Wooden Kayak Fishing Help

Ok, I am new to the forum and am very happy I have found you guys. My son hit me up about 2 weeks ago about making a strip built Kayak and fishing from it. Now this is a big deal since this son does not like fish and we have a family rule you take its life you eat it. I have Nick Schade's book about strip built boats and he thinks we can make one. So the big question is does anyone a strip built or wooden kayak to fish from. The second question is can or would it be safe to do so out of Depoe Bay like I have seen some of you doing with your SOT Yak. If I have not searched the forum sufficiently please tell me and I will spend some more time looking for the answers I am searching for. I know that if My 12 year old and I build this Boat it will mean we will be building 2 and then I have 3 other sons that already want to build their own but they will have to wait.
Thank you in advance for your help
Respectfully
SilentStalker (AKA John)

Ok, I am new to the forum and am very happy I have found you guys. My son hit me up about 2 weeks ago about making a strip built Kayak and fishing from it. Now this is a big deal since this son does not like fish and we have a family rule you take its life you eat it. I have Nick Schade's book about strip built boats and he thinks we can make one. So the big question is does anyone a strip built or wooden kayak to fish from. The second question is can or would it be safe to do so out of Depoe Bay like I have seen some of you doing with your SOT Yak. If I have not searched the forum sufficiently please tell me and I will spend some more time looking for the answers I am searching for. I know that if My 12 year old and I build this Boat it will mean we will be building 2 and then I have 3 other sons that already want to build their own but they will have to wait.
Thank you in advance for your help
Respectfully
SilentStalker (AKA John)

Oh man, have you come to the right place! Paging Craig.......

Ok, I am new to the forum and am very happy I have found you guys. My son hit me up about 2 weeks ago about making a strip built Kayak and fishing from it. Now this is a big deal since this son does not like fish and we have a family rule you take its life you eat it. I have Nick Schade's book about strip built boats and he thinks we can make one. So the big question is does anyone a strip built or wooden kayak to fish from. The second question is can or would it be safe to do so out of Depoe Bay like I have seen some of you doing with your SOT Yak. If I have not searched the forum sufficiently please tell me and I will spend some more time looking for the answers I am searching for. I know that if My 12 year old and I build this Boat it will mean we will be building 2 and then I have 3 other sons that already want to build their own but they will have to wait.
Thank you in advance for your help
Respectfully
SilentStalker (AKA John)

Oh man, have you come to the right place! Paging Craig.......

Oh yeah, you and Craig have plenty to talk about.    Welcome to the forum!

check out these two wooden boat plans;
www.clcboats.com and the "sea island sport"

www.jemwatercraft.com and the "sabalo"

buy the kit, or the plans if your handy with tools

I have built several wooden boats and yaks.  I have a Sabalo, and some day I will put a mirage drive well in it.  It tracks like an arrow and is very stable.  I have caught large sturgeon from it all the way down to little tiny perch.  These are in Depoe Bay:



Perch at Woahink with NWKA Golden Dog.

It is nice and stable My son was 4 at this time and he was walking all over it while I was paddling:


I also came up with a way to build a hybrid stitch and glue using cedar strips. I tested it when I built my cedar strip pirogue (Jem model as well).



I used the hybrid technique on this as well: http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=8043.0

I miss seeing that boat on the water.

What is that directly to your left (right side of the picture) in this photo? Am I drunk or does that look like a tiny shark coming to take off one of your toes?

I think that was my lingcod on the game clip.  I over shot my tank well and was dragging it through the water. I guess it could have been shark bait 

SilentStalker -

If you haven't found it yet, check out the Kayak Buiiding Forum sponsored by Nick Shade at http://www.kayakforum.com/cgi-bin/Building/index.cgi

Lots of helpful info and advice, and a huge source of info on wooden kayak (strip or stitch-and-glue) building. 

You might also want to check out the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend this weekend.  http://woodenboat.org/festival/  It has some kayak specific talks and lots of info on building.

Nick Shade's book is like the Bible of strip building.  It also gives great background on various factors that affect the speed and stability of a kayak (actually any displacement vessel).

If I build another yak, it will probably be the CLC double/triple and the ama sailing kit.

