Tag: kayak

Great White North #2

On By KBGearDaveIn Biking Stuff, Water Stuff3 Comments

July 21 – August 2

Sunday – July 21 (Day 6): Sunshine? Check! Downhill? Check! Tailwind? Check! Moose sighting? Check! Scenic wonders? Check! I guess it was a good day cycling. Another relaxed morning meant we rolled into Seward mid-day. Little did we realize this is where Alaska starts. We thought we’d been in AK all along.

Although I’d lived in AK for six years, somehow I’d never made it to this pleasant little corner of the state. As the landscape unfolded and the ocean came into view, my first thought was, “this looks like pictures I’ve seen of the Lofoten Islands of Norway.” As if all this beauty wasn’t enough, the threatening clouds eventually parted. We happily spent the afternoon on a beach at road’s end watching life run, walk, swim, and paddle by. 

The real treat though, awaited us back in town. Linda and her sister Kathy greeted us from the front yard, as we rolled up to her house. Linda is a highly regarded Warmshower host in Seward, with good reason. In addition to her incredible generosity, Linda has taken her bicycle to corners of the world we haven’t considered even in our wildest dreams. All in the name of “staying away from touristy areas!” All of that while doing the Alaska hustle of working multiple jobs. Wow! While not interested in the cycling lifestyle, we enjoyed listening to Kathy’s stories as well. We immediately felt welcome, well fed, and completely at home. What a great place to land for a few days while we explore the Seward area.

Monday, July 22 ( Day 7):

I’ve pointed this out before, but our “glamorous” life on the road is often  rather mundane. We went  shopping for breakfast and bought makings for dinner. We gave our vile clothes much needed attention at the laundromat. When the expected rain arrived, we went back to Linda’s to grab lunch, chat with Kathy, and spend an “indoorsy” day relaxing.

Tuesday, July 23 (Day 8): Imagine an eighteen mile wide sheet of ice, several thousand feet thick stretching all the way from Durango to Silverton. That is the Harding Icefield (18 miles by 48 miles). If you include the forty glaciers spilling off this sheet of the ice, the icefield covers 1100 square miles. All of which is to say this thing is HUGE. Fortunately, anyone interested in getting up close and personal with this behemoth can do with just a short drive out of town and a vigorous hike.  Please and thank you!

As expected, the hike did not disappoint. As expected, it was a quad killer. As expected, we were rewarded with expansive views of the glacier, and a tiny portion of the vast icefield. Later, less than a minute of hitching netted us a ride back to town where medicinal hoppy beverages soothed our aching muscles. 

Wednesday, July 24 (Day 9): For the past 94 years, highly motivated individuals have raced 1.5 miles and 3,000′ up Mount Marathon, then hurtled themselves almost straight down scree slopes, chutes and gullies. As mere mortals, we chose to use our second good weather day to ascend the (only slightly less steep) “hikers” trail up this storied peak. Our quads did not take kindly to the abuse. Most of the climb was through a foggy soup. Near the top, however, we emerged above a sea of clouds.  Insert your favorite superlative here…

Clearly, the Alaska scenery is stunning. It has been well worth the effort to reach the places we’ve seen. It is especially satisfying to do so by human powered “slow” travel. The real allure of travel, however, is people. E.g. John and his daughter Kat who gave us a ride into town yesterday and shared a little slice of their lives. Linda and Kathy, who shared their home, food and stories, laughter and insights. We are forever grateful for all these moments.

Thank you Kathy (L) and Linda (R)

Thursday, July 25 (Day 10): Today was a transition day. We moved from Linda’s house to a local hotel. We switched from bike touring mode to thinking about the upcoming kayak trip. Rob and Megan, friends from Durango, arrived in the morning. Part of the day was spent chatting, sightseeing, and organizing gear. Later, with Dan added to the mix, we gathered at a local brew pub for amazing grub!

