instructables

Making a Plywood Kayak

by Guillemot

The Jupiter Point series of kayak designs are panels held in their intended shape with the wire the
intended as easy-to-build, fun-to-paddle, versatile plywood is permanently glued together. The wires are
collection of kayaks. With a simple 3-panel hull and removed and the whole thing is covered in a layer of
unique 3-panel deck, the boats are quick to fiberglass cloth and the cloth is saturated with epoxy
assemble, have a lot of character and perform very resin to make it strong and waterproof.
well. Plans are currently available for Ganymede a The preferred material for this construction is 4 mm
13' recreational kayak that uses 3 sheets of plywood. thick okoume marine plywood, covered with a 6-
You can download free plans from my website: http:// ounce per square yard fiberglass cloth coated with an
bit.ly/xde8Bz. I've also drawn it up as a 7' childs boat epoxy resin. This will provide the strongest, longest
I call "Io" that can be made out of a single sheet of lasting construction, but if you are strapped for cash,
plywood. The free plans for this are also available. Ch you can substitute lauan “door-skin” for the okoume
esapeake Light Craft makes high quality boat kits the and polyester resin for the epoxy. Lauan is apt to
y offer a complete kit for Ganymede if you don't want have gaps in the interior veneers that make the
to scrounge materials on your own. I have blog post o plywood. These gaps can weaken the material and
n Makezine.com that discusses the Io design may accumulate condensation leading to rot, but with
specifically. a little care in building and storage when you are
The construction is done with a technique called done lauan can make a nice boat. The description of
“stitch-and-glue” and is built from thin plywood. The st techniques in these instructions assume epoxy resin,
itch-and-glue (S&G) method use plywood panels cut you may need to adjust your technique if you opt to
to shape that are temporarily wired together with use polyester.
copper wire. This wire is the “stitches”. With the

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1. Ganymede is a 13' recreational kayak. 1. Io is a 7' boat suitable for small children to use
with supervision. It can be made from a single sheet
of plywood.

Step 1: Prepare the Plywood Sheets

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Plywood usually comes in 8 foot long sheets. Most of off each layer even and consistent. The goal is to
the Jupiter Point designs use panels that are longer make a smooth, flat, wedge all the way from the top
than 8 feet. As a result, you will often need to make to the bottom. If you that the planed area on on one
longer pieces of plywood. The standard way of doing layer is getting wider than the other layers, adjust
this is by creating a “scarf” joint. All this means is the your planing to make them even again. As you plane
ends of two pieces of wood are shaped to a sharp deeper into the plywood you will start to see dark
knife-like angle, and two matching angles are over stripes and then the wood may change color a bit.
lapped and glued together. The glue used is the same The dark lines are the layers of glue between the
epoxy you use to coat the fiberglass cloth with a little plies of the plywood. Use these glue lines as guides
bit of powder used to thicken it up. Colloidal silica or to help assure a straight flat surface. Work to keep
cellulose are typical powders used, but bread flour the glue lines straight and parallel. If you see part of
works also. the line curving up higher than on either side, plane
First you need to form the scarf shape. Your plans will down the sides to bring the rest of the line up even
provide guidance on how to cut the plywood, you can and straight.
just go ahead and scarf 2 full sheets, but these can You are done cutting the scarf when the side of the
be hard to handle. You may want to cut the plywood plywood has sharp edge and there is no step down
down into smaller sizes so it is easier to move from one layer of plywood to the next. Give the
around. surface a quick sanding with 80 grit sandpaper to
Stack the plywood with the edges you want to scarf promote a good glue bond. Take one sheet of the
aligned on one side. Plywood often has one “better” plywood and flip around to the sharp edge is facing
side. Flip over one of the pieces so on one the better the other way and the bevel is facing down. Put a
side is up and on the other the better side is down. strip of wax paper under the joint. Mix up some epoxy
This way you can the better side up on both pieces and then add your powder to make a mayonnaise
when you glue up the scarf. It will help get the scarfs consistency glue. Spread this on the planed surface.
even if you have a piece of scrap plywood the same Line up the joint so the two wedges overlap 1” such
thickness on top and bottom. Stagger the edges back that the thickness is consistent throughout. Place a
1 inch each to make a shallow stair case. Clamp this layer of wax paper on top of the joint and pile some
down the edge of your workbench so the bottom layer weights to clamp the scarf tightly.
hangs of the edge by a small amount. When the epoxy has cured, peel off the wax paper
One of the best tools for cutting the scarf is a sharp and scrape and sand off any rough spots. Don’t sand
block plane, but you could do this with about as easily into the wood around the joint.
with a belt sander. If your plane has not been
sharpened in the past 24 hours is probably needs to Drawing the Panels
be touched up. If you have never sharpened it, you If you down load the free plans you will need to graph
definitely need to give it a through sharpening. out the dimensions at full size. These dimensions are
Use the slope of the stair steps as a guide as you sometimes called "offsets" This will take a large sheet
plane down the stairs. Cut into each step evenly, of paper such as Rosin Paper you can get at
trying to keep the amount of material you have sliced hardware store or home center. Mark out the

