Builder's Page

Third Time's a Charm

2012-01-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

Not that I have any regrets with the first two yaks. The first kayak plan was chosen to get the biggest boat, that would hold the most gear and allow me to go on longer expeditions. Savor Diem. The plans were from One Ocean and they were of the Cape Ann Expedition. I can't say enough about the great web site that Vaclav Stejskal created for the benefit of all. He teaches boat building, tests materials, recommends material supplier, etc. If you buy the plans he has ever more details on building a fine craft.

The boat I built for Jan definitely needed to be smaller. For this I wanted to try a different company so I went with Guillemot and bought the plans for the Guillemot S. The S plans create a boat that is very stable and can keep me from getting too nervous when Jan or my daughters get in to tall seas.

The next one will be more a model of speed, agility and efficiency (at least I will have to learn how to pack more efficiently). I have not bought plans yet but I'm thinking that the Gillemot Night Heron.

The boat building for number III started on 11-Nov-2011 when we went to the family cabin and cut down a few White Cedar trees. I was looking for one tree (first Picture) that would do it but the best tree was going to be hung up by another tree (second picture-with my son Jake, at the saw). We actually had to cut a third tree down to get the trees to fall. There was more dry rot in the center of the trees than I would have like but not much you can do about that. Between three trees and maybe this time using a band saw lumber mill, I might get enough good boards. Last time I used a chain saw lumber mill I made for my dad's 20" Homelite chain saw. It worked well but wasted a lot of wood.

QOD: That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882).

Colorado 2011 Catch and Release Hunt

2011-09-26T09:52:00.000-07:00

Had a fabulous Elk Hunt for two weeks in Colorado. I got into more Elk than in any of my previous trips. The high (and low) of the trip was calling in a nice size Bull, standing broadside at 30 yrds and then throwing an arrow over his back. The only explanation I can come up with was that I grabbed the 50 yd pin instead of the 30 yrd pin. I later removed the 50 and 60 yd pins from my bow.

Other Highs and Lows

- The next day, being surrounded by 7+ Elk with the heard bull's basting-bugle, echoing throughout the valley as he came my way. Calling didn't bring the heard in but one satellite bull circled way around me and then winded me at 18 yds.

- Another day, stalked another (or the same) group of Elk, that had a bull calling until 11:30AM but the swirling winds did me in.
- Snow at 10k ft

- Camping for 7 days at 10,250 ft. Three trips to the spike camp: 2 days, 3 days and 2 days. I Love that Exped down filled air mattress, slept like a baby.

- 11 Trucks at the trail head but none found their way to me so I had my camping/hunting area all to myself.

- Leaving my tent and some gear, not fearing for someone messing with it, but when I arrived, I found one of the free range cattle standing ON my tent. I got hoof prints 3' up the side of the rain fly. No damage though.

- Awesome mountain bike trail: Phil's World near Cortez Colorado, with a mile or two of great blasting down hill roller coasters and jumps running down a draw. Also hit the Lunch Trails south of Grand Junction.

- Getting 24.7 mpg with the Trailblazer.

- Meeting Eddie Howard again. A guy who has gotten 18 Elk and has been hunting 34 yrs in this area. Stopped into his condo that he rented for the month and compared hunting stories.

Pictures

QOD: "What if we choose the wrong religon? Each week we just make God madder and madder." Matt Groening (1954-)

Later/SavorDiem/Lg

The Newbie Weekend

2011-08-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

It was a fabulous weekend for new members of the; Paddled Superior Club. For Jan, it was her 4 time paddling and camping on the big water, for Sebra, it was her third time on the water, first time camping and for Maria it was the first for both.

Maria, Matt, Jan and I car pooled up on Thurs and camped at the Herbster beach side CG on Thurs PM. The next day, Breakfast at Bayfield and then we paddled past the sea stack on Basswood to Hermit for a lunch break on the warm pebble beach. Swimming started immediately. Then we headed to camp site No. 20 on Stockton Is. Great Beach as was shown by the number of boats moored there. Sebra and Aras joined us about 9:30 PM. I liked the beach especially the neighbors clothing optional program.

The next day it was off to Oak site 2 near the dock, the rangers station and the group site with the Boy Scouts. Still a great site. Did get some rain but that didn't stop Aras and Sebra from hiking to the other group site. On Sunday Maria and Matt got in an early run to the cliffs on the north side of the island.