Friday, July 26 (Day 11): The soggy day squished some plans, but we all (separately and as a group) found plenty to keep us occupied. Highlights included a film in the library about the 1964 earthquake and its devastating impact on Seward. There was another fine meal of local delights and delightful conversation. Finally, we met at the Kayak Adventures shop for pre-trip briefing. Our impossibly young looking guide, Cole, seems personable and enthusiastic. Excitement level is high. By all appearances, this is going to be a memorable experience.

Saturday, July 27 ( Day 12):  I have dreamed about a mothership kayak trip for well over a decade. Since booking this trip a year ago, it has been a regular topic of discussion. Under those circumstances, reality often has a hard time living up to expectations. We needn’t have worried.

We left town under blue bird skies and the watchful eyes of the towering peaks lining Resurrection Bay.

Along the way we witnessed “bubble feeding” by humpback whales. A pod of whales exhale (blow bubbles) while circling a school of herring. When the fish concentrate, the whales ascend vertically and feed. The description doesn’t do justice. It was magical to witness. We were in awe at the wonder of it. Apparently, this is one of only two places in the world where whales exhibit this learned behavior.

“Bubble net” feeding

And so it went. Wildlife sightings and dramatic landscapes were constant companions. Occasionally, Cole would offer a tasty bit of interp to help us make sense of, or even further appreciate, what we were seeing. Captain Mike would chime in with local history or salty wisdom as color commentator. Mid-afternoon, we arrived at our first anchorage. After mastering the loading/unloading sequence for the kayaks, we set off for a tour of the next bay.

Back in the warm embrace of our mothership, we enjoyed good food and conversation. I asked someone how they would describe this day to family and friends back home. Their response? “You can’t!” Agreed!

Sunday, July 28 (Day 13): After such an incredible first day, what could we possibly do as an encore? We seemed destined for disappointment.  Au contraire! A few miles from our anchorage, the Ailik Glacier awaited. We paddled across the face of the mile wide tidewater glacier, occasionally forcing our way through masses of bergie bits. The thunder of both small and house size slabs of ice crashing into the ocean was almost constant. Harbor seals and sea otters kept watchful eyes on the odd creatures passing through their territory.  Even from our vantage point, it was impossible to get our heads around the scale of the glacier and the titanic forces on display before us. We were so mesmerized, the near constant rain barely registered 

Later, when the tide turned in our favor, we headed back out into the rain,  refueled and refreshed. We paddled south and rode the evening tide into Peterson Lagoon. Low clouds filled the narrow valley as we made our way a mile or so to the back of the lagoon. Cole’s description was apt. Ailik Glacier was a rock song. Peterson was “smooth jazz.” Well said.

The tail end of the flood tide delayed our return to the Starr. When we did arrive, we were in high spirits after another amazing day and great food. The “spirits” continued to flow well into the early hours.

Monday, July 29 (Day 14): Small wonder everyone was reluctant to leave bed this morning. Eventually, Captain Mike served up breakfast and we set forth from our home in Coleman Bay. Today was a different experience. We took our time poking into every nook and cranny along the coast. The intertidal zone is a veritable cornucopia of sea life. Sea stars. Mussels. Barnacles. Kelp.  Sea otters. Sea birds of every size and shape. It never gets old. 

Eventually, we arrived at a small lagoon that served as home to a multitude of jellyfish. I now can distinguish between Moon, Cross, Egg Yolk, and Lion’s Mane jellyfish. Dinner plate size all the way down to tiny quarter sized specimens. The most dramatic features, though, were the towering waterfalls spilling down sheer cliffs. Alaska’s motto could very well be “Go big or go home!”

Tuesday, July 30 (Day 15): After three days in Ailik Bay, our fearsome leader decreed we would pull anchor and set course for Northwestern Fiord. No, that is not a misspelling. It appears that way on charts and supposedly is an acceptable variant. 

The cruise into Northwestern was uneventful. Just more stunning scenery. Miraculously good weather. A single humpback whales entertaining us with full breaches. An interesting feature of this fiord is the terminal moraine many, many miles distant from Northwestern Glacier. At some point in the not too distant past, the glacier extended all the way to this reef. Again, it is almost impossible to ponder the scale. Yawn. Just another day in paradise.

