Kayak
building classes
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Building your own kayak is a fun and
rewarding experience. The
scale and cost of a kayak places this
goal easily within reach. At Cape Falcon Kayak we work
VERY HARD to design the best skin-on-frame kayaks you can buy or build
anywhere. Because we build a large quantity of kayaks per year
(about eighty) the process is highly refined. The synergy between
student and teacher and the ability to instantly incorporate new ideas
allows these kayaks to grow in a way the feels alive. You will
learn to trust
your own sense of balance and symmetry as you and the kayak grow
together. Woodworking skills are not needed and all materials are
supplied. We can
accommodate up to 5
students at our workshop 10 miles outside Manzanita. Kayaks are
built in 8 day intensive blocks. The class runs seven eight-hour
days and one four hour day.
Course
introduction, click here
"Hi
Brian, just wanted to touch base, to say how much I enjoyed the
class! It was a lot of fun and we had a great bunch of
guys. Lots of laughs! I loved the skin on frame
construction. You really have the process broken into manageable
daily task. I still can't believe we did it in 7 days!
After building strip boats, this is the speed of light. Monday I
took the F-1 out on the Deschutes River. I have a 5 mile loop I
paddle for exercise. I can do a steady 3.5 mph upstream and about
5 mph downstream. Today I went to a high mountain lake with
friends. Pictures are being forwarded in a separate e-mail.
We did 8 miles total. On flat water I can cruise at 4 mph all day
or push it up to 5 mph for a short burst. This is almost as fast
as my 17' Pygmy. The F-1 is more maneuverable. I really
like the cockpit! It feels comfortable hour after hour. The
simple foam seat bottom (and floor mat) is very comfortable and makes
it easy to clean out the dirt and mud that typically get tracked into a
kayak. The adjustable foot pegs are great. I wish I had
these in every boat I paddle. I really expected to do a fair
amount of work to make the boat comfortable. Not necessary!
Again thanks for a great class and a great boat!
Regards, Chuck."