Building a Skin-On-Frame Kayak

by Patrick Farneman

 

 

 

The masik is made from Ash and is inlet and pegged into the gunwales at the correct depth.

 

Foredeck stringers are attached and inlet into the masik.

 

The finished kayak frame. Its builder is happier than he looks.

 

A skin of ballistic nylon is used today instead of sealskin. Rawhide boat skins do not last long south of the arctic.

 

The cockpit is stitched into the boat skin. It is not otherwise attached to the frame.

 

The skin is all sewn and is dyed with an acid dye for a rich brown color that mimics seal skin. Chuck Tucker on the right.

 

A two-part polyurethane coating is used that bonds perfectly with the nylon fabric to form a strong, flexible, lightweight covering.

 

While waiting for the coating to set, it’s time to carve a paddle from red cedar.

 

Greenland paddles are sleek and efficient. In the interest of time, we used a few power tools.

 

The author’s finished boat and paddle on the left. Mark Kuhlman with his boat and paddle are on the left. Mark’s boat is a 7% scale up of the 1931 Disko Bay to accommodate his larger size.

 

 

 

E-mail your comments to "Patrick Farneman" at patrickf@bridgestothepast.org
Visit www.bridgestothepast.org and join us in the journey of discovering our roots - the ancient ways and skills that help define who we are. Bridges to the Past is a non-profit organization dedicated to education and preservation of our shared human history through the skills of our ancestors.

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