Sunday morning we paddled across to the main land to visit Sebra's Buddy's parents land. They own 80 acres along the shore and shared some interesting details about the land, the neighbors and the area.

We had great smooth water, bright sun and evening fires both nights. A fabulous trip for getting an intro to Superior and the islands. The trip went too fast but maybe left some yearning for a return.

See Links to Photos:
Aras Photos

Jan & Lloyd's

QOD: You don't get anything clean without getting something else dirty. Cecil Baxter

Molly's Epic Adventure

2011-06-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

Molly, winning her Environmental Science degree from NDSU, was deserving a adventure. Lake Superior and the Circle Tour supplied such an adventure. We started on 23-May, late in the day and made it to Split Rock State Park. This is a place where my ~70 yr old dad wanted to jump the fence when we stopped one time on the way to the BWCA many years ago (roll reversal, I talked him out of it). After sunrise and tea on the shore, Molly and I paddled under the lighthouse to get a view that the paying crowd could not enjoy.
The next night we made it to Sleeping Giant Provincial park but at $50 for permits, we opted for a private campground at Nippigon. This staged us for our outing at Rossport, to Healey Island. We stopped at Quarry Island on the way and hiked the trail to the top, a great trek and view. The winds were predicted to be 20 knots the next day but we lucked out and the wind and waves behaved.
The Provincial Park prices drove us to cruse through Canada (still a fabulous visual experience) and head to Mackinac Island which was a fun tourist trek. We camped at St. Ignas, Straits St Park which gave us an excellent view of the bridge. Molly mentioned that if we paddled through the bridge we would be hitting 3 of the 5 great lakes. Molly and I scared each other; me, when I paddled by myself through the bridge and "disappeared" and Molly when I turned back and she was not waiting where I expected. All was well.
The last stop was Little Sand Bay. The winds the next day did not favor the Sand Island caves but were excellent for the Meyers Beach sea caves. These caves were a first for both of us and I was glad to share the experience with her. 1,523 miles and I believe we had an excellent adventure.

See all photos

QOD: There are those who make things happen, There are those who watch things happen, and there are those who say, "What just happened?". Unknown.

Spring Fling 2011

2011-05-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

Fabulous weekend on the lake. Some tall waves made the trip to the caves quite exciting, especially for the pro's who were temping fate by running through the caves in that tall stuff. I'd write more but it's time to pack two boats and on to Miss Molly's Epic Post College Circle Tour Adventure.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lkeleny/SKOACSpringFling2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCOSf0pbkoLmR2wE##

Later/SavorDiem/Lg

SsssNo !!!

2010-12-26T21:25:00.000-08:00

This is the third year in a row of awesome snow. The testimony is Murphy Hanranan Park. This park is only open for cross country skiing if there is good snow. There is good snow. I love this park and today did not disappoint. I also love the new hours...open to 10PM !!! For all of the years I've lived in the frozen north and tried to get our for exercise near the Winter Solstice, daylight is not always an option. Being chase by rangers, when all I want to do is get out side and burn some calories, is no fun.

With the new hours I got in one glorious daylight ski on outer loop and two inner loops after sundown. Quite a rush in the dark. I think maybe next time I'll bring a light. If you want an adrenal rush and can handle some hills (up and down) I would highly recommend this 3R Park.

EnJoy!
QOD: Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow. Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Tonight I Rode Behind a Fixie

