fishing yak

here is plastic cat-kayak that might translate well into plywood.

It is also about 12' long and supposedly works very well for stand up casting.

http://www.wavewalk.com/

Reason I say 'translate into plywood is the two inner hull sides look pretty flat and the 'bridge' structure also looks very doable in ply, maybe better than plastic.

Must have been a tricky rotomold to figure out but in plywood it would be a natural and 'build itself'.

 

jeff put the same one up squid, it is a great looking design. i did find a plywood version of this on the net but i can't remember where.

 

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/plans/gumprecht/cat12/index.htm

This is a similar boat in plywood. Way too heavy for my taste.

 

Also lots more water resistance with that double hull- slow....

P.

 

Portacruise,

I was replying to the Squidly wavewalk.com plastic catamaran kayak vs the Gumprecht wood boat. Hard for me to call either a kayak.

Both look heavy to me, I didn't find the weight of the plastic.

I don't know that a monohull wide enough to be comfortable standing on would be any less drag. However I am not sure that I like the flat insides of the cat hulls, but any curve and you would get a lot of inteference drag that close together. I would like to try Gumprecht's boat, but probably not for long.

Of course I don't want a "heavy" traditional row boat either.

 

if building new, I'd incorporate dual paddle holders into which

a disconnected two piece kayak paddle could be inserted, which would serve as stabilizer when standing up, with or without float bags attached.

Similar to how a super narrow rowing shell will use the oars for stabilizers at rest.

 

Upchurch:

Didn't mean to butt in. Yes, I agree on cats, especially the hard, narrow ones.

I'm a minimalist for the kind of river fishing I do and not really much of a kayaker. Lightweight, self bailing, good maneuverability, hands free operation, and just enough storage to allow for pack in operation would be on my ideal list. Stand up instantly in the shallows without climbing in and out.

The only kayak that comes close for me is the poke boat.
http://www.pokeboat.com/

Modified float tubes or pontoons based on north fork type pontoon designs that stay dry are about the closest. Slow and not good for big open water, though.

http://northforkoutdoors.com/

Hope this helps.

 

Portacruise,

No problem, the Poke boat is interesting. I have a brother in law who just cannot stand the idea of a sit in boat. Something about feeling his legs are "trapped".

I have been looking for a sit on top that doesn't weight so much. Wondering about SOF, but not really a SUP, Dave Gentry's new SUP is interesting in a general way.

The Northfolk boats are interesting but look difficult to paddle like a kayak. At first I thought they were just rafts. Seems like the hulls are much larger than needed, probably they would be affected by the wind a lot?

Marc

 

Up, see comments below.

Porta

 

my needs are similar to what portacruise described. light weight. ability to stand and cast. all of the links you guys have provided are good but i am starting to think i might get away with something like a wide paddleboard with a seat on it. i don't plan on paddling far and if i did i could probably use a trolling motor. i have a specific place in mind where i need to carry the yak down a short bush track to reach some pristine fishing water that does not get much attention because it is so far up river.

 

thats the one.

 

WP:
I use modified inflatable pontoons/float tubes because of having to trek 2 Km to get to the pristine, and there is often rough terrain/narrow passage for one person, etc. These are the lightest/most comfortable/portable things I could find and I modified to sit above the water, since I don't wear waders even in winter or care to have my butt wet for hours. This is the lightest one at under 4 kg but I also have others depending on the location to be used: http://creekcompany.com/product.php?productid=16305&cat=249&page=1 They can also be rigged for a small troll motor. Various lower profile solid foam versions have been made, but are heavier/ less portable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFS1ZJ2x41s&feature=related


Since your distance is short and maybe not too rough, a thin solid version like a paddleboard would work if you don't mind getting wet and can tolerate some discomfort. Maybe something like the film above... I like open area in front of legs, so I can stand up in thigh deep water and depart immediately without a concern for climbing in and out/balance/marinating in mud, etc.

Porta

 

i like that inflatable, how long does it take you to pump it up when you get to the water.

 

I keep it inflated and transport it that way in the back of my Prius, then use the back straps for local trips (which are a closer unobstructed walk). For the rugged treks, I use a high speed, lightweight electric vane pump to get everything to limp mode, then top off at correct pressure with a small hand pump made for inflatables. That's probably under 5 minutes with all the practice I've had, but I've never timed it....

Porta

 

Dave Nichols has published a whole book about double paddle boats. He claims that you can stand in any of the three that are deatailed in his book: Lapstrake Canoes. The book is a complete builders guide and is very well illustrated. There are three options; a twelve footer, a fourteen, and a sixteen footer. All of them are nice looking and very lightweight. They are all 32 inches wide at the sheer line, partially decked, and has plenty of room in the open part for fishing gear and beer coolers.