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dimensions for each panel on the paper with little pieces cut out lay the marked on on top with the
"x"s. Push some "T"-pins into the x and bend a marking showing. Drill through the stitch holes of the
narrow, flexible wood strips or fairly stiff wire around first side into the other side. Push a small finish nail
the pins to create a long smooth curve. Mark along or brad through the holes as you drill them to keep
this spline to draw the edge shape. You can fold the the panels from shifting. Now, use your jig saw to cut
paper in half to cut out the symmetrical parts. out the final shape. Cut just on the outside of the
leaving half the line. If you are uncomfortable cutting
Layout the Panels that close, leave more of the line and then come back
Cut out your paper patterns from the plans. Lay the with a block plane or sanding block to even out the
patterns on the plywood as suggested by the plans. If edge and remove half the line.
you find a more efficient layout of the patterns, feel Cut all the pieces in a similar manner. Work slowly
free to use it, but on the long panels you want the and carefully. While the Jupiter Point boats are more
grain of the plywood running down the length of the tolerant of a little inaccuracy than other S&G designs,
long axis as much as possible. With the parts that good, accurate cuts will make assembly easier and
require you cut two, such as the hull sides and front assure the finished boat is the desired shape.
deck, lightly mark out the location with a pencil of
both sides before doing any cutting. You want to Drill Holes
make sure you arranged the parts correctly to get
both pieces. Plywood generally has one better side, Starting at the bow end of each edge, drill 1/16"
flip the pattern over when you layout the other side so diameter holes about 1/2" from the edge every 6
you will have the better plywood side showing on inches along the edge. You will need holes along
both sides of the boat. each side of the bottom, the bottom edge of the sides,
Once you have determined exactly where each part the center edge of the front deck panels. On the front
will come from, tape down the patterns so they don’t and back edge of the side panels drill holes every 3
move. Make sure the paper is smooth and flat, inches. Do the same on the front deck panels on the
without wrinkles or bumps or lifted areas. short sides near the cockpit. Drill matching holes on
Use an awl or sharpened nail to punch holes through the two forward sides near the cockpit on the back
the paper along the edges of each part into the deck. With the sides and front deck pieces you can
plywood. Make the marks deep enough so you will be stack the two pieces together while you drill to save
able to see them later. Make the marks as close time.
together as necessary to assure you will be able to
reproduce the curve accurately. This may be every 3 You don't need holes on the top edge of the sides, or
or 4 inches in straight areas, or ever 1/2 to 1 inch in the outer edges of the deck.
places with tight curves. The patterns have little “+”
marks with circles that indicate wire stitch holes. Use
a 1/16” drill to drill out all these holes right at the
crossing point of the lines.
Use a pencil and flexible strip of wood to connect the
awl marks. Make a dark line that will be easy to see
when it comes time to do the actual cutting.
Before you do the final cutting loosely cut out the
parts where you will be making to matching pieces.
Use a power jig saw to do the cutting. Install a new,
fine tooth, smooth cutting blade in the tool. Cut
outside the line but pretty close. Be aware of where
you will be cutting the other side so you don’t cut into
the area you will need for that other side. If you
roughly cut out the marked piece first you can use it
as a pattern to trace for the other side. With the two

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1. Finish nails hold the plywood in place 1. A sharp wood plane does a good job of shaping the scarf
2. The layers of plywood are stack up like steps

1. The laminations are equal width and the lines are straight

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Step 2: Wire or "Stitch" Together the Plywood Panels

Wire the ends to the side panels together. Cut pieces the ends on to the forms. Separate the middle so that
of wire about 3” long. Insert them through the holes, the bottom fits inside the two sides.
all the way through both sides. Bend the wires over With the bottom fitted inside the sides run wires out
and hold the ends at right angles to each other and through the holes. If the holes don’t line up you may
pull them tight before wrapping them around each have the bottom in backwards - try turning it around.
other. Make a tight twist in the wires with your fingers. Cut the copper wires into 3” lengths. Bend them into a
Clamp the two hull forms to some saw horses. Look loose “U” shape and push each leg out through the
at your plans to determine which end of the bottom stitch holes.
panel is the front and which form is the front. Adjust On the outside of the boat, pull the wires so both
the distance between the sawhorse so that the exposed ends are about the same length. Hold the
bottom panel drops down loosely into the forms. wires so the cross at about a 90° angle. Use a pair of
Lift the side panels that have been wired together at pliers to pull the wires tight, then give the wires a twist

to hold the panels tightly together. open slowly and evenly. Wire the other side into the
Wire up the deck pieces. Start by taking the two form and twist the wires so the deck fits the form
symmetrical bow panels and wire them together. Start tightly. Again you want the wires going from the
by stacking the two panels on top of each other with inside out.
the better faces on the outside. Push wires through Next stitch in the back part of the deck to fit between
the stitch holes along the shorter of the two long the open “V” of the two front deck pieces.
sides. Twist the wires securely together leaving a When the wires are stitched up tight, glue up the
small gap between the twist and the plywood. seams with CA glue. Before gluing, check the
When the all the stitch holes along the edge have alignment of the center seam of the fore-deck to be
been wired up, open the panels like a book. sure the seam is even. Use your hand to reach under
Locate the double stitch holes along the longer long the deck to feel what will become the top of the seam.
edge. This is where the deck form will go. Wire one The joint should feel smooth and even. If one side
side of the deck into one side of the form. Open the feels higher than the other push on the seam with
deck up so it fits into the deck form. The wire stitch your fingers to get it into alignment.
will make the “book” quite stiff to open, but just force it

1
1

1. Copper wire acts as temporary clamps 1. Forms help hold the shape of the boat but are not required

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1. Bend the wire in a "U" and slip it through the holes 1. Twist the wire tightly

2
1

1. Wire the center seam of the deck first. 1. The top or "deck"
2. After wiring the center seam attach the back deck 2. The bottom or "hull".

Step 3: Gluing Together the Plywood

The hull is tack-welded together with CA glue. Check Put a few drops going up the stems at both ends of
the alignment of the bottom, it should be even with the boat. Spray to set the glue.
the bottom of the sides. Make adjustments When both seams are glued and set and the stems
accordingly. If the bottom does not stay in place, are secured together, remove all the wires.
tighten up the wires a bit. Clip the wire on the inside with a pair of diagonal wire
Run a short (1/4”) bead of CA glue into the chine ever cutters. Pull the wires out from the outside. Leave the
3” along the seam. Don’t over due this, just a little bit wires at the top of the sides which hold the sides to
of glue every few inches. the forms. These will get glassed over and removed
After applying glue to about a foot or so of seam, mist later. Make sure they are tight to the inside of the hull.
the glue with accelerator. Move down both side until
the whole chine is tacked together.

