One Boat

One year to the day and the kayak is now one complete shell. It was a push to hit this goal, but the boat is now together. The first picture shows all of the ropes that I used to pull the deck and hull together. I tied loops of ropes and then used a stick to twist the ropes and tighten the loops like a tourniquet. One big tip, Guillemot suggest tipping the boat on end and pouring epoxy down the tip to seal the bow and stern. A WAY easier method is to just seal the last 12" of raw wood before you put the two halves together and don't worry about pouring epoxy in the ends.

The second picture is of the latch for the hatches. Securing the hatches seems to be be bane of any kayak builder. Installing 3 big black straps across a nice piece of woodwork, as a hold down, is a crime. The latches I'm building will have a toggle on the top and the hook and slot shown on inside. We will find out if it is a convenient and water tight method.

QOD: Latin Phrase: In Vino Veritas. Meaning, in wine there is truth. I found this phrase in the cabin log books that my dad left us for capturing our adventures at the wonderful log cabin he left his 7 children in trust.