2010-11-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I rode behind a fixie, a full-on fixed gear bike. He had to stand on the back side stoke of the peddles to slow down before going into the tunnel & lagoon between Calhoun and Isles. He made a left and i took the scenic route up the North arm of Isles. I met up with him again at Thoe and 55. Although most fixies leave me in the dust I slowly built some distance on the guy...but I also had some distance to go so I better back off.
What’s with all of the fixies. Pulled up on a guy three weeks ago on a single speed. At least he had a free wheel and brakes. When the riding broke into conversation it didn’t take long to determine he was NOT from south Mpls… England! Really, I was just there last week. I was scouting for bicycling opportunities and saw a number of single speeders and quite a number of riders on the road. Not bad for a chilled fall day.
Enough of this, how about some pictures. …Yes, in going backwards chronologically from here... I was riding a bike but she was a British Bike and her name was Bonnie. Triumph Bonneville T100, a 865 cc machine that didn’t seem British [Sorry but I owned one]. To start with we went exploring. An easy compass was following the Thames. although driving on the left side of the road and round abouts at the same time was FUN. I forgot to GPS mark my hotel so finding my way back to the hotel on a Saturday night through the labyrinth of London was a challenge. Again, I had the Thames to dissect the city but where from there? The only map I had was 1.5” Tall x 1.5” Wide.
On Sunday I got up at 6:30 AM to head to the cost, the south coast of England. I made it to a race track/hobby airport and then to the Brighton Peer. After that it was up the coast towards the white cliffs of Dover. So where was it that “The White Cliff’s of Dover” written down that we have heard of this before?

QOD: If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)

Ruddering Around II

2010-03-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

Bro-In-Law, Jim was in town so of course there was more boat building to be had. With the help of Matt and Express Composites, I got to do some real vacuum bagging. I did a small vac bag project for one of my paddles previously but borrowing Matt's vac pump and supplies from EC I was making a project that really sucked. The rudder bag held it's vac without the pump cycling which was great to see. The vac on Jim's back rest had a small leak and the pump would cycle once every 15-20 min but it still worked quite well.

We also got out on the water on Sunday 15-Mar. The Miss R. was moving quite fast so our upstream paddle took 10 times longer than our down stream paddle. Great warm day to be on the water. I had to squeeze into Jan's boat and Jim used mine.

QOD: Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength. Eric Hoffer (1902-1983)

Graduation Pictures

2009-10-27T17:59:00.001-07:00

Stats:

BOAT
Plans - Guillemot "S"
Length - 16 ft
Beam - 20 in
Draft - 3.7 in
Weight - 47 lbs
Wood - White Cedar from norther Wisc Cedar tree & Aromatic (red) Cedar.
Structure - Wood Core, Fiberglass & Epoxy inner and outer layer.

PADDLE
Plans - None [ok, come clean] Ok, pulled a pattern from a rental from MW Mountaineering
Length - 227 cm (89.5 in)
Weight - 860 gm (29 oz)
Feather - 60 deg
Shaft - Western Red Cedar
Blades - Glass, Veneer, Carbon, Shaft, Carbon, Kevlar Tip

QOD [Found in my dads shop in the basement on Waunoan Way]: Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)

And May the Best Man Win

2009-09-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I got knocked off of my high horse. I got 2nd place at the MN State Fair. This threw me for a loop and as I was heading out for my vacation I was thinking of all sorts of excuses: The guy just built a beauty model; No lift handles; No rudder (spring loaded or otherwise); No fancy hatch latches; No rudder pedals; yadayadayada.

In the end, I concluded that the best man had won. He built a very fine boat and even built a shrine to it (a nicely designed, stained and varnish stand). To my detriment, I supplied a stand: sections of an old desk that I was in the process of dismantling for the trash.

Then, this week I called the MN State Fair cuz I didn't get a score with my prize money for 2nd place, $ 6.00 (First Place gets $8.00). They said that they would mail me the results. "Well, what did I get"? "A, you got 99 out f 100". "OK, what did the other guy get"? "He got 99.5". ... I got no complaints. Picture is Daughter Robyn and me in front of the booth at the State Fair. If you saw the display, my boat was the white one, White Cedar.

QOD: An alcoholic is someone you don't like who drinks as much as you do. Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)

Colorado Elk Hunt 2009

2009-09-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

Well the Elk proved to be smarter than me but it was not for lack of trying. Greg and I scoured the mountains from one end of the county to the other but to no avail. My cuz Mike was successful with his High Country Mule tag. He had horses which took him to close to the tree line and he climbed the rest to get the Mulie shown. Mike applied 7 years to get his tag and worked hard at getting his Deer.