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1. Cyanoacrylate (CA) Glue makes a quick spot weld to hold the panels 1. CA glue accelerator makes the glue cure almost instantly
together
2. Keep the glue dots small

1. Get some CA glue into the ends (stems) of the boat.

Step 4: Fillet the Plywood

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The deck and hull are now ready for a fillet of to get the whole bag of filleting material at once, then
thickened epoxy. Check the hull for twist by laying a go on to the smoothing step.
couple straight sticks across the gunwales. Place one With a good bead of schmutz dispensed along the
stick near the front form and the other near the back. seam, it is now time to smooth it out. I use a plastic
Get your eye near the bow and look at the two sticks. picnic spoon as a high-tech smoothing tool. Press the
If they look parallel, every thing should be fine. If one spoon firmly into the schmutz and pull it along the
end of one stick looks higher than the other end, seam. Place one finger into the bowl of the spoon to
adjust the saw horses to make the sticks parallel. apply pressure and control. Use a smooth, even pull
The “fillet” is made with epoxy thickened with wood to get a smooth even fillet. Avoid poking at the
flour. Actually bread flour would work fine if that is schmutz with the spoon in an effort clean things up,
what you have. Mix up about 1 cup of epoxy and then instead use long smooth strokes instead.
add small amounts of the flour until it reaches the If you need to add more schmutz into the seam, mix
thickness of peanut butter when it is mixed up. This up more and place it in the bag and dispense it where
“dookie schmutz” is the filleting material. it is needed. Use a new bag if needed.
If the dookie schmutz is too thin it will not stay in the If you apply enough schmutz into the seam you
seam, if it is too thick it will be hard to apply. should get extra squeezed out to the side. You will
Put the schmutz in a zip-lock freezer bag. Cut one need to clean this up. Use a plastic squeegee to
bottom corner off the bag to make a 1/4” in hole. This scrape up the excess. Hold the squeegee at a low
makes a simple cake decorator. angle and pull it parallel to the seam so you don’t
Squeeze a line of schmutz into the chine seam. You wreck the actual fillet in the seam.
want an even 1/4” to 5/8” diameter worm of gunk If you used enough pressure on the spoon there
dispensed directly into the corner between the deck should be a nice clean line between the fillet and the
and hull. squeeze-out. Use this clear space as a guide as you
Because the big bag of schmutz being held in your scrape up the squeeze-out.
hand can warm up and start to cure, it is a good idea Collect the excess schmutz in your epoxy mixing cup.

It can be re-used. If you need to mix up more epoxy dookie schmutz into the joint area. You probably will
and dookie schmutz you can mix this excess in with not be able to get your hands and the zip-lock bag
the new batch. right in where you want the schmutz so use gravity to
I know you will want to grab a hold of a blob of drop the material into the stem area.
schmutz with your fingers and push it into a spot Use your gloved finger to press the material firmly
where you need a little extra. Avoid this urge. You will into the joint, forcing it in to fill up the corner area.
only make a mess. Stick to the program of dispensing Start at the bottom and pull your finger, evenly and
with the bag, smoothing with the spoon and removing smoothly up the stem. Wrinkles in your glove will tend
the excess with the squeegee. Your results will be to cause groves and roughness in the fillet so it helps
neater. You will have a chance to use your fingers to pull the glove tight up around your finger. Like the
soon enough. other fillets, don’t poke and prod at the material as it
When you have done the long seams of the hull and will only make more of a mess.
deck, you can now make a mess of your gloves by Use your squeegee to scrape out any excess.
making the fillet in the stems of the hull. You want a Repeat the filleting process on the deck. Because of
lot of material in the bow and stern of the boat the shallow angle of the seam you can clean up the
because this is where you will hit stuff. excess by pressing the middle of your squeegee
Apply the fillets to both sides then work on the stems down into the seam so edges on each side scrape up
at each end. The stems can take some abuse if you the squeeze out. The fillet will be quite small, but it
should run into anything and a good fillet will reinforce does not need a huge amount of material in the seam
them. You should make a fillet that appears to be to be strong.
about 1/2” to 3/4” wide.
Start by squeezing a large, thick, heavy worm of

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1. A zip lock bag makes a good dispenser. Just like decorating a cake. 1. A plastic spoon smooths the fillet and removes the excess "schmutz".

1. Scrape up just the excess. Leave the fillet in the corner. 1. Make sure to get a good fillet into the ends.

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Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 11
Step 5: Fiberglassing the Inside

Don’t wait for the fillet to dry before moving on to the squeegee into the soft fillet.
fiberglassing. It is easier to lay the glass in while the You want to keep the epoxy contiguous. Don’t put a
dookie schmutz is still soft. If you don’t you may need puddle here and another there, instead try to advance
to come back and sand the fillet smooth. in a solid front from the middle of the boat towards the
Lay the fabric down into the hull, smoothing it out ends. Don’t worry if there are gray/partially wet areas,
across the bottom and up the sides. Do not press the but do not trap large areas of loose white cloth
cloth into the fillet as it will only make it stick and be between areas of saturated clear cloth.
harder to move around. As you get to the point where squeegeeing no longer
Trim the excess cloth about 2 inches above the side moves any resin, it is time to mix up more. Again pour
of the hull. Don’t worry about getting the cloth a puddle in the bottom starting within an already wet-
perfectly into the stem area, just leave yourself out area and spreading into the dry area. Continue
enough excess cloth to cover everything later. pulling resin up both sides as you go. Switch sides
Mix up approximately 1 cup of resin and pour it frequently so you can see what needs to be done.
directly into the bottom of the boat. Once the epoxy is spread out a little you will have
Note about epoxy safety: Epoxy is a concoction of plenty of time to work on it, but if you leave a lot in
petrochemicals. While it does not smell much, it does your mixing pot or a big puddle it will start to stiffen up
produce some vapors. These vapors are generally and make it harder to work with. It is better to move
considered safe, but epoxy can produce an allergic rapidly but deliberately than to get every spot perfect
reaction in some people. If it were my lungs, I would before moving on to the next. Instead get the cloth
be careful with the stuff. Personally, I wear a good initially wet and smooth at this point, you can come
quality respirator with filters suitable for organic back later to touch up dryish spots.
compounds. If you need more epoxy on the sides and do not have
You also don’t want to get the resin on your skin. enough in the bottom, use a chip brush to dab a
Wear gloves whenever working with epoxy. Long brush full of epoxy in the area, then use your
sleeve shirts and long pants will also protect you from squeegee to spread it out.
splashes. As you pull epoxy of the side you will see the fabric
If you should get epoxy on your skin, wipe it off with a lift out of the chine area a bit. This is to be expected.
dry towel and then wash using soap and water. DO Resist the urge to take your squeegee and ram the
NOT use solvents such as acetone, lacquer thinner or edge down into the cloth and the fillet. This will mess
white vinegar to clean your skin. These only make it up the fillet and won’t eliminate the bridged cloth. We
easier for the compounds to enter your blood stream. will come back later and fix it. Time wasted now
Use a plastic squeegee to spread the epoxy around. worrying about it will only make it harder later.
Move the epoxy from clear/shiny spots to white/dry
spots. Pull epoxy up the side, but don’t press the

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1. Trim the fiberglass a little over size. 1. Pour a puddle of resin in the bottom of the hull.

