The
Modern Skin on Frame Kayak
We
are fortunate to have the kayak specimens that exist in museums around
the world. Some designs have been lost but many remain providing
us with insight into their use and cultures of origin. These and
the existing kayaking cultures provide us with a vital link to the past
that allows our progress into the future. It is from this
platform of thousands of years of research and development that we
begin our journey to adapt the kayak.
Materials
A welcome change from seal skin
is the
advent of heavy nylon and
polyester fabrics. Hand sewn and coated with a two part polyurethane,
the finish is watertight, abrasion and puncture resistant, and
beautifully translucent. Kayaks can be tinted colors as
well. Lashings are waxed polyester or nylon. Our wood is
hand selected fir, red and yellow cedar, spruce, and ash. Like
the kayak the wood and skin is fit to the kayaker. A super light
rot resistant cedar frame for lakes and rivers, spruce and ash
for the paddler challenging surf and rocks.
We are dedicated to using salvaged materials and low toxicity
finishes where appropriate and possible. Salvaged wood is often
stronger and clearer than wood available today. Our commitment is
to preserve the earth while exploring it.
Super light
One
of the finest features of the skin on frame kayak is its weight.
At 20 to 35 lbs they can be lifted onto a car with one hand.
Anyone who has ever hauled a 65 lb fiberglass or plastic kayak knows
that the promise of freedom ends at the waters edge. How
delightful to own a kayak you can actually lift.
Durable
If
you run over your new skin on frame kayak with a car it will probably
break, if it flies off your car on the freeway, probably not. If
you attack it with an ice pick it will probably puncture, if you land
it on a sharp stick or rock, probably not.
As
with
any material there are limits although these limits may be higher than
you might expect. Neither skin on frame nor fiberglass can be
more durable than plastic; however, a plastic boat is heavy, often
slow, and prone to deformation. The strength of a skin boat lies
in its ability to yield to impacts. The skin flexes, the frame
flexes, dissipating localized forces throughout the entire boat.
These kayaks are far from fragile and we are always testing the limits,
dragging them up and down beaches, bashing them into rocks, thrashing
them in the surf, loaning them to friends and teaching lessons in
them. The results? So far so good, no serious damage.
Skin on frame provides surprising strength in an incredibly light kayak.
Beautiful
Of
course
you’ll spend hours weighing the pros and cons of design considerations
when deciding on a new sea kayak, and ultimately this should guide your
choices. But we’d be lying if we said that looks has little to do
with it. You want a kayak that is as gorgeous as it is swift and
seaworthy. It is here that we are happy to oblige you. Skin
boats feature graceful sweeping lines, fine woodworking, and a
translucent skin showcasing the framework. Miles apart from
the mass production sea kayak, the skin kayak is visibly
unique. Beautiful on the beach, light in hand, silent on
the water, this is very much a kayak with a soul.