After a long motor, we were all ready to stretch our legs … as it were. Captain Mike dropped us off to paddle while he went ahead to anchor near Erratic Island. When we arrived later, we realized why, after 50 years of piloting vessels, this is his favorite spot. We were not, however, his favorite people when we woke the captain rushing on deck to watch the late arrival of an orca pod. Watch orcas swimming around the boat or seriously piss off the captain?  I feel we “chose wisely!”

Wednesday, July 31 (Day 16): It’s not often you get to kayak in a remote  wilderness. Much less common is the opportunity to paddle beneath three mammoth glaciers in one day. Even more rare to watch as a ten story building size piece crashes into the ocean before your eyes. After today, we all feel incredibly fortunate to say we’ve done those things once! We also felt fortunate to have spent a second evening in this special place.

Thursday, August 1 (Day 17): Alas! Our time was coming to an end! Instead of motoring farther and farther from port, this morning, we made our first move toward home. Bittersweet! Fortunately, we had a memorable day. First, we were dropped off to explore several coves as we made our way seven miles south to reunite with the Starr. In Cataract Cove, we paddled onto the set of Jurassic Park or Land of the Lost. In one corner, waterfalls plunged down cliffs in spectacular fashion. While we admired that, a curious seal kept popping up to spy on us, often just feet away from our boats. We also witnessed baby sea otters being tended to by their parents. They take cute to a whole new level.

Our last paddle involved an open sea crossing to Granite Island. We all agreed Granite Island would make a perfect location for a super villain’s secret lair. The wind chop and swells kept everyone focused on the task at hand. Back in the lee of the island, we took our time finding our home for the evening. Finally, we entered the forty foot wide entrance to Taz Lagoon, took a victory lap around the tiny Cove, and hauled the boats back on deck for the last time. Sigh.

Our constant paddling companion has been a remarkable young man. Cole grew up in Denver. His K-8 education in an adventure/outdoor experience based school seemed tailor-made to produce the curious, competent, uber enthusiastic guide we had with us. His love for nature (and especially moss) was infectious. His knowledge of the flora and fauna – first rate. It was a joy getting to know and spend time with him.

Andrew probably said it best about Captain Mike. If you plugged into an AI generator “salty Alaskan sea captain” and 3D printed out the result, you’d get Captain Mike. His boat was his domain, and you forgot that at your peril – even if you were the paying guest. At the same time, he was always ready with an entertaining story, a joke, or snappy come back. He has a fierce love for Alaska and these waters.

Friday, August 2 (Day 18): We were treated to one more day of beautiful weather as we made our way back to Seward. As we’d done all week, we spent all seven hours watching with awe as the sea and land fell astern.

And just like that, the trip went from the present to live in the land of memories. We took our sea legs ashore, and after heartfelt good-byes, went our separate ways. For Sharon, Dan, and I, that meant catching the evening train to Anchorage.

Thank you Sharon, Rob, Megan, Andrew, and Dan, for making this truly a trip of a lifetime!

Building the Cape Anne Storm

On By KBGearDaveIn Water StuffLeave a comment

I can’t recall exactly when the seed was first planted. It might have been half a lifetime ago when I had the opportunity to paddle a sea kayak on Lake Winnebago. It might have been articles I came across describing epic sea kayak voyages. Whatever the genesis, somehow I got the idea that it would fun and interesting to build my own kayak. I spent at least fifteen years researching the topic – at first reading books, and then doing internet searches. Over the years I pondered all the options. Strip built or plywood stitch & glue? Plans or a kit? How would I really use a boat if I made one? That would have a bearing on the size and design. Finally which designer or company offered a boat that inspired some passion?

Especially in later years, the growth of the internet allowed me to see lots of different boats and and plans from different designers. This really helped me to settle on a design, and a model that truly ‘spoke’ to me. When life circumstances finally allowed me to pursue this dream, I settled on a strip built kayak from designer Vaclav Stejskal of One Ocean Kayaks. ( One Ocean Kayaks – Cape Ann Storm ). His web site offered an amazing amount of information, and the lines of “Storm” model really called to me.

