Well, what a hoot – he made it happen! Fairly thick sheeting at .040” [1mm] and yet only comes in at 39 lbs for a 12-0 [3.90m] x 32” [711mm] kayak. [An okoume kayak would probably be a bit lighter but its all in the same neighbourhood]
The buzzing welding sound would have driven me crazy but you have to give credit for the amazing work of having to reclamp for every spot weld because of expansion – wow. Interesting clamping methods of using magnets and outside tiny forms [bent pcs] to help panel alignment while welding.
I think cross bending of deck panels might have been difficult using the techniques that he used elsewhere where he could concentrate on one spotweld at a time and move to the next, but he did stitch to frames so maybe could have used that approach. Next time I guess
I kinda like the idea as I’ve often thought that it would be a joke if I built one of my ww s&g out of acrylic pseudo diamond plate glassed both sides and this guy did almost the same thing for real.
Free plans from yakayak.net - fortunately chose this one amongst some oddities:
the 'shorty':
Only a coaming upstand so I think it might be problem with slicing you thru the waves . . . .with emphasis on the “slicing you”.
quite the back support too.
Anyway, gotta love it, Brennen Kunka rules!