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1. Spread the resin with a plastic squeegee. When the cloth is completely 1. "Bridging" will occur in the corners.
saturated it will become completely clear.

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Step 6: Fiberglassing Details

Get the epoxy distributed just about to the end. Then cloth back down into the seam by sliding it down from
smooth out one side of the glass all the way to the the top.
stem, allowing a large wrinkle or fold to accumulate With a somewhat dry brush place just above the fillet
on the other side. and pointed down, lightly press the fabric down
Use scissors to cut down along the stem fillet, towards the fillet. It should slide fairly easily, but
snipping all the way to the bottom. sometimes it gets caught up on the rough top edge of
Pull back the loose side of the cloth and tuck the the plywood. You may need to lift the cloth at the top
smooth side back into the fillet, removing any away from the edge a bit so it doesn’t snag.
wrinkles that may have appeared from your cutting. Work gently from one end of the bridged fabric to the
Then tuck the loose side in to over lap the existing other, sliding the fiberglass down into the bubbled
glass. If the overlap extends more than about 2 area. You may not need to add any more resin, but as
inches you can trim off the excess. you do this look for areas that are slightly gray or look
Spread epoxy onto the cloth using your brush as starved for resin. If there is a shiny spot near by, use
needed to apply epoxy into the over lapping cloth. your squeegee to spread the excess resin in the
If you end up with a gap in the cloth for some reason, shiny spot to the dull grey spot. If there is not source
just cut a patch from any scraps you cut off earlier. of resin already in the area, blot a brush full of resin
Now for those bridges of cloth at the chine. These on the spot then squeegee it around.
appeared as you squeegeed epoxy up the sides. As Inspect the hull for bridges and dry spots before going
you did this you pulled a little fabric up with the resin. on to the deck. You have now competed the hardest
As a result there is not enough fabric in the boat to fill fiberglassing work of the whole project. Everything
into the fillet. else will be easier.
The solution to this is introduce a small amount of

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1. Cut the fiberglass to help it conform to the ends. 1. Pull back one side while you get the cloth on the other side settled in
place.

1. Settle the second side on top of the first. The cloth 1. "Bridging" caused by pulling the cloth up the side. Use the brush to push the cloth back down
should be trimmed for a 1 inch (2 cm) overlap into the corner.

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1. Wit a little gentle persuasion, the cloth should fit tightly into the corner.

Step 7: Fiberglassing the Deck

Lay glass on the deck and trim it a few inches over be partially cured, but still soft. Now is the best time
size. Smooth out the cloth to eliminate any wrinkles. to give the cloth an extra coat of resin to seal any pin
Mix up epoxy and pour a small puddle onto the back holes. Use a foam roller to apply a thin coat of mixed
deck. In case you need to be told, don’t pour it where epoxy over the whole interior surface of the both the
the cockpit hole is, it will run through. deck and the hull.
Spread the epoxy around with your squeegee. Again, If you can’t do this coat right away, let the resin set up
don’t trap large islands of dry cloth in oceans of hard, then scuff of the surface with a green Scotch-
wetted out cloth, move in an even tsunami from here Brite kitchen scrubber to help the epoxy adhere
to the other end of the boat, working up both sides of better. Then apply the thin coat.
the cockpit at the once. After the second coat has cure, clip the copper wires
Double check your work, looking for grey or poorly holding the forms. If you leave the wires a little long
saturated glass. Dab on a little resin where needed you may be able to use pliers to pull the wires out.
and squeegee around. Don’t try too hard, if they don’t come easily, just leave
When you are done doing the wet-out coats of the clip them close and we’ll deal with them shortly.
fiberglass you should end up with a matte finish with Trim off the excess fiberglass with a utility knife. Hold
the texture of the fabric readily evident. There should the edge of the blade tight against the wood and hold
not be shiny spots. If you need to remove any excess the fiberglass. Slice the glass off in smooth even
use your squeegee to scrape off the excess. strokes. You should not need to saw at the glass, just
Use a grunge cup to remove excess resin from your hold the knife tight against the wood and slide it down
squeegee after scraping the glass. Do not use too the length of the boat.
much pressure while scraping excess. If you are You should be ready to flip the hull over on to the saw
uncertain, just leave it be. horses. Put the deck to one side for now.
If you can get to it the same day, wait a couple hours
after applying the resin. At this point the epoxy should

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1. Pour a small puddle of resin.

1
1

1. Spread the resin with a squeegee. Add more resin as needed. 1. Use a brush to get resin where it is hard to pour.

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1. The surface of the cloth should have a matte finish. If you see shiny spots you can scrape them off 1. Cut a slot through the doubled-up section
with the squeegee. of a small paper cup. Slide the edge of the
squeegee to scrape off excess resin which
will collect in the "grunge cup"

1. The hull and deck are glassed on the inside.

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Step 8: Preparing the Outside of the Hull

Fiberglass doesn’t like sharp corners and sharp chamfer is cut all the way back to the edge of the hull
corners are delicate and easily damaged. The best bottom panel. Don’t cut into the bottom panel. Next
tool for rounding over the chines is a block plane, but angle the plane to knock the corners off each side of
you can do this with a sanding block. If you don’t the chamfer. This will mean a couple swipes of the
think a plane is better than sanding, it is probably plane on the top edge of the chamfer, cutting into the
because your plane is dull. If you just bought it or bottom panel a bit, and then a couple swipes along
have not sharpened it within the past week it is dull. the bottom edge.
Sharpen it and give it a try. If the plane continues to allude you, you can use
Set the blade so it just barely sticks out. If you have a coarse sandpaper to do the same thing. A good sharp
plane with an adjustable throat, open it up all the way. plane is faster and easier, but sandpaper works also.
If the plane is adjusted well and sharp, your first After making the 3-sided chamfer, use the plane to
stroke along the chine should remove a tiny little knock off the remaining corners. Use your hand to
shaving. It shouldn’t look like much but if you get a feel for sharp edges. Your fingers are very sensitive
big shaving it means you have the plane set to deep. to and irregularities. Put your hand on the edge and
If you get little chips scraped off the edge, the plane is pay attention to what you feel.
dull, sharpen and try again. Round over the stems in a similar manner as the
Start by planing a chamfer at a 45° angle, in other chines. Start by making the front edge flat and
words the angle between the plane and the hull straight across about 1/2” to 5/8” wide. Then knock
bottom is the same as the angle between the plane the corners off with a chamfer on either side. Then
and the side. proceed to complete rounding over the stem.
Maintain this same angle until the top edge of the