Set Up. After purchasing the appropriate number of western red cedar, pine and redwood planks from a local hardwood seller, I set up the table saw to rip the boards into 1/4″ thick strips. Next I ran them through the router to put a bead and cove on each strip. Once the set up was complete, it took an entire day to prepare all the strips I would need for the boat.

The boards were 10′ long, so I needed 20′ of space to run the boards.
Table saw with extended fence and feather boards.
The router set up. The same bit had both bead and cove blades.
My home made router table and vacuum fence. Cost next to nothing, and worked brilliantly!
The finished product. As you can see, the strips were slightly thicker than the router bit. This didn’t seem like it would matter, but added several hours of sanding down the road.

Construction. I am thankful to the many builders who documented every step of their project. I’m not going to go into that level of detail. My goal here is to give a general overview of the process for anyone who might be interested in understanding what it takes to make a strip kayak. If anyone has specific questions, I am more than happy to share info. Simply email me or leave a message below.

Step 1: The form. Pictures are worth a whole bunch of words

The station plans are cut out and glued to particle board….
…and then cut out.
A long, straight “strongback” is constructed.
The stations are aligned and attached to the strongback. It was a real pain, but a critical step in a getting a properly aligned boat. Notice all the strips to the left.

Step 2: Attach the strips. I used softer pine at the seam between the top and bottom half. The pine bent more easily and provided a nice visual at the waterline. Western red cedar was used for the bulk of the boat. I used a strip of redwood on the deck.

The first strip of the bottom half.
I used a combination of clamps, staples, and shrink wrap to hold the strips in place. Each of the strips was also glued to its neighbor as they were put in place.
During construction, the ends overlapped and extended beyond the bow and stern.

There was definitely a learning curve to efficiently placing the strips…but over all it was an enjoyable process. I really like Vaclav’s plan for finishing the bottom and top. Rather than hand trim every single piece as they came together, I simply needed to get close to the center “finish” strips. You can see them in the last picture. Then using a strip with no bead or cove, I traced a line, cut along the line, and placed in the last piece on either side.

The trips are roughly trimmed just to get close to a center strip. This is the redwood strip on the top.
A strip is used to mark a line.
I cut along the line.
The strip is added giving a nicely finished appearance. I did this on the top and bottom.

Step 3. Finish the ends. For some reason I had a hard time visualizing this step.

During construction, the ends overlapped and extended beyond the bow and stern.
Those overlapped extensions were carefully trimmed and shaped. Several thin strips of redwood were laminated and glued over the bow and stern, and then carefully sanded into shape.

Step 4. Complete the top half. If I were to do it again, I think I would have sanded and perhaps even fiberglassed the bottom before proceeding. That was an option, but I was eager to see the whole boat take shape. I re-worked the stand, flipped the boat, and completed the strips on top.

At this point, the boat was really taking shape.
I placed a redwood strip the length of the topside for contrast, and for ease in finishing the strips.
All done except for the two finish strips.

Step 4. Sanding. With the strips done, it was time to remove all the staples. There are techniques for holding the strips together without staples. I think if I was concerned about building a museum quality vessel, I might consider that. I simply wanted a nice looking boat, and I don’t feel the staples detract from the beauty. Just my humble, yet devastatingly accurate opinion. Once the staples were removed, it was time to sand. Well, actually, I starting by using a block plane. It didn’t take long before I realized my mistake of making the strips a bit too thick. With apologies to woodworking purists, I broke out the belt sander. I followed that with another round with the block plane, and eventually graduated to a long, homemade sanding block. I did lots, and lots, and lots of sanding. Eventually though I ended up with a silky smooth surface.

Step 5. Fiberglass. This was an exciting step. I taped the joint between the top and bottom halves, and draped plastic to protect the half not being glassed. I used 4 oz e-glass on top, and two layers of 6 oz. glass on the bottom.

First of several thin layers of resin. For subsequent layers I used a roller.
Loving it!