Other Highlight/Details:
> Two weeks with no one commanding my time other than me with an extensive menu of fabulous things to do.
> Meeting Mikes G-Friend Meg and her boy Adam.
> Car camping in the mountains; 3:00 AM wakeup call; mountain biking in 5.3 miles in the moon light, … twice.
> Listening to a bull in the deep draw bellering all day long (but when I came back in the afternoon to put a stalk on, he was down at the bottom of the draw)
> Playing Cat and Mouse with a bull for part of a morning
> Lunch on a precipice at 11,600 ft over a couple of valleys and great mountain peaks
> Getting two fluorescent lights installed in Mike’s kitchen.
> The scenic route home through Silverton (just in time to see the train) and the mountains leading into Gunnison

QOD: Wanting to be someone you are not is a waste of the person you are. Kurt Cobain (1967-1994).

Let's Start The Wave

2009-07-27T16:38:00.000-07:00

Post Rossport Addendum: So there was this wave,... about 150 yards off shore... it would show up about every 5 minutes and get our attention by rising up about 5 ft and crashing its white cap on the surrounding water.

Jan was fishing from shore and needed her lure unstuck so I hopped into the boat and rescued the lure. I paddled over to the next island and up and down our island but being somewhat of an Adrenalin junkie, on the way back the attraction of the wave was too much.

The wave was a reaction to the swells that were coming off of the big part of the lake. When an extra-big set of 3 or 4 swells would show up, so would this wave. It was about 150 yrds off of the point at the end of our bay. I paddled up close to it and watched. I tried to get as close as possible but not too close. The exact spot of the wave was somewhat nebulous but after a while I could see the some turbulence from the rock that was creating it.

Playing with the wave was quite a rush because it would not come at me the same way every time. Sometimes the main part of the wave would rise up but a side wave would attack at a slight angle. If I get this opportunity some time in the future, I think that I'll practice my reaction and bracing by backing up the wave and see if I can stay up right or see if the bad boy can knock me over. I definitely found about this "sneaking up from behind" subject on last years May Day trip.

QOD: Those who dream by day are cognizant of the many things which escape those who dream only by night. Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)

And Splash: Rosssport 2009

2009-07-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

Major scramble before the scheduled trip to Rossport. Although the location was one of a few possibilities, timing was not! Pre-Flight Check: Secure seat and straps for back, Check; Silicone in Bulkheads, Check; Gasket Hatches, Check; Solder and assemble Hatch Turnbuckles, Check; Install Front Tow Loop, Check; Fabricate Foot Peg Slides, Check; Make and install Foot Pegs (scratch that, steal Lloyd's), Check; Attach Rudder Cables, Check; Make Rudder Lift Tee Handle and Install, (Scratch that, we'll lift and secure manually); Pre-Trip paddle and a tweak to the rudder cables, Check; Form one more blade, Form paddle shaft, Epoxy and carbon fiber bond both blades to shaft; Check; Pack for Trip, Check;... Blast Off

---Monday: Late start getting out of town so camp at Judge "Whatever" park NE of Grand Maris. Car camping so crab legs and hash browns for supper. Nice hiking trails. ---Tuesday: Camping Permits and Fishing Licenses for Jan (too damn expensive for me to join on in), Check with Superior Outfitters at Rossport on details of the Islands and pick up his place mat map, His suggestion: Camp at Sand Bay on Wilson Island (great suggestion), and Launch. Winds out of the South so the trip was mostly sheltered from the winds by the islands and ... YES! the bay was unoccupied!. Great sandy beach, bay and camp site. --- Wednesday: Slept in late, Hung around the bay and Jan threw all the lures we had at the fish from shore but not takers. ---Thursday: Head for the Light House on Battle Island. Winds from the west and the storm clouds diverted us to the Harry Island Hilton. Fabulous place. Started raining so we headed inside. Played 25 hands of Kings Corners and lit a fire in the stove to warm up and dry off. Wonderful! After about 3 hrs it was time to leave and just like that, the rain subsided. Trolled for fish on the way back but again no takers. ---Friday: Jan's back was bothering her from before the trip so we headed home 1/2 day early. Winds were to be out of the North but they were coming at us from the NW. By the time we got going late morning there were white caps and had some 2 to 2.5 footer in them. Jan was a real trooper and pushed on to our landing without hesitation. Would have liked to hike the lookout at Quarry Island but that and the light house will give us something to go after next time. Friday Evening was spend at Grand Marias at the Shoreline Hotel. And the Blue Waters Cafe gave me the Blue Cheese Burger and fries that I had a serious hankering for.