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1. Start rounding the edge by first making a 45° bevel or chamfer. The flat 1. After making the chamfer, knock of the small corners on either side.
edge on the chamfer should be about 1/4" wide. Use your hand to feel if it is smooth. You should feel no sharp edges.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 21

 1. The ends need to be rounded over

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Step 9: Fiberglassing the Outside of the Hull

Roll cloth over the hull and trim off the excess about along the bottom edge. I want to get the stems taken
4” to 6” below the edge of the side. This excess will care of while the resin is still liquid and easy to deal
absorb some epoxy drips so they don’t make a mess with. I’m moving quickly knowing I will be able to
of your floor. touch up these spots shortly.
Smooth out the glass on the bottom and let it hang Cut off the excess glass about 1 inch from the stem.
down the sides. Apply resin in the same manner as Snip off the corner starting at the “bottom” of the stem
you did the inside. Pour a puddle on the bottom and so the glass can be folded over either side without
then spread it out with a squeegee. Again, work in a bunching up.
unified front down the length of the boat. Pull small Peel back the cloth from one side then fold the
amounts of resin over the side at a time. As you pull opposite side over. Wet this out completely.
the squeegee over the chine, roll your hand over to Lay the loose side down on top of the newly wetted
maintain the same angle between the squeegee and glass.
the surface. If you need extra resin on the side, use a Then fold the second side over and wet it out. There
chip brush to apply dabs of epoxy where you need it will probably be some loose fabric sticking up at the
and then squeegee it around. Don’t try to pour resin corner at the “bottom” of the stem. Wet it out as best
on to the side, it will just end up on the floor. you can but don’t obsess about it.
When you get to the end, wet out both sides all the Go back and take care of any spots you missed on
way to the stem so you have a neat fold of cloth the rest of the hull and scrape off any excess into
protruding from the end. your grunge cup.
Notice the “starved” areas in the photo where the
glass is not completely saturated near the chine and

1. Drape the glass over the hull and trim off the excess. 1. On the ends, wet out the glass up to the end and let the excess fold
where it will.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 23

 1
1

1. Cut the folded part off about 1 inch from the end. 1. Trim a slot right up to the corner of the end.

1 1

1. Fold one side over and wet it out. 1. Then fold the other side over the top.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 24

 1

1. Wet out the folded over sections.

Step 10: Installing the Deck

Let the epoxy set up and then flip the hull and trim off Pull the tape tight as you stick it down. This will hold it
the glass. The glass is easiest to trim while the epoxy in place better than loose. If you need to align the
is still a little green, but you don’t want it so soft that deck with the hull sides you can stick a putty knife in
you will damage the glass with your saw horses. the gap and wiggle it around, then tape it snuggly
Again, place the edge of the blade tight against the down.
plywood and trim the glass off in a smooth fluid cut. When the seem is held securely in place, go back
Use 80 grit sandpaper to clean up the sharp edges of with CA glue and spot weld every 3 to 4 inches.
glass. Sand the glass flush with the plywood. You do Check your alignment as you go, you can push the
not want to change the shape of the wood, you just deck down tighter if you see any gaps. Spritz on
want to remove any messy drips and leave a clean, accelerator to set the glue. You can then strip the
smooth edge. Clean up the edges of the deck while tape off.
you are at it. Run a strip of masking tape over the outside of the
While your at it sand the inside 2 inches down from sheer seam. This will keep the epoxy from running
the edge on the side and the same on the deck. This out when we do the inside. To make any drip-through
is to rough up the surface so the interior tape will as smooth as possible you need the tape to be
adhere better. smooth without wrinkles. The best way to do this is to
The deck fits on top of the hull sides. Start by aligning stick down the tape on just one side of the seam as
each end and loosely taping them down with fiber- you dispense it out, then come back and fold it over
reinforced packing tape. Then, starting near the the seam later.
cockpit, tape the deck tight down against the top edge
of the hull sides.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 25

 1
1

1. A sharp utility knife will cleanly cut the fiberglass and hardened epoxy 1. Sand off any sharp edges of fiberglass.

1
1

1. Tape the deck down on to the hull with fiber- 1. Tape every six inches and then use some CA glue to spot weld between the tape.
reinforced strapping tape

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 1

1. Apply masking tape over the deck/hull seam and be sure it is pressed
down securely

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 27

Step 11: Taping the Inside Seam

Brush on a stick! We will be running a strip of Push the stick down into the end of the boat, pulling
fiberglass tape down the inside seam. We need a tool the tape along with it. With one hand hold down the
to reach all the way to the end. Find a stick that will end of the tape as you pull the tape tight. Hold the
reach from the cockpit to both ends. Cut one end at a tape above the seam and then slowly release the
45° angle, screw a chip brush to the end and cut the tension on the tape so the cockpit end starts to lay
handle off the brush. down into the seam. Move the stick to keep the tape
On the other end of the stick, taper the end down a bit centered on the seam as it goes down.
then pound a small finish nail through it. Bend the nail When the tape is all the way down, rotate the stick so
over so it point back down the length of the stick. the nail points down. If the tape does not just fall off,
Then rotate the nail to point out to one side. give the stick a quick, sharp push to release the tape.
Tip the boat up on edge on your saw horses with the Switch ends of the stick and use brush to nestle the
sheer line angled down. A stick clamped to the saw tape down into the seam. Brush on a couple layers of
horses will keep boat securely in place. A little tape epoxy. You want a good heavy coat of epoxy to help
can hold the boat to the stick. create a fillet.
Measure out a length of pre-woven fiberglass tape If this technique does not end up with the tape
from the knuckle in the sheer line next to the cockpit covering the seam the first time, don’t spend a lot of
down to the bow of the boat. Lay a length of waxed effort using the stick to try to straighten out the tape,
paper on the floor or your workbench. Wet out the just pull the tape back and give it another try.
length of tape with epoxy. While you have the brush Because we measured the tape from the knuckle to
in your hand, pre-wet the lower seam inside the on- the stem and we started the tape 6 inches behind the
its-side boat. You can use your brush-on-a-stick to knuckle, the tape will not reach all the way to the end.
get epoxy on the seam all the way into the end. This is intentional. If the tape is too long you will not
Make sure the tape is well saturated and even a little be able to get it off the stick. Fix this by pulling the
sloppy wet. Roll it up loosely so you can carry it over tape farther back. We will deal with the last few
to the boat. inches later.
Place the tape down on the inside of the lower seam; The tape should be approximately centered on the
starting 6” behind the knuckle and roll the cloth out seam. At the very least you want it to have a little bit
towards the bow. Center the tape on the seam with on both sides of the seam. When you have the bow
half on the hull; half on the deck. When you roll it done; do the exact same thing for the stern.; Let
down the seam as far as you can get; pull it back a bit these set up solid so you won’t end up with the tape
so you can unroll it into a neat Z-Fold on top of seam. on your head when you flip the boat over and do the
Use the nail on the stick to pick up the loose end of same thing to the other side.
the tape. Point the nail down, poke it through the
tape, then rotate the nail so it point upward.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 28

