Show us your canoe or kayak

[fireflyr]

Those are awesome kayaks! What is needed for maintaining the wood? Do they also have wood frames and are they heavy compared to fiberglass or plastic? What's the pulley device on the rear of the longer one? Sorry for all the questions, but you mentioned you built them and they just look serious for paddling.

They are built from plans by Chesapeake Light Craft and don’t really require any maintenance. Construction is mahogany ply with 4 oz fiberglass over the hulls. My Pax weighs less than 25 pounds and the 16’ boat is about 30 pounds. Really light, fast boats. The rudder assembly on the pax is operated by foot pedals. Nice in a wind.

 

[fireflyr]

Here’s a triple CLC Chesapeake I built with my oldest daughter for her senior project 25 years ago. 21’ long and weighs about 75 pounds.

It came off the roof of the truck in Montana at one point and broke the last 3’ off of it. We repaired it with epoxy and re-decked it with old growth redwood and cedar.

With 3 people paddling you can damn near get it up on plane.

 

[TRDdrew]

I live about 40 mins from Chesapeake Light Craft, I've had the pleasure of paddling some of their demo boats and I love to build one, one day. For now kayak fishing is a big passion so here are a few of my boats

feelfree - lure 11.5
Jackson - BigRig
Native watercraft - Slayer Propel Max

Wife paddles a Jackson Coosa

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Took the little Pelican out on Auke Lake last weekend. We're finally getting some summer weather here, with temperatures reaching the 70s. We paddled the entire perimeter of the lake, which isn't really much. Here are the lake stats: "It has a surface area of approximately 165 acres and is fed by five tributaries; Auke Creek is the lake's only outlet. The lake is about one mile long and 0.75 miles wide, and has a maximum depth of 101 feet."

 

[vtl]

13 ft Meyers Sportspal on Caniapiscau Reservoir in Quebec. Survived MA winter without problems

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I had so much fun surviving on Caniapiscau Reservoir in Quebec in 2024, with its giant temperature drop overnight (from 80+ to 40-), storm, 4 ft waves, and fuel/ food/booze shortage that I decided to build a custom rig that will challenge the weather and take me even further away from truck than I was able to do in 2024. For the record, it was 4 days driving up north from Boston, 9-10 hours a day, and then 50+ miles on the water. One way.

The idea is to convert my 13 ft aluminum canoe to trimaran. I've got the Expandacraft 12' outriggers kit last summer:

Didn't like aluminum beams, replaced them with 1.500 X 1.500 X 0.065 stainless steel squares that are better suited for repeating loads. Also not sure about 2'x6' aluminum planks. They need reinforcement for my configuration. I may go ahead and build my own platforms, side to side, so that I could pitch my solo tent and sleep right on the boat (another checkmark in life). Need outriggers and platform for more cargo load. Will take lot more gas, lot more food and booze and warm clothes next time. And a sauna tent

My baby motor (Suzuki DF2.5S) took the beating well, but it was hugely underpowered for the boat. Max speed recorded was ~5.4 NMH (nautical miles per hour). During the storm the speed was less than 4 NMH.

For the long range solo trips I bit the the bullet and got a 6 HP Tohatsu SailPro. SailPro version has propeller blades with more surface area, as well as smaller pitch. Theoretical speed is not as high as standard Tohatsu has, but it has lot more thrust. It is twice heavier, because it uses lot more metal than the little Suzuki uses. Also external 3G tank comes as standard. Refueling the tiny 0.3G tank on Suzuki, in 4 ft waves, on a swamped canoe, sucks.

The transom takes only 3 HP outboard, I'm in in the process of seriously reinforcing it. Also need to raise the motor about 5".

Hit the 5 pics limit...

 

[vtl]

Killing the outboard is always a risk. Where I'm planning to use it, a dead engine is a warranted S.O.S. call and a following costly rescue. For a long time I was torn between buying a second baby Suzuki, or a bigger outboard plus... sail! Decided on the latter: a bigger outboard + sail. Got a canoe sail kit from sailboatstogo, with superheavyduty mast and 45 sq.ft sail.

Can't say I like everything in it. It is fine, but where and how I'm planning to use it, it needs lot more meat. So I'm in the process of adding that meat to the boat.

While the plywood glue settles, I'm training to shout ARRRRR and drink rum straight.

 

[JLawson]

Built this many years ago when I was single. Now married with a dog so the single kayak doesn't get much time on the water.

 

[Godwin]

Two Dagger Legends, two Mad River 14' boats, and a pair of Mohawk 15' solo white water boats.

 

[Godwin]

Getting in some field work this week with a couple of nights of light camping and paddling, except for the low water. Boats were some Old Town plastic kayak, and a late 1980s Mohawk Rogue which is more of a white water boat. Good weather, good water where deep enough, and quiet time on the stream, with the 80 as the support vehicle.