell my students how to stay below it.
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Overall I’m pretty happy with how things ended up but it’s far from perfect and I had to be ridiculously disciplined not to make it worse by over-rolling or over-scraping.
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#kayakbuilding #greenlandkayak #skinonframe #buildityourself

West Greenland Kayak Build Time Lapse 7: Skinning

West Greenland Kayak Build Time Lapse 7: Skinning the kayak. Build time so far, about 32 hours.
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I don’t have time to write a long caption this morning but free to ask questions! Also, there’s music on this one!
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#skinonframekayak #greenlandkayaking #kayakbuilding #sewing

West Greenland Kayak Build Time Lapse 6: Adding f

West Greenland Kayak Build Time Lapse 6: Adding foredeck stringers, cleaning up and oiling the frame. Total build time so far, about 28 hours.
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The time lapse is back, don’t miss the music here! Scroll back to October 16 post to see the beginning of this series.
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It’s pretty obvious what’s happening in this video but I will mention that the Masik (the wide deck beam at the front of the cockpit) to deck stringer joint is not traditional. Originally the stringers would have sat on a lower deck beam directly forward of the Masik, but I find this particular arrangement to be so much more comfortable that is one of the few places that I’m willing to significantly deviate from the original framing.
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#kayakbuilding #greenlandkayak #skinonframe #woodworking

In today’s episode of first world problems: Bri

In today’s episode of first world problems: Brian whines about Tuilik choices! (A Tuilik is the traditional Greenlandic paddling jacket).
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So here’s the deal, I’m not a big fan of Tuiliks because even though they’re great for rolling, around here a Tuilik plus a Drysuit is pretty much a recipe for instant overheating.
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So how about leaving the dry suit behind? I’m actually OK with that with my skill set, but that leads me to my other big issue with Tuilks: Nobody makes one with a coaming attachment I trust.
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Flashback to 15 years ago I was wearing a Brooks Tuilik in the surf when I got imploded by an especially thumpy little closeout. I rolled up about a third full of water, quickly reattached the spray deck just in time to lean hard into the foam pile from the following wave.
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Because the kayak was partially flooded the entire wave force turned into rotational force and two of my ribs broke over the side of the combing as I hit my head so hard on the outside of the gunnel that I got a healthy lump. I rolled up again, paddled to shore, and had a hard time breathing in the morning for the next two months.
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I wouldn’t touch a Tuilik for 10 years after that but then about 4 years ago I decided to order a custom sized Reed with “room for a drysuit”. that arrived way too tight over my dry suit and way too loose on the cockpit. I almost wonder if they didn’t see my custom sizing form because they contacted me for measurements that I had already submitted? It’s a nice piece of kit but it just didn’t fit so I barely used it.
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So that brings me back to considering a Brooks Tuilik so I can really show off the capabilities of this new Greenland kayak this winter. I’m just having a hard time shelling out $400 for that super sketchy spray skirt attachment.
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I actually like both the Reed and the Brooks for different reasons, and it could be that my Reed was sized wrong, but it seems crazy that I nobody makes a safe Tuilik for a type of boat that is by definition not self rescueable.
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That’s my morning paddling rant.
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#greenlandkayaking #greenlandkayak #greenlandpaddle

I want to share something really special today. T

I want to share something really special today. This summer James Doherty and his son Edward circumnavigated Anglesey in F1 kayaks they built with Ant Mace of Shipshape boat works in Bristol, England.
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James put together a lovely YouTube video showing them building the boats and making the trip that you can find simply by searching: skin on frame Anglesey.
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https://youtu.be/8MpuUL8fUAo
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Anglesey is a tough nut to crack because not only is it just a really long trip but you have to catch a series of tidal windows otherwise the current drags you backwards the entire time.
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Due to a little bit of seasickness and overheating in the beginning they missed their first tidal window but kept going anyways and completed the trip.
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I find myself wondering if a faster kayak like my LPB would have improved their time? I originally suggested the F1 for this trip because it is extremely efficient at average cruising speeds and is a very safe kayak for rough water paddling. Generally speaking to gain anything from a longer waterline you have to be able to hold a level of effort that very few people can sustain over long distances and you actually pay a drag at normal cruising speeds. However, in this case if we remove the seasickness and the overheating, and then put both these guys in my LPB kayak really pushing on that first leg, they might have caught that first tidal window. It’s really hard to say.
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Anyway go check out that YouTube video. It’s only 15 minutes long and it’s a really beautiful story and an impressive accomplishment. Congratulations James and Edward.
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#kayaking #kayak #kayakadventure #skinonframekayak #paddling

I’m deep into updating the plans and videos for

I’m deep into updating the plans and videos for the new Greenland kayak which is neither fun nor interesting, so I thought I would share some stuff from my students this week.
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Ted @buroak made this brilliant Canoe Cart out of a golf caddy. I’ll let him describe how it’s built:
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“While I have made a legion of kayak/canoe carts over the years this one is by far the best for ease of construction, portability, weight, stability and it folds up for storage. The secret is the Canadian made Kaddy-Lac golfcart. Kaddy-Lac carts were designed for the North American golf rental market and as such are completely repairable as all parts are bolted together. They were made for abuse and smooth operation (ball bearing wheels). Also since they have been made for 70 years there are tons of them around…usually in a pile behind a golf course building.
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All you need to do is unbolt the golf bag brackets and bolt on a couple of boards with holes in the end to run the straps through. I made the cross-member boards to fit a standard foam pad sold for attaching kayaks/canoes to a roof rack. I cut a groove in the middle of each to rest the keel in and this helps centre my canoe. Just unfold, set the canoe on, balance it so there is little weight to lift, strap it down and away you go. My launch spot is a twenty minute walk and it’s as easy as walking my dog. This winter I am going to transform my second cart with a long handle to be pulled by my bike.
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All the best, Ted.”
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#canoe #canoeing #canoebuilding

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Brian Schulz
brian@capefalconkayaks.com
Call or text: 503 354 4939

4935 NE 11th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97211
Hours by appointment only

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