 1

1. An inexpensive "chip" brush screwed to the end of a stick will help 1. A finish nail is used to pull fiberglass tape into the ends.
reach into the ends of the boat.

1. Secure the boat on its side so it will not tip over. 1. Pre-saturate 2" wide woven fiberglass
tape with epoxy.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 29

 1

1. Fiberglass tape on the inside seam.

A few more brushes with epoxy will
seal it up.

Step 12: Fiberglassing the Top

When the interior tape is cured, peel the masking even with the bottom of the tape.
tape off the outside. Then round over the outside Start wetting out the deck around the cockpit as this
sheer line in the same manner you had rounded the is where it will be trickiest to get it to lie flat.
chines. Brush a little epoxy on then spread it with a
Start with a chamfer, knock the corners off the squeegee. Bring the epoxy down over the side and
chamfer then smooth out the round-over. Sand the wet out on to the masking tape.
edge to smooth it out and give the whole deck a light After doing the area around the cockpit continue
sanding with 120 grit. Sand the upper edge of the hull wetting out the rest of the deck in the same manner
with 80 grit to help the epoxy adhere. you did the hull. Make sure the glass is wet out on to
Run a strip of masking tape about 1 inch below the the masking tape. Brush some extra resin on to the
sheer line. Fold up the bottom edge slightly so any center line of the front deck to help fill up the gap
drips of epoxy won’t run down the side of the boat. between the panels.
Roll out layer of fiberglass on the deck and trim it

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 30

 1 1

1. Round over the deck/hull seam like you did the bottom corner. Notice 1. Start with a 45° chamfer and then round it over.
the nice curl of wood indicating a sharp tool.

1. Masking tape 1 inch down from the seam. 1. The deck fiberglass overlaps on to the blue tape.

1
1

1. Apply some resin with a brush around the cockpit. 1. Spread the epoxy with squeegee. On large areas you can dump-and-
spread the epoxy.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 31

 1

1. Saturate the fiberglass on to the top edge of the blue tape. You don't need
to saturate beyond the blue tape.

Step 13: Trim the Glass

Let the epoxy set up so it is starting to get rubbery. cloth below the score line will come up with the tape.
Put a brand new blade in your utility knife. Work all the way down the boat on both sides.
Lightly score the surface of the new glass just above You can do the deck without this masking tape but
the tape. Don’t press to hard or you will cut into the you will end up with a lot of loose fiberglass threads
older glass. It does not take much force to clip the that get all over the place and generally make a
fibers in the still-soft resin. If you wait to long the mess.
epoxy will be harder and you will need to press a little You now have something that looks a bit like a kayak.
harder, but again you don’t want to press too hard or You can cut the excess glass out of the cockpit hole.
you will get a permanent mark.
Lift the end of the tape and pull it off the boat, the new

1 1

1. The fiberglass is saturate with epoxy on to the blue tape 1. Very lightly score the partially cured epoxy to cut into the new layer of
fiberglass.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 32

 1

1. Peel back the blue tape along with the excess fiberglass.

Step 14: Installing the Cockpit

Glue down the cockpit risers pieces. Mix up epoxy Check the alignment of all the lamination. Make sure
and mix in colloidal silica, cellulose powder or wood they are all centered around the hole. Check to see
flour to make a loose paste-like glue. Brush this the the butt-joints between the pieces in each layer are
riser piece and around the perimeter of the cockpit. tight.
Lay the riser in place. When you have all the pieces Add as many clamps around the coaming as you
in place for one layer adjust the position so it is have access to. Keep checking that you don’t knock
centered around the cockpit hole. any of the laminations out of place. Align the tips of
Apply glue on top of the first layer and on the bottom the clamps along the inner perimeter, over the riser
of the next layer and build up another lamination. laminations If you place the clamps too far out from
Two layers of riser laminations is the minimum. Three the inner edge you will bend down the coaming lip.
layers will make getting a spray-skirt on-and-off a little Now, do your best to clean up any squeeze out. Run
easier. your gloved finger all the way around the outer edge
Coat the whole bottom of the coaming lip with a thick of the riser laminations, under the lip. Use an acid
layer of thickened epoxy to seal it completely against brush to wipe off any excess glue onto the inside.
water. Apply epoxy to the top lamination of the riser
and then lay the lip on top.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 33

