Building the Greenland Kayak: A Manual for its Construction and Use

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Item # MH-92378  ISBN: 0071392378




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This step-by-step guide to building a lashed-frame, fabric-covered sea kayak is both a means to a sleek, fast, universally admired boat and an excellent introduction to woodworking and boatbuilding for hobbyists.

The Inuit design scales up or down to fit the paddler and can be built using $150 worth of hardware-store materials, a few basic tools, and a minimal investment of time. Also included: plans for a low-volume version designed for Eskimo rolling; an especially stable version for children; and discussions of kayaking equipment, paddling, and rolling techniques.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments | Introduction

1. The Design
The Greenland Design as a Recreational Kayak | Anthropometric Measurement

2. Tools
Circular Saw Blades | Drill Bits | Keeping Your Tools Sharp | The Art of the Jig | The Steam Box | Safety | Wood Dust | Safety Glasses and Hearing Protection | On the Water

3. Materials
Wood | Grain Orientation | Bending Stock | Fabric | Deck Lines | Deck Fittings

4. Fastenings
Lashing Material | Knots and Lashings | The Eskimo Knot | The Water Knot | Lashings | Trunnels

5. Milling
Ripping | Ripping Gunwales to Thickness | Stationary Circular Saw Ripping Jig | Ripping on a Table Saw | Planing Wedge Bench Holdfast | Machine Planing | Scarfing | Glue Scarfs | Traditional Scarf Joints | Hooked Scarfs for Chines and Keelson

6. Getting Started
Laying Out the Gunwales | Building Forms

7. The Framework
Orienting the Gunwales | Marking the Gunwales | Cutting Rib Mortises | Mortising by Hand | Mortise Machine | Router Mortising | Shaping the Gunwales | Cutting the Deck Beam Mortises | Mortising by Hand | Mortise Machine | Beveling the Gunwales | The Building Forms | Beveling the Gunwale Tips | Hollowing the Sheer | Preparing for Deck Beams | Straight Deck Beams | Cutting the Straight Deck Beams to Length | Marking the Tenons | Arched Deck Beams | Cutting Tenons | Cutting Tenons on Arched Deck Beams | Cutting Tenons on Straight Deck Beams | Test Fitting | An Alternative to Mortise-and-Tenon Joints for the Deck Beams | Assembling the Gunwales | Locking the Gunwales and Deck Beams | Trunnels to Join the Ends of the Gunwales | Pegging the Tenons | Deck Beam Lashings

8. The Hull
The Rib Gauge | Cutting Ribs to Size | Thinning the Ends of the Ribs | The Jointer | The Router Table | The Table Saw | Hand Tools | The Bending Jig | Steaming and Bending | Pinning the Ribs | Bow and Stern Blocks | Attaching the Keelson | Adjusting the Sheer and Rocker | Pegging the Keelson | Trimming the Ends of the Keelson | Centering the Keelson | Fairing Blocks | The Running Lashing | Running Lashings Through Holes | Chines | Positioning the Chines | Lashing the Chines

9. Finishing the Frame
Stem Plates | Masik | The Masik Pattern | Naturally Curved Stock | A Laminated Masik | Straight-Grained Stock | A 3-D Template for the Masik Notches | Installing the Masik | Deck Ridges | Trial Run | Oiling the Frame | The Cockpit Hoop | The Coaming Flange | Floorboards

10. Skinning the Kayak
Pulling Longitudinal Tension | Pulling Transverse Tension | Working Solo | Working with a Partner | The Decks | Stretching the Decks | Sewing | Installing the Coaming | Lacing the Coaming | Coatings | Aircraft Dope | Two-Part Urethane

11. Deck Fittings
Leather | Beads | Sliders | Deck-Line Placement

12. The Paddle
Laminating a Paddle Blank | Shaping the Paddle | Paddle Armor | Tapering the Blades | Rounding the Shaft | Trimming the Blade Edges | Oiling the Paddle | My Paddle Modifications | Storm Paddles

13. Clothing
The Tuilik | The Pattern | Cutting the Pieces | Sewing | Spray Skirt | The Spray Skirt Pattern

14. Float Bags, Hunting Equipment, and Skegs
Float Bags | Heat-Sealable Fabric | Traditional Floats | Towing Float | Hunting Float | The Rolling Stick | Skegs Strap-On Skegs | A Hybrid Skeg

15. Eskimo Rolling
Capsizing in Comfort | Wet Exit | Hip Bracing | Swimming with the Kayak | Sculling | Sculling Back Brace | Sculling Chest Brace | Deep Sculling | Balance Brace | Forward Extended Roll | Backward Sweep Roll | Saving Rolls | Window-Shade Roll | Float Rolls | Hunting-Float Roll | Towing Float Roll | Throwing-Board Roll

16. Getting In and Paddling
Getting Aboard | Entry from a Steep or Rocky Beach | Entry from a Dock | Rough-Water Launching | Landing | The Forward Stroke | The Sliding Stroke

17. Variations of the Greenland Kayak
The Rolling Kayak | The Folding Kayak | Kid's Kayak | Rockers | Balance Stool | Balance Sacks

Appendix
Materials List | Metric Conversion Factors | Sources of Supplies | Bibliography

Building the Greenland Kayak: A Manual for its Construction and Use