From: kolsen@alpo.casc.com (Kirk Olsen)
Message-Id: <9702131547.AA13668@gemini.cascade>
Subject: Re: Re[2]: building
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 10:47:38 -0500 (EST)
In-Reply-To: <000142CD.001766@imagate1.ucs.att.com> from "Erik Grau" at Feb 13, 97 10:00:14 am
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> Has anyone built a baidarka using the techniques Dyson describes
> in Baidarka (aluminum frame construction)? I'd love to hear details
> of cost, time, and performance.
I've got a Dyson 5.7
As to cost, I intentionally bought everything I would need, tools wise,
to build another. Also the aluminum tubing was a gift so I don't know what
that cost.
I would guess 100 hours for construction time. I'm fairly happy with the
performance - I race canoes and kayaks so I'm finicky. I'm working on
tightening up the skin, the skin being too loose was my fault.
It rolls nicely. It's much more comfortable now that I sit on pads on the
bottom instead of the floorboards I originally installed. It's a blast
in chop, it cruises along the crests of the waves instead of crashing
off the waves like my hardshell kayaks or cutting through the waves like
my racing canoes. George's 5.28 meter hull is probably a better choice
for most people. The 5.7 has a 19 inch beam and it's a bit tippy.
Scott Newell tried my baidarka after paddling around in my wife's nordkapp,
which has a 20.5" beam, and he noted that it was a quite a bit tippier than
the nordkapp.
kirk