Time to get caught up. Building a kayak for a 2500 mile expedition-Part 1

It's been a really long time since my last post. Somehow putting my thoughts down, about building boats, slid down the ladder of importance...to the bottom. A lot has happened in the last eighteen months. I have been busy building, most of which I could not talk about, because it was all prototype work. It would be poor form to chronicle a build that my employer has not yet released to the public. So, there was a little lag time before I could again write about my adventures building boats. There were two canoes, and two outrigger sailboats that consisted of four of everything. Four hulls, four seat platforms, four cross beams...You get the picture. The payoff was to be one of the first to sail the boats on an unusually warm December afternoon. To feel a boat, that you have spent countless hours working on, move under it's own power for the first time is truly special.




Now, to get to the point of this post. A few months ago, Chesapeake Light Craft was approached by Deb Walters of Safe Passage. She was looking for support from us, in the form of sponsorship. My GM asked me to take a look, and that was it, we were on board. To summarize her plan, she is going to paddle a Chesapeake 18, from Maine to Guatemala. All to raise awareness, and money, for Safe Harbors charity. They are focused on giving the kids of the Guatemala Garbage Dump, education and life skills training. Opportunities that we often take for granted. A truly noble cause and since kids were the focus, this was an easy sell for me.

Not being one to ever back down from a challenge, I dug right in.. The project, is converting a almost finished Chesapeake 18, into the ultimate expedition kayak. She is, after all, paddling over 2500 miles in a variety of conditions. After the initial consultation with Deb, the plan was formed. The list of modifications was extensive and it will truly be a one-off build.

 What will be so special about this kayak? Lots. I'll be adding modern production style features to a boat that she built several years ago. It will have recessed production style hatches, including a day hatch. The deck rigging will also be recessed for a super smooth deck. A custom cockpit to allow her to switch from a standard forward stroke to a more powerful racing stroke, when conditions permit. The foot braces also needed to be re-positioned to allow the switch between stroke styles. The forward bulkhead was moved back to shrink the cockpit volume, in the event she capsizes. Less water in means less water that must be pumped out. A custom seat platform will be fabricated to allow for an emergency water bladder to sit low in the boat. A Smart Track rudder system will also be installed.

Every part of this build is done with safety in mind. Each and every step has to be done, thinking of how the boat is being used and what could possibly go wrong. 2500 miles is a lot of wear on any kayak. Expeditions can be and often are, brutal on equipment.  Kayaks must be built tough to endure whatever the ocean can throw at them. This is a tall order, one that I do not take lightly.

Deconstruction...


To facilitate all of the modifications, the decision was made to remove the deck. every part of the interior could then be easily reached. A scary proposition to most, I can only imagine Deb's horror looking at the pictures for the first time with the deck cut off. Once removed, I found that the interior fiberglass needed attention. A few hours with a heat gun made easy work of removal. The front bulkhead was removed and I then had a clean slate to work with. New fillets were made and a full liner of fiberglass installed.

A before shot...
A router with flush cutting bit made quick work of the deck removal
How to make a kayak a canoe.....
Rear deck and cockpit deck are now gone

Fiberglass tape that was questionable. It came out quite easily.

All of the interior fiberglass turned out to have issues, so it all was removed


New fillets ensure a good bonding surface for the fiberglass liner
A clean slate to start building back up




New, continuous fiberglass liner installed

The Build-up


Now that the interior had been renewed, it was time to start the build-up. Deb has a unique requirement for the foot controls in her boat. She uses two different styles of forward stroke. By doing this, she is less prone to repetitive motion injuries. This poses a challenge as the two different styles require that the foot controls be placed inward of their normal position. To accomplish this, a foot brace truss was fabricated. The foot braces are moved inward and are tied into the bulkhead for ultimate strength. 


A cardboard mock-up (the first of three of them) of the foot brace truss 

An overhead shot of the proposed cockpit.

Front bulkhead getting the Carbon Fiber treatment
The Truss would be subject to millions of load cycles during the expedition. Careful thought was put into materials. The unit had to be strong, stiff and light. A carbon fiber/wood sandwich met all of the criteria. Light stiff and very, very strong. I used 3mm okoume ply for the core. It was sandwiched between two layers of 5.7 oz Carbon fiber. The entire structure weighs just over a pound and will absorb all of the drive Deb can muster, with her feet. This will be bonded to the hull and deck, to triangulate the load.


The final rendition of the foot brace mounting plates

Another trial fit before locking the shape in place


The cardboard mock-up of the Day Hatch Bulkhead
Another requirement, was the addition of a day hatch. This compartment would be sealed off from the rear storage area and keep her important supplies in easy reach while paddling. Again, I used the same materials as the foot brace truss. Overkill for sure, but it adds little in weight in an area of high stress under the deck.
Finished bulkhead assembly

The inner workings of the kayak are all installed and the real design work is ahead. The deck has a lot of components that must mesh with the inner workings of the hull. The two halves are constructed separately and joined as completed assemblies. This should be fun and stressful all at the same time. Stay tuned, it will get interesting from here.

For more information about Safe Passage or the Expedition visit:

http://www.safepassage.org/expedition
https://www.facebook.com/KayakForSafePassageKids
http://kayakforsafepassagekids.blogspot.com/










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