Design Advice

Hey All,

First post here. Looking for some educated advice and insight. Liking to build a cedar strip kayak. Easily loadable (14ft +\-). I’m a novice paddler but avid woodworker. I am about 225lbs. It would be ideal if there were a spot for me dog. I would use it to fish/paddle on inland lakes and streams. Any ideas as to a design would be well appreciated.

Thanks a bunch,

Greg

 

Welcome to the forum.

What a great 1st project.
Have you visited any of the sites like GLEN+L which offer low cost small boat plans?

Good luck

 

google cedar strip kayak plans and there is a myriad of plans available for such a project.

You are better to go with a large cockpit if you are fishing to enable access to tack;e boxes, etc.

 

I got plans from this site. He supplies a video of building results, a full manual, etc. with each set.

Open Strip Plank Canoes http://www.selway-fisher.com/Opcanstrip.htm

I built this one, it was 16 feet, but other designs are for shorter types.
Story of the Green Canoe https://greencanoe.weebly.com/

 

You are a big guy and your dog may be substantial as well. When searching for the right design pay attention to the claimed normal capacity of the boat. You will be better served with a longer kayak of 16 feet or more. Even a 16 foot stripper will not weigh enough to break a sweat when loading or unloading from the car top.

The longer kayak will be easier to propel, it will be a little bit faster for a given paddling effort than the shorter ones, and it will glide further than a shorter one. More space for fishing gear as well as all those fish you are going to catch and the comfort of your canine companion too.

 

Chesapeake Light Craft ( clcboats.com ) sells all kinds of quality kits or you can buy the plans and cut/mill your own stock. These are stitch and glue designs and not strippers but might be worth a look especially if your pup wants to go along.

Wood Duck Double: Tandem Recreational Kayak Kit https://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/kayak-kits/tandem-kayaks/wood-duck-double.html

 

When it works, paddling with a dog is a lot of fun for both of you. You don’t state what the size of your dog is, but my wife regularly paddles with our big dog in front of her. A few things to consider:
- A dog can be pretty unpredictable when it comes to distractions. A duck landing nearby, a fish jumping, an unexpected wake, something interesting on shore... Sudden unexpected movements can lead to undesirable results. Keeping the dog between your knees allows you to control its motion and gives you a warning as to its movements. I wouldn’t have it in a separate cockpit.
- A bigger dog sitting up significantly raises your center of gravity. A wider boat will help mitigate that. So will a flatter bottom.
- Comfort for the dog is important. If it is forced to sit on a frame or in water, etc., it’ll be squirming and trying to reposition. Some sort of rug or pad might be a solution.
- You’ll need to be able to paddle with the dog sitting in front of you. That likely means positioning it a ways forward of you. But it’s a balance with point #1 above.
- A lot of cockpit openings are too small to accommodate the two of you.
- Consider how you’ll board the kayak with the dog. From a beach? From a dock or big boat? Unassisted? Generally we’ve found it best to get in first then have the dog get in. If the dog is small you can hold it during the process.
- Consider making the deck of your kayak nonskid so the dog can step on it without slipping off. That’s probably incompatible with your strip cedar plans, but it’s a practical reality. One of our kayaks has a relatively flat deck. Our previous dog would walk on it to the bow and hop off after nosing up to the beach. Worked great. The current dog is too clumsy and dumb for that...

The most recent kayak I built seems to be working pretty well for this. Mill Creek 13 Recreational Kayak: Speed, Stability, and Classic Good Looks! https://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/kayak-kits/recreational-kayaks/mill-creek-13-stitch-and-glue-recreational-kayak-kit.html

 

This is a custom dream boat:
Big Guy, possibly a big dog.
A sit on top for the dog and a conventional kayak for the Big Guy, combined!

OR

Build a tandem kayak and sit the dog up front.
Okay, how big (and how old) is the dog?