Great trip! I'm glad that the new boat and Jan's command of it, went very well. I had a wonderful birthday sipping coffee in the lawn chair on the sandy beach. My first wife Jan and I are coming up on our 30th, and we are still having fun together.

Pictures: Pre-Trip picture, Having a Happy Birthday, Cards at the Hilton.

QOD: You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. Zig Ziglar

Have a Seat Besides Your Own

2009-07-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

The seat and back form was covered with two to three layers of fiberglass and then varnished. Shown is the nylon fabric covering the seat and back. Next up is the foot pegs, cables and rudder detials.

QOD: They can do all because they think they can. Virgil (70 BC - 19 BC)

Back-Up Now.

2009-07-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

. I did make a plug for a mold and I intended on making a mold and molding a carbon fiber back rest but I figured that shaping a wood form would be faster. The mold would have been an investment for the next kayak that I will be building but, oh well, Tempus Fugit!

. The before and after pictures of the back rest looks like I'm wasting a lot of wood but it really wasn't that much wood and it was left over wood from the six-quarter rough sawn cedar trim boards that I used as decoration in the stucco on the house. The last picture is of the back rest and the seat form. I will reinforce with fiberglass and cover with ballistic nylon (left over hockey boot fabric).

QOD: After all, it is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best able to deal with the irritating details of outer life. Evelyn Underhill.

Side Job / Labor of Love

2009-07-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

One of the many diversions to the yak is the Keleny cabin roof. She be needing some attention for quite some time. The multiple layers covering the multiple layers that get damaged each year as people chop the ice that forms as ice dams, badly needed to be replaced. A new steel roof should do just the trick.

Nobody knows how old the old log cabin is but it was a loggers cabin many moons ago. We did find a set of instructions on how to flash a chimney that might have had a 1932 date code. We pulled off 4 layers of tar paper and rolled roofing and one layer of shingles.

Picture of the roof, down to the boards. Click on the picture to see an enlarged view and more details!

QOD: Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration. Thomas A. Edison (1847-1921)

8 x 10 Glossy (Actually 1.66 x 16 Ft that is)

2009-06-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

I finally hit a major Milestone last weekend, the first coat of varnish. I was having quite a bit of anguish and was fretting over spraying the varnish (not having done this before), using a new HVLP spray gun (I know what it stands for but what does it mean for my spraying task), working with the 2 part Interlux Perfection, getting the right mix for spraying and working with the weather to avoid spraying during humid condtions (would cause the finish to be foggy). All is well that ends well and it did worked well.

I set the kayak up on a rotissiorie type set up with a crank at one end and a stick with holes in it to hold the crank and kayak at various angles of rotation. This allowed me to coat the entier boat at one time. My first coat was light as I did not want any runs. I increased the volume that I mixed by 12% on the 2nd and another 12% on the 3rd coat. One more coat and that should be it. I wet sanded between coats with a spray bottle and 320 grit sand paper.

Working for a filtration company, it was a natural to set up my own clean room. Much easier than to try to get all of the dust out of my shop and much more successful at keeping dust, Cotton Wood cotton and bugs off of the wet varnish. Keeping dust off of the finish is near inpossible but with a tent and HEPA filters no dust was around to spoil my fun.

QOD: To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and at present very few people have reached this level. Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

Wired

2009-06-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

The detail work continues. I've had to work out all of the details of the rudder lift. As mentioned the rudder will be spring loaded in the down positon. The tube with elastic cord can be seen on the left side of that fuzzy picture. The tube is actually an old aluminum arrow. Also somewhat shown are the 3 cable casings that I routed and secured inside the boat. I needed this all done before I could varnish the inside. I put 2 coats everywhere I could reach inside the boat and 1 extra one in the main hatch and cockpit area to handle the exta wear. I also had to put in 5 other little details like the hatch loops as shown (unfinished).

QOD: It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere. Anges Repplier (1855-1950)

Just Ruddering Around

2009-04-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

For the rudder I tired to use the wet sand compression technique to get the carbon fiber to conform to the wood core but it didn't work. Not enough compression and the sand was not even on the bottom. I went back to my previous method of pressing wood core and carbon fiber cloth against an EVA foam. It worked better than the sand.

