To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
From: Bram van der Sluys <bvdsluys@direct.ca>
Subject: Re: baidarka 'Yaks for little'uns
Message-Id: <E11TfJ9-0001zN-00@cheddar.direct.ca>
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 22:51:12 -0700
If you remove a station or two you will adversely affect the shape. If you
want the same body plan (cross-section shape) you should keep all the
stations and reduce the spacing between them equally. This will create a
shorter boat but with the original depth and width.
Bram
At 09:45 PM 9/20/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Thanks a lot for your thoughtful response. It does seem that perhaps a
>full-size (or almost full-size) is the way to go.
>
>When you did scale down, is that exactly what you did? Scale it down? Or
>did you leave out a station or two?
>I guess that what I'd like most is the magic kayak that my 9 year old
>daughter will want to paddle.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: David Keefe <lamoille@sover.net>
>To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net <baidarka@lists.intelenet.net>
>Date: Friday, September 17, 1999 10:26 AM
>Subject: Re: baidarka 'Yaks for little'uns
>
>
>>I've only built one boat, a scaled-down version of Putz's, 11'9" x 18".
>>Decided on this size because I had three kids (5, 6 & 9), because I figured
>>it would be less work as a first try and warm-up for a full size, because I
>>had lumber for it (the length was determined by materials at hand), and
>>because disappearing into the shop for several hours on a Saturday was way
>>more politically acceptable w/ spouse if it was "for the kids".
>>
>>I've had paddlers from 3 to 10 use the boat. They really like having
>>control of a whole boat to themselves, and it moves very easily, so they
>>don't have to be strong. My boys are now 8 and 10, and they can paddle the
>>kayak at least as fast as I can paddle my solo canoe (a high-volume,
>>not-intended-to-be-fast one). It seems to be most well-suited to paddlers
>>about 50 pounds. Paddlers about 70-80 pounds can use it, but it's a tight
>>fit and starts to get tippy. The smaller the paddler, the more stable it
>>is. Kids tend to wonder about tipping over before they start, and stop
>>worrying about one minute after they start.
>>
>>If you go with something scaled-down, you might want to increase the height
>>of the deck to accomodate bigger feet. Foot size seems to be the limiting
>>factor, and the bigger kids have to paddle barefoot. I'm considering
>>altering my boat in that respect this winter. If I take it apart, I'm also
>>going to install some foam blocks for floatation, and try to use them to
>>fill in some areas where foot entrapment might be possible.
>>
>>If I had it to do over, I'd build it bigger. One advantage of the light
>>weight of skin kayaks is that it takes less power to move them. You've
>>already seen that your boys can paddle the full-size version without much
>>trouble. I think I'd try to size it for five-foot-tall, 100 pound person.
>>That way, it would be usable for anyone from your six-year-old (by the time
>>you get it done) to a small adult. Kid grow really fast. When your older
>>son outgrows it, maybe the two (or three) of you could build a full-size
>>for him together.
>>
>>The Greenland (Putz) style may be the best choice for kids, since it has
>>good initial stability and doesn't feel tippy. For what it's worth, my
>>full-size will be Aleutian (Brink) with traditional lashed construction,
>>rather than glue & screw.
>>
>>If they're going to be paddling on lakes that have power boats, paint the
>>kayak a bright, visible color. Mine is chartreuse (a bright greenish
>>yellow). My wife is a color-smart artist, and she suggested it. I was
>>very hesitant at first, but it looks great and is very visible in a wide
>>variety of light conditions.
>>
>>----------
>>> From: Michael O'Flynn <moflynn@sd23.bc.ca>
>>> To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
>>> Subject: baidarka 'Yaks for little'uns
>>> Date: Friday, September 17, 1999 12:48 AM
>>>
>>> Greetings to all after some silence on my part.
>>>
>>> We took our Putz-style boat (is that a Greenland style?) out several
>>times
>>> this summer (I'm kind of a leisure paddler...), and I was very pleased to
>>> see my 5 year old take to the 17 foot boat like his 8 year old brother.
>>> Both are very confident in the water and love taking the boat out.
>>>
>>> I'd like to know some people's opinions on down-sizing Putz's boat to
>>suit
>>> the boys better, or should I just leave it full size, and make it a boat
>>> they'll be able to keep, rather than one we'll eventually give over?
>>>
>>> I'm not in any screaming hurry to start, but one of my students _finally_
>>> "took up the gauntlet" and decided to build a boat using my
>>frames/stations
>>> and "vast knowledge." He tried my boat on the water last Friday,
>>pronounced
>>> it "sweet," and "beautiful," and asked when he could start.
>>>
>>> Personally, I found it very frustrating when I'd finished my kayak that
>>> instead of saying, "Wow, that seemed easy, I'd like to build one," that
>>most
>>> students said, "Wow, that looks really hard, I couldn't do that."
>>>
>>> - Michael O'Flynn
>>> Technology Teacher
>>> KLO Secondary
>>> 3130 Gordon Drive
>>> Kelowna, BC V1W 3M4
>>> ph: 250-762-2841
>>> FAX: 250-762-4537
>>> e-mail: moflynn@sd23.bc.ca
>
>
>