Introduction

Welcome to our Kayaking Web pages. Although we are rank novices at it, we enjoy paddling around the local lakes and dream of kayaking in more exotic locations.

These Web pages provide information about building wood and canvas, skin-on-frame kayaks. I have built several of the wood and canvas kayaks discussed on these pages using plans from my good friend Leo Monsen. The plans are easy follow and the kayaks are relatively easy to build, given you have access to basic woodworking tools. The kayak shown on this page can be built in less that 30 hours. Leo and I built my first kayak over one weekend! The cost, assuming you are buying all of the required materials, is approximately $150.00 to $180.00. Of course the costs vary significanly depending on what you have on hand and the region in which you live. For instance, in Chicago, we pay a premium of good wood. Here is a breakdown of the most costly items:

I have read several books about kayak building, have reviewed many web sites pertaining to the subject and have come to the conclusion that this particular model, for the money and effort, is hard to beat for anyone who wants a recreational kayak. If you want an abuse-proof, white-water, hard hull kayak, look elsewhere. But for recreational paddling around a lake or calm river/stream, these kayaks work very well.

Specifications

The kayaks made from the M-Plans plans can be built in either a 12-foot or 14-foot model. Both have a 27 inch beam. For short kayaks, they have a relatively large volume. They are surprisingly stable and are suitable for a wide range of body types. The 12-foot model easily handles kayaker up to 200 lbs. I have used this model at 240 lbs with no trouble at all. The 14-foot model supports additional weight.

Images

Here are a few thumbnails of the latest 12' model we built. Click on the thumbnails to display a larger view. Click here to view our 14-footer construction photos.

	My beautiful wife Luzimar standing beside her new 12' kayak.
	Finished Canvas Kayak
	Finished Frame
	Stern/Bow Detail
	Finished Frame

More Images

Click here to see pictures Leo Monsen sent me showing a kayak in various stages of construction and even loaded up, heading to the lake.

Click here to view our 14-footer construction photos.

Construction Notes

Check out these pages for construction notes and material lists.

• Materials List
• Construction Notes
• Construction Diary
• Contact me for additional building notes, full sized plans, or a video of the general construction.

Construction Diary

On June 15, 2001, I begun construction of a 14' kayak. This diary provides a day-by-day report of the activity. I am videotaping and photographing the major steps of the construction. Hopefully the video will turn out this time and I can get it out to those of you expressing interest in it. I have to say, video taping and constructing at the same time is very difficult. You really need a video crew, scripts, workshop assistants, etc. Oh well!

Click here to view our 14-footer construction photos.

Hull and Deck Materials

I receive tons of questions regarding Hull and Deck material. I prefer canvas because it is easy to obtain, easy to install, and relatively cheap. Click here to view additional information regarding skin materials.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to read through the most Frequently Asked Questions and our attempt at answering them. Please do not hesitate to email us with any questions you might have or clarification of the FAQs.

Places to Kayak

Click here for a list of places we have kayaked or plan to kayak in Northern Illinois.

Kayak Web Sites Worth Visiting

If you're interested in building your own kayak, check out these sites....

Personal Sites, Clubs, Magazines, Forums, Information

• Guillemot SEE Kayaks Site
  A Sea Kayak directory of web site links--enough reading material to last a lifetime.
• Guillemot Skin-on-Frame
  Some good kayak skin-on-frame information.
• Guillemot Kayak Building
  Nick Schades Kayak Building Pages and Directory.
• Kayak Forum
  Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayak building forum. A lot of sharing going on.
• Paul Lambert's Site
  Lots of information about Skin-on-Frame kayak building.
• Stitch and Glue Journal
  Good Stitch and Glue site.
• Kayak Builders of Southern California
  Registry and links to lots of home-built kayaks.
• Pete's Kayak Konstruction Zone
  Wood Strip kayak construction information.
• Canoe and Kayak
  Build Your Own Kayak (Stitch & Glue) article.
• Matthew Bastian's Site
  Another great skin on frame site.
• Polyester Skinning
  Leisure suits? No, information regarding usign Polyester materials for skin-on-frame boats.
• Skinning FAQs
  Good skin on frame information.
• J&Js Kayak Site
  A good stitch & Glue site.
• Wooden Boat Magazine
  One of the best boat magazines out there.
• Windy City Sports Magazine
  Great resource for those living in Chicagoland.
• Paddling Net
  Kayak product reviews and more.
• BoatBuilding Community
  Tons of Boat Building resources.
• Ross Leidy's Kayak Building
  A variety of great wood strip and stitch and glue kayaks, techniques, resources. Great Site!
• The Kayak Builder
  Stitch and Glue Site, resources, links, sells kayaks.
  
  

  Kayak Plans, Kits, Supplies, and Accessories

• Guillemot Kayaks
  Beautiful Wood Strip kayaks. Home Page for one of the truely great kayak web sites.
• One Ocean Kayaks
  Beautiful Wood Strip kayaks.
• Pygmy Boats
  Great Stitch and Glue kayaks--I've got my eye on the Golden Eye!
• Chesapeake Light Craft
  Popular Stitch and Glue kayaks. An aquaintence (Scott) built the Mill Creek model and it is absolutely beautiful.
• Wooden Nickel Kayaks
  Hybrid kayaks.
• Merganser Shearwater Boats
  Stitch and Glue kits and supplies.
• Roy Folland Wooden Kayak Kits
  Stitch and Glue kits and supplies.
• Laughing Loon Kayaks
  Beautiful Wood Strip Kayak kits and supplies.
• Red Fish Kayaks
  More beautiful Wood Strip kayaks and supplies.
• Uncle John's General Store
  Plans for various easy to build small boats.
• Classic Boat Kits
  Wood Strip boat kits.
• Glen-L Marine Designs
  Plans, not my favorite, but very popular.
• Kayak Fit
  Cockpit Accessories.
• Seairsports
  Kayak Seats and Accessories.
  