Next, I need to get the cables and cable guides into the kayak before I can varnish the insides. I'm going to spring load the rudder to the down position and use a cable pull to pull it to the up and stored position.

QOD: The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they're ok, then it's you. Rita Mae Brown.

And Splash! 1-Dec-08

2008-12-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

One Boat

2008-11-30T16:00:00.000-08:00

One year to the day and the kayak is now one complete shell. It was a push to hit this goal, but the boat is now together. The first picture shows all of the ropes that I used to pull the deck and hull together. I tied loops of ropes and then used a stick to twist the ropes and tighten the loops like a tourniquet. One big tip, Guillemot suggest tipping the boat on end and pouring epoxy down the tip to seal the bow and stern. A WAY easier method is to just seal the last 12" of raw wood before you put the two halves together and don't worry about pouring epoxy in the ends.

The second picture is of the latch for the hatches. Securing the hatches seems to be be bane of any kayak builder. Installing 3 big black straps across a nice piece of woodwork, as a hold down, is a crime. The latches I'm building will have a toggle on the top and the hook and slot shown on inside. We will find out if it is a convenient and water tight method.

QOD: Latin Phrase: In Vino Veritas. Meaning, in wine there is truth. I found this phrase in the cabin log books that my dad left us for capturing our adventures at the wonderful log cabin he left his 7 children in trust.

Hatching a Seal

2008-11-19T17:01:00.000-08:00

The first picture is of the trough that I built to go between the deck and the hull where the rudder will be tucked. The second picture is of the core pieces that I will cover with carbon fiber for the rudder and the rudder pivot.

The third picture is of the carbon fiber of the hatch gasket grooves being formed under the weight of wet sand. One Ocean says that this is the closest to vacuum bagging and I think it works quite well. The fourth picture is the carbon fiber gasket groove ring and the rear hatch opening. Note the two stainless steel hold-downs that will act similar to two hinge points that will be opposite of the hatch latch.

QOD: What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal. Albert Pine.

Back in the Saddle

2008-11-08T10:08:00.000-08:00

It's been at least two months since I've kicked up some saw dust but I just got done shaping the rudder so I can now officially blog on. I need to refine the rudder and the rudder mount because I'm planning on recessing the rudder in the deck of the boat. I need to create the recess for the rudder along with the hatch seals before I can assemble the two halves together.

What has been keeping me busy for the last few months has been a Moose hunting trip in the BWCA. If you are interested in reading about this, click here:

http://www.pressenter.com/~lkeleny/BWCABull.pdf

QOD: Never explain-your friends don't need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway. Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915)

The Pit

2008-09-07T19:39:00.000-07:00

I have made some progress on the kayak but the side projects continue to dissuade me. The first picture shows the cockpit in its completed form. I used the method of construction from One Oceans rather than from Gillimot. I like the looks, strength and streamline nature of the carbon and glass rather than the thicker wood design from Gillimot. I would highly recommend it.

The second picture is of one of the side projects. It is the front casting from the family cabin stove. I need to fix the cracks and make a following board so I can have a copy made at Acme Casting in Minneapolis. The stove being a 130 yrs old it is quite an heirloom that we want to keep intact.

Another diversion was a wonderful 4 day weekend in the BWCA. My bro-in-law, Jim joined my buddy Greg and I on our moose scouting trip. The 3rd person meant that I needed to take my kayak which was quite enjoyable. The new moon gave us 4 days of Perseid Meteor Showers and full view Milky Way. Jim and Greg got to see a meteor streak across the sky and explode like a fire works.

The height of the weekend was being chased by a moose. I had portaged into a lake and was cow calling until dark. A bull was responding with his calls back but didn't show until after dark. I gave a very loud call as I was ready to head back to camp and I heard a KawaK, ...Sploosh Sploosh, Sploosh...I thought two bulls were fighting on shore but I soon realize that the bull was swimming out to meet his new girl friend...me. I quickly high tailed it out of there. The loons and wolves were also a great treat and again a good time was had by all.

QOD: Some mornings it just doesn't seem worth it to gnaw through the leather straps. Emo Phillips

Ketchup

2008-08-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

It has been too long since I've posted but, hey, it's summer. Who wants to be inside. I've had to put Jan's boat on hold for a number of things...Heading to Fargo for my daughter Molly, to put a fuel pump in her car, Shocks and ball joints in my blazer, yadayada (you don't want to hear about this kind of work). Progress has been made on Jan's boat but that will be another post.

