Re: Stripper Kits

Posted by CLC on Jul 23, 2007

Chapter-and-verse is as follows:

"CLC-Guillemot strip-kayak kits include CNC-cut molds, complete no-blush epoxy kit, rolled fiberglass, precision-milled bead-and-cove cedar strips in light, medium and dark colors, minicel foam "tractor" seat, Rapid Pulse kayak backband (three-point adjustable), Keepers footbraces, hardware, drawings, and hatch and deck rigging as required. Cedar strips are eight feet in length. (Longer strips are available at additional cost.)"

Generally speaking, most of these kits are being made to order. We've had a lot of success with a strip color mix of about 33% light and 66% medium and dark, which seems to capture most strip design ideas. We'll just be doing strips in western red cedar and atlantic white cedar for now.

Nick's strip kayaks use a "spine" strongback system, with a relatively small-sectioned beam running down the center of the molds, rather than the older ladder-frame scheme. We've devised a slick CNC-cut system for the strongback beam.

All 8-foot strips. Strips longer than that have become extraordinarily expensive to ship in recent years, whereas butt joints in strip boats are really easy. If you have a pattern requiring full-length strips, scarfing is easy. (A lot of folks do that already on Shearwater Hybrids.)

While Nick's plans are really well done, the Guillemot line of strip-planked kayaks assumes some facility with woodworking. You might want to build a stitch-and-glue boat for practice unless you feel comfortable with plans and a lot of joinery.

Certainly a copy of Nick's excellent book would be a good way to get a feel for the process. I remember dashing out to buy it in about 1997.

In Response to: Stripper Kits by Woodie/Myron on Jul 21, 2007

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