  

  Boatbuilding Materials and Supplies

• System Three Epoxy
  Great resource for system three information.
• RAKA Boatbuilding Products
  Epoxy/Fiberglass supplier
• Hardwood International
  Marine Plywood and Epoxy
• Mertens Boatbuilding Products
  Epoxy/Fiberglass supplier
• Fiberglass Supply
  Epoxy/Fiberglass supplier
• Flounder Bay
  Marine Lumber supplier
• Bateau Plans
  Plans and ...
  
  

  Kayak Manufacturers and Accessories

• Old Town Canoe
  Affordable recreational kayaks and canoes.
• Perception Kayaks USA
  Affordable whitewater, touring, sport, and recreational kayaks.
• Dagger Kayaks
  Affordable whitewater, touring, sport, and recreational kayaks.
• Necky Kayaks
  Canadian manufacturer of sea, and whitewater kayaks. Product descriptions, pictures, and independent reviews.
• Ocean Kayak
  Open top cockpit allows the paddler to enter and exit the kayak easily from the shore, dock or water. Order kayak accessories online.
• Wilderness Systems Online
  Touring, recreational, sporting, sit-on-top, and surf kayaks. Photos, suggested retail prices, and dealer locations.
• Dimension Kayak
  Manufacturer of kayaks. Includes dealer locator. In English and French.
• Trinity Bay Boat Company
  Maker of several models of affordable quality kayaks.
• Wave Sport Kayaks
  Builds whitewater kayaks, only. Download their catalog. Includes message board and rodeo results.
• Current Designs
  Designs and builds touring kayaks, surf skis and accessories. Includes dealer locator and catalog request form. Located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
• Sun Kayaks Manufacturer of sea kayaks.
• Seaward Kayaks
  Building innovative, user-friendly performance kayaks.
• Northwest Kayaks
  Manufacturer of sea kayaks in Redmond, Washington. Includes dealer locator.
• Heritage Kayaks
  Manufacturer of open cock pit kayaks for recreation and touring. Includes dealer locator.
• Impex International
  Manufacturer of touring kayaks and Pyranha whitewater kayaks. Includes specifications, dealer locator, news, and message board.
• Eddyline Kayaks
  Manufacturer of a complete line of ocean, lake and river touring kayaks.
• Walden Sports
  Manufacturer of kayaks from recycled plastic. Also, outriggers, and accessories.
• Redfish Custom Kayak & Canoe Co.
  Designer, and builder of wood strip sea kayaks, and canoes. Offers finished sea kayaks, or plans for home builders.
• Islander Kayaks
  Offers several models of sit-on-top and surf kayaks.
• Nimbus Kayaks
  Manufacturer specializing in fiberglass and kevlar touring, ocean kayaks and paddles. Dealer listing.
• Hurricane Aqua Sports
  Manufacturer of touring, recreational, and sit on top kayaks. Located in Warsaw, North Carolina.
• Custom Inflatables, Inc.
  Maker of inflatables kayaks. Includes a list of dealers and a message board.
• Team Triak Sailing Kayaks
  Maker of a sailing kayak. Find specifications, prices, and contact information. Based in Washington state.
• Caretta Kayaks
  Luxury, handcrafted wooden touring kayaks, made in Savannah, GA.
• DB Designs Inc.
  Manufacturer and designer of kayaks, paddles, spraydecks, paddling wear, and accessories.
• Custom Kayaks
  Kayaks handbuilt of wood and fiberglass. Has a large photo gallery. Based in Milford, Connecticut.
• Tsunami Kayaks
  California based manufacturer of strong, stable, sea kayaks.
• J&J Custom Watercraft
  Specializes in hand made and crafted sea touring kayaks built in the true eskimo tradition.
• Toquenatch Creek
  Custom builder of high performance, cedarstrip, lightweight sea kayaks. Includes photos of completed craft and work in progress. Provides information about services provided and contact. Located in Powell River, British Columbia, Canada.
• Riot Kayaks
  Employees are kayakers and bring their experiences with them back to the shop every day. Kayak message board.
• Feather Craft Folding Kayaks
  Folding Kayaks.
• Fold Boat (FolBot)
  Folding Kayaks
• Klepper Folding Kayaks
  The Rolls Royce of Folding Kayaks.
• Whale Craft Folding Kayaks
  Folding Kayaks
• Mariner Kayaks
  Great Kayaks plus kots of Reviews, Resources, Accessories, etc.
  
  

  Retail Stores

• Chicagoland Canoe Base
  A Comprehensive Retail Establishment for Kayaks/Canoes
• Galyans Retail Store
  Great prices on a good variety of Kayaking and outdoor equipment. Their web site does not show their Kayak stock--you must visit their store, a veritable DisneyLand for outdoor stuff.
• Northwest Outdoor Center
  Popular site, a bit pricey
• REI
  Good selection of outdoor stuff. Check out their "outlet" store, great prices.