Step 6. Cut the cockpit.

The cockpit dimensions are drawn on some particle board and transferred to the boat.
Measure 47 times, then verify a few dozen more times, then measure a few more times…
…and end up with a perfectly sized and placed cockpit hole. Whew!! Super nerve wracking.
Hot glue and white glue a bunch of leftover strips around the perimeter of the hole.
Cut the strips a consistent height above the deck, and place a layer of foam.
Tape and put plastic in place. (Resin doesn’t stick to plastic)
Then put several layers of fiberglass and carbon fiber to make the cockpit lip.

After the resin dried, the ring was removed and attached a bit later. I really like the contrast of the carbon fiber with the wood.

Step 7. Separate the halves and fiberglass the inside. With a little firm love, the top and bottom were pried off the form, and the form was discarded. The insides of both halves were sanded smooth (royal pain) and fiberglassed. The wood was now completely sealed inside and out with fiberglass and resin.

Step 8. Attach cockpit rim and hatches.

I used thickened paste to glue the cockpit rim in place.
The hatches were carefully cut.
After taping, the hatch location was marked and then cut with a jig saw.
The hatch was then taped back in place and a layer of plastic was placed inside the deck. Multiple layers of carbon fiber were wetted out.
After trimming, the rim was glued in place. I ended up with a flush hatch cover.

Step 9. Join halves. It took some more firm love and some BF & I (brute force and ignorance) to rejoin the halves. I used 3″ fiberglass tape inside and out to join the halves. A few layers of resin and it is almost impossible find the joint. 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 10. Varnish. Ultraviolet rays will degrade fiberglass resin, therefore it needs to be protected. I added several coats of good quality varnish with UV protection additives. Not only did this provide UV protection, it gave a beautiful glossy finish. This will need to be reapplied every three years or so, depending on usage and exposure.

Step 11. Fitting out. At this point I actually have a boat, but it needed lots of detail work to be truly functional. 1) Bulkheads in front of and behind the cockpit. This gives two water tight storage areas. The front bulkhead is also strategically placed to serve as my foot rest.  2) Bungie attachment points for the bungy cord holding the hatches in place, and for on deck storage. 3) Carve a 3″ piece of hard foam for the seat. 4) Resin pour in the ends to strengthen the bond between halves and provide a place to attach carry handles. 5) Misc. I’ve gradually made tweaks here and there to improve functionality and comfort.

The finished product.

The christening…a little beer on the bow.
The maiden voyage.
Apache Lake, AZ
Colorado River
This boat is not a garage queen. She was designed and built with just this sort of thing in mind.

Final Thoughts.  You’ve heard it said about some trips that it’s all about the journey, not the destination. This boat was both. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. I was able to lose myself for hours at a time, placing strips, sanding, etc. It might seem like an overwhelming task, possibly beyond your capabilities. But really, building a strip kayak is just combining lots and lots of small, relatively straightforward tasks. A number of people have asked me how long it took to build. I was going to keep track of the hours, but quickly gave that up. It took about 8 months to have a usable boat, and then a few more months to gradually get it completely fitted and adjusted the way I wanted it. If I were to do another, with what I learned on this boat, I feel I could probably complete one in half the time.

It was about the journey, and it was also a joy seeing the boat gradually take shape. And having now arrived at the destination, I have a boat that I love. I love how it paddles. I love how it looks. I love how it fits me perfectly. I love that it can transport me to beautiful locations. If you have even the slightest inclination to take on a project like this, I would without hesitation encourage you to start. Seize the Carp!

Update…2020 Refinish

Odd year 2020 eh? One of the positives of ruined trip plans and isolation is that I had time to refresh my now six year old boat. As much as I enjoy the beauty of it, I determined early on that this was a boat that was going to be used. As a result, it definitely needed some loving. Given the age and condition of the varnish, I decided to do more than lightly sand and recoat. I removed all hardware and attempted to remove all the varnish. In a few spots where there were especially deep scratches, I added some new epoxy. After four coats of new varnish, new deck lines and bungees, it amazingly looks almost like new.