 1

2
1

1. Spacers raise the coaming lip up off the deck. 1. Spread epoxy on each layer.
2. Start with a couple clamps.

1 1

1. Stack up more layers. 1. The top layer is the coaming lip

1. Add as many clamps as you can.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 34

Step 15: Cleanup and Glass the Coaming

The more glue you wipe off when it is still wet, the handling it. Do not pull on it as if you start out with a
less work you need to do after it has dried. Use a very 4” wide piece, a little tug can make it 1” wide and it
coarse rasp or file to clean off the glue. The Shinto won’t be wide enough to cover the whole coaming.
wood rasp shown does a good job. Start by painting some epoxy on to the coaming, then
When the glue has been cleaned off it is time to carefully lay the bias-cut cloth on to vertical edge of
round over the edge. Again, start by making a the coaming by just pressing it into the wet epoxy.
chamfer about 3/8” wide. A half-round rasp works well Next use your chip brush to dab down the cloth. Don’t
here. After the chamfer, knock off the corners then stroke the cloth yet as it will distort. Just press the
round it over. Do the same to the top and bottom cloth down with the tip of the brush. Add epoxy as
interior edge of the coaming. If you have a round-over needed to saturate the cloth. Make sure to saturate
bit and a router you can use it on the top edge, but the cloth under the deck as well. Let the top edge of
you will still need to do the bottom edge by hand. the cloth over hang the edge of the coaming lip. Do
Clean up your work with 80 grit sandpaper then not try to wrap it back under the lip.
smooth it out with 100 and 120 grit. If your strip of cloth does not reach all the way around
A good radius top and bottom will make the next cut another piece and over lap the first by about 1
glassing step much easier. Sand the deck underneath inch.
the coaming to rough it up for glassing. After applying one layer of cloth all the way around
Cut out strips of fiberglass about 4 to 5” wide. Cut the coaming, lay down another layer so you have two
these on a diagonal at 45° to the weave, i.e. on the complete layers of cloth completely around the
“bias”. This bias-cut cloth distorts very easily. This is cockpit.
why we use it, but it means you need to be careful

1. A rasp cleans off the excess glue. 1. Like the other round-overs, you start with a chamfer and then round it
off. You could use a router with a round over bit on the top, but underneath
you will probably need to stick with rasps.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 35

 1

1. A nice, even, smooth radius will be easy to fiberglass. 1. Cut strips of fiberglass on a diagonal. Lightly dab epoxy onto the strips
to wrap them around the coaming.

1. Two layers of fiberglass cloth all the way around will make it plenty strong.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 36

Step 16: Finish Work

While you have a wet brush, apply a fill coat over the When the epoxy has had a couple days to set up
whole deck. Apply masking tape on the side of the hard it is time to start sanding. We over lapped the fill
hull about 1 - 1/2” down from the sheer (1/2” below coats along the sheer where the edge of the deck
the trimmed edge of the deck glass. Then brush on glass made a little bump. This extra resin will make it
an even coat of epoxy over the whole deck. If you are easier to mask this edge.
more comfortable making an even coat with a foam Use 60 grit to sand the whole boat. The goal is to
roller, feel free to do so. The goal is to build up make the surface of the boat smooth and level.
enough resin to fill in the weave texture of the Sand all surfaces, but do not sand the angles at the
fiberglass fabric. Apply the resin over the side on to chine and sheer yet. It is very easy to sand through
the masking tape. these areas and we don’t want to mess up our
Let the fill coat cure for about 1 hour before removing fiberglass work.
the masking tape. Strive to obtain an even, matte finish over the whole
After the deck has cured, trim off the excess cloth boat. If you start sanding into the fiberglass, stop
around the coaming and sand it smooth. Apply a fill sanding. You will see when you get into the glass
coat to coaming then flip the boat over so you can because little whitish spots in the pattern of the
work on the bottom. We want to do a fill coat on the weave will start to appear. If you start seeing the
bottom as well. glass and you still have shiny spots in the area, you
If you have some gaps in the glass near the stem, can apply another fill coat to the whole boat so you
now is your chance to patch them and even if you have more material to level out the surface.
don’t it is a good idea to add some extra glass in this Once you get an even surface you can come back
area. and carefully hand sand the sheer and chines.
Sand away any roughness at the “bottom” of the When everything is sanded evenly with the 60 grit
stem. sandpaper, go over everything again with 80 then 100
Run a strip of masking tape about 1/2” above the grit. You are now ready to varnish or paint.
sheer line. You want at least three coats of varnish or enough
Paint on a good fill coat over the whole hull. Then cut coats of paint that the paint is opaque. Use a marine-
a two 3” x 12” strips of bias-cut fiberglass. Lay these style varnish with UV protection or a exterior enamel
over the stem onto the bottom of the boat to protect paint. Marine boat paint is good, but a good deck
this high-wear area. Do the same to both ends. enamel will work also.
After the resin has cured for an hour, peel off the
tape.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 37

 1 1

1. Painting on some more epoxy will start to smooth out the surface. 1. Mask along the edge so you don't get drips.

1
2
1

1. Where the deck glass overlaps the hull glass 1. Sand the surface smooth. Start with 60 grit and work up to 120.
there will be some build up. 2. Don't sand the corners until you are nearly done. It is easy to sand through the glass.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 38

Step 17: Outfitting

A seat is glued to the bottom of the boat with contact with the shock cord at the back of the coaming. Use
cement. The kit seat is first assembled by first gluing the plastic loop to hold the shockcord. Tie the shock
together the two pieces of 1” minicell. You can make cord to make a loop going through the nylon loops on
your own seat by carving 3” minicell. The backrest is the back of the backrest.
screwed into the coaming riser from underneath. Drill
a small pilot hole up into the riser lamination about
1/4” back from the interior edge of the cockpit. Screw Go Paddling!
the webbing in on either side at approximately the
widest part of the coaming. The backrest is held up

1. A piece of foam can be sculpted for a seat 1. Shock cords hold up the backrest.
2. Kayak outfitters have backrest.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 39

 1

1. Small bolts hold up loops that hold the shock 1. Loops holding the shock cord.
cord.

1. Wear your life jacket!

Hi very nice work !

Is it possible to know approximately the quantity of époxy you use to do that ?
And have you a époxy recommandation ( cheap if possible ;)
Thanks ! ( and please excuse me for my English mistake, i'm a french fan :)
You will need about 4 liters of epoxy. Unfortunately, our sources for epoxy here in the US so I can
not recommend a specific brand. If you are in France, you could try
http://www.arwenmarine.com/Index.html
I've tried my Ganymede Kayak in October. It floats!

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 40

Nice! Thanks for posting the photo.