The biggest delay was from working on my boat. People inevitably ask "how long did it take to make your boat". Some day when I finish I will be able to answer that question. This summer I needed to finally get my rudder working. It has been on the boat since the initial splash but it has been mostly for show, especially for the 06 state fair. The impending 9-July trip to the Apostles needed a good rudder and with the weather we had I sure was glad I had it working.

For our July trip we had Jill, Jeff, Matt, and my son Jake. We didn't get to two of the islands that we had planned, but we had quite an adventure. There were some tall seas so I was very proud and happy that Jake was a solid paddler and the only one I had to worry about, was me. Ask sometime and we would love to bore you with the details.

The two pictures are: 1) Heading out to "Play" in the waves. Lesson learned: When you biff in tall seas, turn the boat into the waves so when you do get into the boat you will be able to see what's coming. 2) Look'n like the tropics and feeling pretty much the same. A glorious time was had by all.

QOD: Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Give a fish a man, and he will eat for weeks! Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata, Animal Crossing: Wild World, 2005

3 in 1

2008-06-02T16:04:00.000-07:00

Details of the cockpit. I used airplane plywood to form the vertical wall around the cockpit. I will line the wall and form the lip with a layup of glass/carbon/glass/glass/carbon/glass.

QOD: Man is the only animal whose desires increases as they are fed; the only animal who is never satisfied. Henry George (1839-1897)

Top Coat

2008-05-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

The pictures are of the first coat of epoxy on the deck. Following a suggestion from West System Epoxy, I used a cut section of a paint roller to apply the resin. This works well because the hardness of the roller allows you to force the resing into the glass, spread the resin around and somewhat squeege the excess epoxy to sections that need resin.

QOD: Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angles. Frank Lloyd Wright. (1869-1959)

Lift and Separate

2008-05-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last feature before glassing the top is the day hatch. I purchased a store bought cover for the boat. Contrary to the theme of the boat but the hatch cover is a great design and easily pops on and off although building the collar to match the cover was a challenge (center picture).

QOD: Forgiveness is giving up all hope of having a better past. Anne Lamontt.

Deck The Halls

2008-04-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

It is hard to tell from this pictures but I tapered the strips towards the bow and stern. Not having a consistent width made it harder to get the left and right side to line up but I think that it will be worth it.

Now for a blog Moment: Jeff Jim and I got out paddling on Sunday 6-Apr. We put in on the Crow River just S of Crow-Hassen park, paddled to Dayton where they served us tall cool ones and hot burger and fries, and then on down the Miss to our house. 7 hr trip, 5 hrs of paddling and it only rained when we were on the river. Good thing we all had good warm comfy gear.

QOD: It’s always been about the experience of life and of not being passive. If something so excites my curiosity, I want to go there, be part of whatever it is that’s either pushing me or pulling me towards it. That desire for experience has made me very rich in life experience. Tish Grier.

Comment

2008-03-12T14:28:00.001-07:00

A New Coat

2008-03-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Two layers glass, three layers resin. I tried a new resin, Raka from Florida. Seems good so far.

QOD: If we all did things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931)

A Hull of a Boat

2008-03-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

Status report: the hull is fully stripped. The stem pieces are glued on but need to be shaped.

First picture is showing the strips in line with the keel. I didn't build the other kayak this way but Guillemot suggested it to keep a crisp keel line.

Second picture is of all of the strips in place.

Third picture is of the Bow Stem piece before shaping. Tip, note the shrink wrap that I got from Home Depot. This is handy stuff to help manage the strips and not damage a group of strips with delicate edges. The shrink wrap was also effectively used as a clamp on the bow stem.

QOD: In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something no one ever knew before. But in poetry, it's the exact opposite. Paul Dirac (1902-1984).

Background

2008-03-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

The boat I'm building is from the Guillemot set of plans and is the Guillemot S: http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/GS. This is a smaller than average boat because Jan would get lost in a boat the size of my first one. The S is 16 ft in length, 20 inch beam and drafts 3.7 inchs.

