Phase two- Building an expedition kayak

Finding simple solutions for a complex challenge


The vision is to have a solid performing kayak, built with a single purpose in mind. Custom fit for the paddler, Deb Walters, and outfitted with features that make it functional and safe. It would be exposed to all that the Atlantic Ocean could throw at it. All while being comfortable, efficient and durable. It's a tall order. Every design feature was run through my mental checklist. In the end it all had to make sense on several levels, before any construction could be put into action. At the top of the list, was that the boat had to get her to every destination, safely, every single day. This was always, without fail, on my mind,

The problem at hand was building a flat mounting surface for the hatches to mount. Sounds simple, right? Since the deck has camber, the only way to accomplish this was to build recesses. This all sounded easy enough when dreaming it up. The reality was, it was going to be a complex operation. The Deck on a Chesapeake 18 is formed on the boat. The flat panels are arched over the bulkheads and deck beams, to give it the signature camber that the Chesapeake series is known for. This is where it gets complicated. The recesses must fit in a curved deck. They must be reinforced with fiberglass and epoxy from the underside. Doing that on an installed deck would be impossible. The solution....pre-arch the deck.







The other difficult part of the equation, the components built into the deck must mesh with the features built into the hull. Lots of mock ups, measurements and careful planning were needed to pull this off. Three hatches needed to be located. Several mock-ups were done to ensure the intended cargo could pass through into the storage areas. The next challenge....deck rigging. There were several designs in mind. After careful discussion with Deb, a final design was set. Since I was using a flush mounting system for the deck rigging, forty eight holes had to be located, with the hatches and all mesh with the underlying structure of the hull. No problem right? This was the source of many hours awake, at all hours, running design and execution through the labyrinth of my mind.





Hatch Recess Construction


As I said earlier, the hatches needed a flat surface for mounting. In order for them to achieve a watertight seal, there could be no distortion in the frame. This is where the recesses come in. They provide a flat surface and also provide a smoother profile to the deck. This sounds like more of an aesthetic choice, when in fact it is a safety feature. A smooth deck reduces the possible snags when the paddler is executing a re-entry. To build these recesses, without the aid of CAD design was the challenge. The deck halves were arched over temporary forms and Carbon Fiber was applied at high stress points. I could then begin the modeling process to make the prototype recesses. Again, it was an ah-ha moment in the wee hours of the morning that the idea was hatched. 
Locations for the hatches were set. The hatch sill and base were attached to the underside of the deck. I then filled the space between the deck and base with cardboard fingers that were taped with plain old scotch tape. Low tech as it can get, but highly effective. I filled the space on half of the recess, so that I could create symmetry by creating a mirror image.







The Prototype was assembled. This was the third version. The first two were impossible to assemble or just plain wrong. Measurements were taken after trial fitting, so that a CAD version could be drawn and parts cut on our CNC machine.

CNC cutting provided the "polish" needed as these parts were a highlight on the deck. We sourced some recycled material out of our off-cut stack to keep in the theme of using recycled materials. Final tweaking was needed to get the fit correct.



The back deck recesses were far easier. there was less camber and fitting was now a familiar operation. But.....disaster struck. Working on a Sunday, the rear recess "exploded" while sanding. Perhaps I was tired, but poor judgment was the culprit. The stationary belt sander caught an edge and I was back at square one. With a tight deadline and no ability to cut another, the prototype was pushed into action. It was able to be polished to an acceptable appearance. The only clue lies in the slash cut joint I used to assemble the ring. The crisis averted, the recesses were glued in and fiberglass applied to reinforce them.



The deck rigging


 Maroske fittings are unique. They provide a firm attachment point for deck bungee and perimeter line. These fittings have an advantage over traditional attachments. There is no fastener to fail, the load is spread over a larger area and are completely waterproof. The down side...they are not easy to make and require a significant amount of pre-planning to execute properly.  Shown left is the prototype mounted in the marking jig.
 The rigging was marked with tape. Again, special consideration had to be utilized to ensure all of these rigging points, twenty four in all, did not interfere with the hull components. A marking jig was utilized for proper location and uniformity among the forty eight holes that were to be drilled.
 Mandrels for the fiberglass sleeve were made from polyethylene tubing. A rope was inserted in the tube to prevent pinching when arched. The tubing was also waxed to prevent the fiberglass/epoxy from sticking and allowing the mandrels to be easily removed,


The tubes were saturated with epoxy, to lock the shape in. The gap between the deck and tube was filled with thickened epoxy and then reinforced with another layer of bias cut fiberglass, as seen below.

 This is why all of the pre-planning was important. There was no room for error here. The rigging tubes and hatches had to mesh with the bulkheads in the hull. Below is how the finished fittings look from topsides. Nice and clean.


Now comes the moment of truth......


Will it all fit together? I was about to find out. I released the forms from the deck and was pleasantly surprised that it held its shape with no spring back. After a few nervous moments, I found it all worked! Everything fit perfectly. The deck was attached and a major milestone was crossed. 




As you can see, there was little room for error. The translucency of Maroske fittings led to them being renamed "sky lights" later on. 

The boat was taking shape according to the vision and plan. There was a ton more work to do, but the stress of design was now off my plate. The reality of the project was starting to take hold, where as it was a concept a few short weeks before. Hang tight....things are about to hit high gear from here.

For more information on Deb's journey, visit

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