Mikes Kayak launch
Mike Moss has spent the last 14 months building a wooden sea kayak in his garage. (You can see plans here) Whilst that was easy to type, I know that building it was somewhat harder. Just look at the detail in the pictures and you will understand how much work (and love) has gone into making it! In fact it is much more than just a sea kayak .. it really is a work of art! Mike pretty much made everything right down to the carbon fibre rudder and the seats. (although I suspect he bought the red rope)
For those interested, I stole this bit from Mike’s posting at Kayak Forum.com on the wood he used to build the boat. Not only did he put the work in, but he also grew some of the trees used!
“We grew a Paulownia in our garden. Growth rings were 28mm apart. 1 1/8″ or 2 14″ increase in diameter every year. It was soon too big. Paulownia weighs about 320kg per cubic meter. Some strips were a bit furry after routing but all sanded well. The red on deck is Kaikawaka, or libocedrus bidwilli, and is endemic to NZ. It’s very like cedar, but uniform grain without the hard soft of other cedars. There is also Rewarewa, or knightia excelsior in the wave pattern. Pretty, but hard and dense.”
Anyway, Saturday, 3pm on the banks of the Avon, outside Ali’s parents house on Oxford Terrace, the boat hit the water for the first time and was christened “Kaikawaka” (Mike empathized with the boat by putting his leg in the water -it was a “duh” moment). Lots of friends turned out to witness the event and to drink bubbly as is the time honoured tradition of boats and water.