How heavy is the finishe product

I've started tightly taping the deck against the top edge of hull sides (Step 10: Installing the Deck),
but I still see a small gap close to the cockpit (see picture). Is the deck misplaced? How precise
should it be?
I have also noticed that deck on the back is up to 1/2 inches wider than the hull (not taped yet). Will
I be able to spread the hull sides in order to fit the deck? See picture for details.
Thanks,
Alex

It looks like you might need to spread the hull a bit. Placing a stick inside to hold it a bit wider while
you do the taping can help.
Thanks for the advice. How about the small gap I have between the deck and hull sides close to
the cockpit (first picture)? Should I move the deck to minimize it?
Thanks,
Alex
you should be able to slide the deck backwards slightly so the angle on the hull lines up with the
joint in the deck
My build is coming along nicely and I am getting to the point where I am about to start
fiberglassing, but before I do, I was curious about painting. I want to paint this boat but don't know
if I am supposed to do it before, or after I fiberglass it. Also, do I need to use a specific kind of
paint?
I was not able to eliminate all the bridges of cloth at the chine (step 6). I've tried to introduce a
small amount of cloth back down into the seam by sliding it down from the top, but at this point the
sides were to hard to slide back.
Is this a big problem? Is it possible to fix it?
Thanks
Alex
if you just have a couple small bridges here-and-there, it isn't a big deal. If they are large and/or
wide-spread the best thing would be to sand them out and lay a new patch of glass over those
spots.

To keep the sanding to a minimum you could sand enough to open up the bubble, fill the bubble
with filleting mix and lay your patch over that. It might look a little messy but it would be effective.
Thanks for the reply. Do you have any recommendation to sand corners?
I took some pictures of the hull.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B4Kc3X6MwM...
Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 41
From the looks of you pictures, I would use a sharp knife (like a box cutter) to cut the edges of the
holes and larger wrinkles. Then use 80 grit sandpaper wrapped around a wood block to soften the
edges. You should then be able to place a patch over the holes.
Hi, I have been building this kayak in my garage using the free PDF of the patterns and I have just
gotten to the point where I start stitching it together. However, I wasn't able to find a anything telling
me where to drill the holes. I have already cut all the pieces of wood. Is there some kind of
guideline I can follow to plot them out myself or do they need to be in very specific places? Any
input/advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Matt

Nice!

You want the stitch holes every 6" [150mm] or so. You can start from the bow, and work back on
each part, with the holes about 1/2" [10mm] from the edge and even increments between each.

I hope this helps,

Nick

shOuldN't iT bE kyWaK?

Shouldn't it be named a "Plyak"?

I just wrote an article for the Makezine.com blog that discusses the Io childs kayak specifically, it
may offer some tips for anyone interested in that boat particularly.
http://makezine.com/2016/02/26/building-child-sized-kayak-single-sheet-plywood/
Brilliant! Thank you for sharing your expertise. Someone below was asking about the cost of this
build. What do you think would be the feasibility of building this from coroplast? The glassing could
conceivably be eliminated entirely.
Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 42
could anybody if you can use polyurethane glue or any other glue in the step 4 (filling the
plywood)?
thanks for the plans, the instructions (and the books)
Could you give an idea of what this would cost to build? I'm afraid the f/g would be too expensive
for me. Thanks though,
Fiberglass runs from about $5 to $7 per yard. You need about 18 yards. If you keep your eye out
on ebay you can find off cuts quite cheap.

Another option if you are willing to go with alternatives is: just about any cloth can be wet out with
resin and bonded to wood to provide reinforcement. So old cotton sheets or muslin could
conceivably be used. Historically boats have been covered with canvas to good effect.

If you are looking to go really alternative, consider using tri-wall cardboard instead of wood then
reinforced with fiberglass or muslin. You would want to make sure that all the edges of the
corrugation were well sealed. But if you are willing to think "outside the box" a bit, there are many
alternatives.

Lastly, the epoxy resin could be substituted with polyester resin, or going further afield diluting a
polyvinyl acetate glue such as titebond or titebond III could be create a workable alternative with a
little experimentation.
Guillemot,

thank you for this generous instructable!

The offsets are very clear and logical.

Can you tell us what the beautiful red plywood was used on the child's kayak?
Or is it a red stain over a light-coloured ply?
I think it's just delicious!

Shas
Congrats on being a finalist, and good luck!

I tried to download the .pdf file but it indicates it to be corrupted.

I just tried downloading and it came through without any problem.

The plans at http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/files/Ganymede_Offsets.pdf are also

showing corrupt for me.
I tried again by copying and pasting the above URL and it still worked, but I have opened the PDF
in Acrobat Pro 10 and re-saved and uploaded the new file. Please let me know if there are still
problems
Okay, it seems to work in Chrome. I was trying to download it and open it with Acrobat 9 and Foxit
and it didn't work. Thank you. And sorry for the hassle
Awesome Instructable!
Is the 7' child's kayak plan also free on your website?
I could not locate it.
I've dreamed of building one of the Chesapeake Light Craft kits for years.
Your Instructable may be the inspiration I need to actually do it.
I just posted the free plans for the kid's kayak. I call the design Io after another moon of Jupiter.
Chesapeake Light Craft has the files to cut an Io kit as well.

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 43

Hi and thanks fore this instructablues.
I am going to make the Io fore my yongest son.
How much fiberglas and epoxy you think I need fore Io?

I have made 2 boats: Ponnt Bennet 17,5 fore and Chesapeake 14 fore my 11 year old son.

Now this winter I am going to make the 14 Foot Great Auk (got the plans from CLC) fore my 8 year
old son but after seeing this instructabule I am first going to make Io for my 5 year old son

Bulding kayaks is realy fun...:)

Thanks!
Io makes sense now that you point it out (I thought it was Lo.)
Io and Ganymede are now bringing back memories of Astronomy 101.
That is an awesome and well documented build! Great inspiration!

I think I can do this! Thanks! Can you tell me the load limit on one of these? I myself am 240 lbs.
WOuld it hold me?
I designed Ganymede to hold up to about 300 lbs. It won't be the most spritely boat with that much
weight, but it will float with some room to spare. If you are a really top-heavy body-builder type it
might be a little unstable.
Nice job but I prefer to call the stuff "ookie pucky". Dookie Schmutz would be a little thicker.

great boat and awesome instructable

Thanks
Brilliant instructable. It's a terrific primer and we've learned about "dookie schmutz". Thanks a
million.
Excellent job, I have studied your designs in the past, we're talking 20 years ago. For those who
don't know, Guillemont is a bit of a celebrity in the wood kayak building world. It's an honor to see
your work once again.
Lovely instructables, thanks a lot for sharing!
I will use some of your techniques for my next project :)
Amazing work!

Making a Plywood Kayak: Page 44