Today (5/7/20) I launched my Yukon (18’x 20.5”) designed by Nick Schade.  The build took 235 man-hours spread over a ten-month period.  The boat was built with 3/16” strips on the hull and 1/8” on the deck (WRC with Alaskan Yellow accents).  The strips and forms were purchased as a special order from CLC.  The interior was glassed with 4oz S-glass (C0427S) and exterior is 3oz tight weave E-glass (C0338) both from US Composits.  The bulkheads, cockpit recess and coaming assembly were all built with 3mm Sapelle plywood.  Bare hull weight is 31.2# which includes the three rails required to mount the Stellar foot brace.  Fully rigged, the boat weighs 36#.

I will write a more detailed performance report once I get sufficient miles on the boat, but I was quite happy with my five-mile paddle today.  The boat is a bit more stable than the Mystery and certainly more maneuverable.  I did not paddle hard because I have a race this Saturday, but at my all-day pace (heart rate ~130-135) the boat seemed just as fast as the Mystery.  During one brief (1/4 mile) full power run, the Yukon appeared to be a solid 0.2 mph slower than the Mystery.  I believe that this will be an excellent boat for long (15+ mile races) and for racing in the USCA Sea Kayak Class.  I had originally planned to race this boat in the 20 mile BLBF race end of May, but with its cancellation I guess I will wait for the 24 mile race in Knoxville in August.