The Jem Watercraft plans are very easy to follow and the forum is a great resource for stitch and glue building.  I have done a couple of each.  If I had all the time in the world, I would build only strip built yaks on a strong back with forms.  I think they look the sexiest.   

Also, as much as I try to spend money locally, do not source your epoxy and fiberglass locally unless you can beat the price in the link below (I couldn't).  You will pay through the nose.  It is way cheaper to buy it online and pay the shipping. Unless of course you live in the Seattle area.  You can find it there at a decent price.  I would also recommend not to use West System Epoxy unless you plan to never let a coat of epoxy fully cure before you apply another.  That is unless you are a big fan of washing and sanding off the amine blush between coats.  I am not.  I used it on my first build and I hated it. This is what I have been using on the last 4 of my boats:
http://boatbuildercentral.com/proddetail.php?prod=E_kit_3gal_split_hardener#.UEjVuLJlQms

System 3 is also a non-blushing resin, but it costs more. 

One nice thing about the 2:1 ratio resin/hardeners is that there is more room for error that with the West System 5:1.  But, I believe West System's is a little harder when fully cured.

Grow44,
Thank you for the links I was looking at clcboats but had not looked at jemwatercraft. I am leaning towards purchasing the plans for the Sabalo so we can fish. And then eventually strip building a touring yak for my son and I to check out the sites on
Craig,
Thank you for all the information you have provided. You have made some very beautiful boats. I agree with you that if I had all the time in the world I would make all Strip Built and only use clamps but since we are told to strike when the iron is hot and my son wants to build and fish now I am leaning towards a Stitch and Glue SOT boat for us right now like the Sabalo and then once we are fishing and if he likes it we can start a 100% Strip built Yak and then have some fun with it also. I do plan to use you technique of making some of the panels for a S&G by gluing strips together to make the panel so it has a little strip built look. I think that was a cleaver and beautiful addition to your boats.  As for Nick Schade’s book I already have the first and was thinking about getting his second book with the canoe and dingy plans in it so I can have another set of plans to drool over.
Pine Cone,
 Thank you for the advice and links I am sure they will come in handy once we get the garage ready to start construction. Hoping that will be within the next 45 days but we shall see. Life seems to get in the way of the best laid plans.
Thank you all for the advice and getting me in connection with Craig. I just hope to get these built so my boy and I can enjoy some quality time fishing and touring around the water ways and by-ways of Oregon. I am sure I will be asking many more questions soon and if anyone has any suggestions for the build as for model or technique please weigh in.
Respectfully
SilentStalker

I bought his second book just for the plans for the Petral.  It looks like it would be a blast in the surf.

I bought his second book just for the plans for the Petral.  It looks like it would be a blast in the surf.

Exact reason I was thinking about buying the book also. As for the SOT boat my son and I are going to build, my wife and I have deceided to give him the plans for Christmas and since getting a boat built and seaworthy before the weather turns I am thinking it will make for a good present.
Thank you again Craig for all the help with starting this project. BTW he has deceided we are going to use your idea of glueing strips together to make the panels so the boat looks strip built but is S&G. Thanks for that idea also.
This site rocks.
I am looking forward to the spring and being able to go fish on these 2 boats we are going ot make.

I have built several wooden boats and yaks.  I have a Sabalo, and some day I will put a mirage drive well in it. 

I love how Craig's Sabalo looks, and I too, have dreams (which will very probably remain a dream) of building one with a Mirage drive. Here is one guy's method of installing a Mirage drive:

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/05/articles/mirage/free.cfm

I have built several wooden boats and yaks.  I have a Sabalo, and some day I will put a mirage drive well in it. 

I love how Craig's Sabalo looks, and I too, have dreams (which will very probably remain a dream) of building one with a Mirage drive. Here is one guy's method of installing a Mirage drive:

http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/05/articles/mirage/free.cfm

I cut templates out of oriented strand board for the major components and still have them.  You will still need to order the plans, but it could save time.  I used oriented strand board so my flush cut router bit could ride along the edge to shape the panels.  OSB is way cheaper to screw up on than marine plywood.  Also, there is an engineer that built a Sabalo and designed the mirage drive well for it.  He sent me the CAD drawings for that.