My first kayak was a One Ocean Cape Ann Expedition: http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/Kayaks.htm#expedanch. The Expedition is 18.5 ft in length, 22 inch beam and drafts 4.1 inchs. I picked the Expedition because I wanted a big boat that could hold a lot of gear for "Expedition" type adventures. Between the two companies I really like all of the details that One Ocean provides for both building and analysis of materials. Jeff and I got a real Expedition Adventure last fall.

See: http://www.pressenter.com/~lkeleny/Cap_nJacques.htm.

You can see pictures of the first kayak at:
http://www.pressenter.com/~lkeleny/SavorDiem.htm

Quote of the day: "The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance" Socrates (469 BC - 399 BC)

Look Ma, No Staples

2008-02-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

The first picture is of a custom tip for the glue bottle. I had a piece of 3/8 inch tubing that I heated with a lighter, pulled the tube when it was hot which caused it to lengthen and shrink in diameter. The small diameter helps get the glue into the cove of the cedar strips.

Second picture shows the jigs that I use to clamp the strips in place with out using staples. The plywood on the bottom are U shaped clamps used to hold the bottom of the starter strip and with wedges, used to hold the strips against the forms. The Z shaped clamps are screwed to the forms and moved after ever one or two strips. Again wedges are used to force the new strip against the previous strips and with another wedge to hold the strip against the form.

Third picture is of a frame used near the bow and stern to hold the strips against the forms. These hold the strips tight against the forms in the area where there is a lot of stress on the strips. This strip would be helpful even when using staples, because the staples may not hold a highly stressed board.

The last picture is just a progress shot.

Quote of the day: In Mexico we have a word for Sushi: Bait. Joes Simon.

Rough Tree and a Solid Stance

2008-02-09T15:31:00.000-08:00

A few photos that I had intended on posting previously.

The first is a view of a board as it looked after being sawn via one Homelite chain saw.

The Second is a view of the tree in plank form. (You might need to click on the photo to zoom in to see it amongst all of the junk in the shop.)

As mentioned, I will be spewing tips for the boat builder on this Blog, so one tip is that the stand for the forms should be very solid. I like the tripod shown because it will not move when working hard on the boat, especially with the extra added weights on its base. The typical H frame stands that hold the beam in one direction and has a saddle for the boat when turned 90 deg are nice but be sure to add some weights to make sure you have a solid foundation for maintaining accuracy with the forms and for the building.

Quote of the day: Pay no attention to what the critics say…Remember, a statue has never been set up in honor of a critic! Jean Sibelius

The Start

2008-01-27T20:33:00.001-08:00

The tree was sliced with a 20" chain saw. The boards were flat and true enough and took 5 runs through the planer per side. The White Cedar looked straight before I cut it down but definitely had a curve to it. To get the most out of the wood I cut the strips following the outside curve of the board to get the 1/4" strips. The whole tree in 1/4" strip form is shown laid out together. The pictures of the forms show the full boat in a squashed form. The last picture shows the waterline of the forms all lined up together.

The Happiest is the person who suffers the least pain; the most miserable who enjoys the least pleasure. Jean Jacques Rousseau

A Builders Page, Introduction

2008-01-27T20:12:00.000-08:00

Hello,

This is a chronicle of the building of my second kayak. I hope that you find the info interesting, enlightening and maybe something to learn from. This kayak is a little more special than the last one in that it is from a tree that I cut down from my fathers land at "The Cabin" in northern Wisconsin.

The boat was started a couple of years ago when I cut the tree down. It sat at the cabin for about a year drying out and then behind the garage for 9 months. I started planning on Thanksgiving of 07. Everyone asks how long it takes to build a kayak and I always tell them that the real question is: "how many hours does a project like this, allow for quality time in the shop". I do have a goal of finishing by Aug of this year so Jan and I can take both kayaks out west for two weeks. We'll see. My brother-in-law put a goal of finishing his boat in 5 yrs, just to keep it a low pressure situation and to allow him to savor the construction process.

My dad was known for his quotes, and to keep that tradition going I will sign off with a parting quote. My dad also signed off from his emails with the moniker: "Carpe Diem", which is Latin for Seize the Day. This always reminded me of one of my favorite quotes:

"Every day when I get up I have to decide whether to Seize the day or Savor the Day". Unknown