Fuselage frame boats : a guide to building skin kayaks and canoes

NOW WITH METRIC OFFSETS! Tired of struggling with that heavy plastic kayak? Are you looking for a lightweight boat but not willing to take out a second mortgage to buy it? What if I told you that you could build a boat weighting less than 35 lbs for $300 to $500? You can and in my new book I will show you how. This style was very popular in the 1950's and 1960's and many boat plans appeared in magazines such as Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. Even though it is no longer fashionable in the magazines, the fuselage style of construction is still probably the most cost effective way to build a small boat. Recently I have seen a renewed interest in this type of boat construction. People are rediscovering the advantages of Fuselage style Skin Boats. Fuselage frames boats cost very little to build. A sheet of marine plywood, a lightweight wood such as cedar for the stringers, a few yards of a synthetic fabric for the skin and something to waterproof the skin. Materials for a basic 17' kayak cost around $300. Adding a seat, deck rigging and adjustable footrest would add another $100 to $150 dollars depending on your preferences. For somewhere around $400 you can build a high performance, 30-35 lbs boat. A composite construction canoe or kayak of similar weight would cost thousands of dollars. This book will walk you through the process of building your own Skin on Frame canoe or kayak. I start by addressing the space needed to build a boat as well as tools needed. There is a detailed section on laying out the frames from a table of offsets. Progressing to how to assemble the frame, skinning the boat and through all the steps to preparing your boat for launching. Included are offsets for three of my boat designs. The StoneFly canoe, Curlew, a 15' Sea Kayak and new sea kayak design Pouco Barta. Tired of struggling with that heavy plastic kayak? Are you looking for a lightweight boat but not willing to take out a second mortgage to buy it? What if I told you that you could build a boat weighting less than 35 lbs for $300 to $500? It is not only possible, it is relatively easy using fuselage frame construction. I am not talking about a boxy looking boat that paddles like a barge either. These are sleek looking craft with great manners that you will want to paddle. Skin on frame boats are believed to have been around for thousands of years and have proven to be an excellent way to build a boat. The fuselage frame is a more recent adaptation of the original skin on frame boats and this method of construction dates back at least 100 years. n my book will walk you through the process of building your own skin on frame canoe or kayak. I start by addressing the space needed to build a boat and the few tool that are needed. Then I go into detail on laying out the frames from a table of offsets. I show you how to assemble the frame by lashing the members together rather than using epoxy, all about skinning the boat and the rest of the steps up to launching. CHAPTER THREE 19 CHAPTER ONE_ 8 7 CHAPTER TWO_ 15 11 CHAPTER THREE_ 24 19 CHAPTER FOUR_ 40 34 CHAPTER FIVE_ 52 43 CHAPTER SIX_ 67 57 CHAPTER SEVEN_ 77 68 CHAPTER EIGHT_ 93 87 CHAPTER NINE_ 108 104 CHAPTER TEN_ 113 108 ADDENDA_ 125 117 Speaking good boat 9 7 Shop space and tools. 13 9 Tools. 13 9 The strongback. 14 11 Setting up the strongback. 15 11 Setting the brackets. 16 12 Stringers. 20 15 Cutting stringers. 20 15 Scarf joints. 20 16 Scarf jig. 20 16 Gluing the scarf joints. 21 17 Understanding coordinates. 25 19 Table of offsets. 26 20 Laying out the frames. 27 21 Kayak fanny beams. 33 27 Floorboard notches. 34 27 Canoe frame layout 35 28 Canoe floor notches. 35 28 Gunwale/Inwale notches. 36 30 Fishing rod rest 37 31 Canoe seating. 38 31 Full size plans. 39 33 Cutting the frames. 41 34 Building bow and stern assemblies. 42 35 The fantail stern. 43 35 Coamings. 46 37 Cutting the plywood coaming. 46 37 Assembling a plywood coaming. 47 39 Building a laminated coaming. 49 39 Coaming lip. 51 41 Finishing the coaming. 51 41 Curlew.. 53 43 Bow and stern offsets. 55 44 Curlew brackets. 56 46 Poco Barta. 58 47 Poco Barta brackets. 61 51 Stonefly canoe. 63 52 Bow and stern offsets. 64 53 Stonefly Offsets. 64 55 Sports,&,Outdoors Sports & Outdoors Tired of struggling with that heavy plastic kayak? Are you looking for a lightweight boat but not willing to take out a second mortgage to buy it? What if I told you that you could build a boat weighting less than 35 lbs for $300 to $500? You can and in my new book I will show you how.

This style was very popular in the 1950's and 1960's and many boat plans appeared in magazines such as Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. Even though it is no longer fashionable in the magazines, the fuselage style of construction is still probably the most cost effective way to build a small boat. Recently I have seen a renewed interest in this type of boat construction. People are rediscovering the advantages of Fuselage style Skin Boats. Fuselage frames boats cost very little to build. A sheet of marine plywood, a lightweight wood such as cedar for the stringers, a few yards of a synthetic fabric for the skin and something to waterproof the skin. Materials for a basic 17' kayak cost around $300. Adding a seat, deck rigging and adjustable footrest would add another $100 to $150 dollars depending on your preferences. For somewhere around $400 you can build a high performance, 30-35 lbs boat. A composite construction canoe or kayak of similar weight would cost thousands of dollars.

This book will walk you through the process of building your own Skin on Frame canoe or kayak. I start by addressing the space needed to build a boat as well as tools needed. There is a detailed section on laying out the frames from a table of offsets. Progressing to how to assemble the frame, skinning the boat and through all the steps to preparing your boat for launching. Included are offsets for three of my boat designs. The StoneFly canoe, Curlew, a 15' Sea Kayak and new sea kayak design Pouco Barta.