ORCA 17 Finished

[zeuson]

All,

I finished my ORCA 17 and floated it yesterday. It was very tippy, becuase I don't know much about kayaking!!! After reading up a little today I took it out and had a great time. It wasn't near as tippy and I felt very comortable in it. Now it seems pretty stable. I will take it out and roll it in shallow water with someone near by (want to see what that is like and get convidence I can get out if I inadvertantly roll). I have some pictures but I don't know how to put them up on the board. Right now it is all white. I figured before I took the time to give it a nice paint job I would get the scratches and dents from learning out of the way first. I built it qucikly and cheaply. I used West epoxy and exterior 1/4 inch plywood. I have both bulkheads in and I glassed the bottom and the top. It is kind of heavey, but built like a rock so I have a lot of confidence in its' ability to handle this beginners rough handling. For me it seems to paddle quite easily, so I am very pleased with the design and how it turned out. I also built my own rudder pedals and rudder. When I figure out how to put pictures up I will post them.

Ken[/img]

[MadRus]

Would love to see pictures. One important tip for when you roll it, don't panic, and when you exit upside down, slide out as controlled and smooth as you possibly can, otherwise, you're likely to get a real bad bruise across the thighs.

[shawnk]

can you get back in if you roll? or is this boat capable of an eskimo roll? i'm curious because i was going to build one for fun, but i would also want to play arould in the coastal waters.

[bobbo]

I would say you can definatly roll this kayak back to the upright and seated position, there may be some boats that are difficult or impossible to right such as some sit on tops or hybrid type kayaks. It's very important skill that eskimo roll thingy but once you get the technique righting yourself with just your arms should be no problem (great if you lose your paddle). Getting back in can be a little tricky in deep water(after you bail all the water out).

Bob

[zeuson]

I have the pictures on my computer now, but I don't know how to post them here. As soon as I figure out how to set up my web page on cox.net I will do so and post them.

Ken

[Charlie]

I've seen a lot of S&G kayaks but never one made from anything as heavy as 1/4". How about giving it a ride on a bathroom scale so we know what "kind of heavy" really is. I only weigh 143 so anything over 55 lb. is out of the question.
Charlie

[jacquesmm]

The designer, Evan Gatehouse, specifies 4 mm or 6 mm.
Experienced kayakers should build the light version but if this is your 1st kayak, it makes sense to build her with the thicker plywood.
You have the choice.

[Evan_Gatehouse]

And some 6mm plywood is heavier than others (like BC pine) v.s. okume


As far as rolling, you will need:

1. Well braced thighs. Closed cell foam (Ethafoam backpacker's sleeping pads work well) glued with contact cement to the underside of the deck. Shape to suit your thighs.

2. A spray skirt (so the boat doesn't flood)

3. A mask while learning so you can see what you are doing

4. A friend to re-right the boat when you blow the roll.

Try to find a description of the "extended paddle roll". Whitewater boats, with small volume and lots of rocker roll easily. Sea kayaks do not and require a bit more technique. Your hip-snap matters - the boat has to come up first and your torso should follow along later.

I know how to roll but always intended to use a paddle float to recover and re-enter. It's much more reliable I think in real world conditions.

[anonymous]

Check around your local paddle sports shops. They'll have the locations of rolling lessons....usually in an indoor pool with instructors, which is the best and safest way to learn the technique.

If you're an oaf like me, you'll get the technique but still need plenty of practice to make it work consistently.

If you're in shallow water, as in less than 5' deep, add a WW helmet to the list of items required. Practice your re-entry too.

[zeuson]

All,

Finally figured out how to get pictures up. I put some in a gallery called Orca 17. I think this url will work: http://gallery.bateau2.com/index.php?cat=12473

Forgive the paint and finish job. Didn't want to spend too much time on that until after I learned how to kayak.

As a beginner's it seems to be pretty good. My 16 year old son tried it Saturday and did great. Better than I did!

Ken