I build boats and teardrop campers when I'm not cutting wood. Last winter I created my first boat boat design after building a bunch of other double paddle designs. the boat ANYONE can build, Sawfish, DIY kayak, free kayak plan, simple to build, no expensive tools or experience needed, a true instant boat!
I'd like to build a lightweight canoe, been toying with the idea of a skin on frame like the geodesic aerolites Like the above 14' Arrow (19.5 lbs) and the 12' flat-bottomed Nimrod at 14 lbs. If I lived closer to where I could use them, I'd have already pulled the trigger. Still planning on moving to near the Adirondacks someday... likely as soon as my son is off on his own. Of course the other big reason I haven't yet too is I am little worried about being able to carve out the ribs from green oak or something like that. For someone used to splitting wood this would seem like an easy task. But making straight kindling wood of uniform thickness is hard enough, then on top of it trying to make a single consistent piece 3 or 4 foot long seems impossible. Plus I lost my woods I used to cut firewood from, and I don't have anything on my property except spruce and silver maple yard trees.
The original skin on frame builders used bones and whatever drift wood they had. Not quite the design ideal plat Monfort used. I love the way they look, and have done dope and fabric aircraft covering before. I may do a design like that some day.
Last night I launched my latest sawfish kayak, this is actually hull number 4, I started it a couple years ago, but other boats had to be finished first. This is probably the 20 something boat launched. I built it for my aunt to replace a stolen kayak, she gave me my first car, now I can pay her back.
The how to, is found here Sawfish, an Unsinkable, Lightweight, Foam Kayak (23 Lbs). Free DIY Kayak Plans, the Hardware Store Boat: 28 Steps (with Pictures)
