Baidarka building

I'm building a skin on frame Aleut Baidarka at the Skinboat School in Anacortes. The first step is to try out a variety of kayaks to see what characteristics are suitable for my purposes. The width plays a big part in the roll stability and the length and rocker affect the tracking and maneuverability of the kayak.

I paddled all of these (and dumped the red one getting in) and opted for stability over speed and good straight line tracking over maneuverability. The green one was closest to what will meet my needs.  I'll mostly be paddling up and down Saratoga Passage and going in fairly straight lines.  Mine will be slightly shorter, but the same width.

Back at the shop I started taking the roughed out parts and sanding them to final shape.

These parts will form the bow and stern assemblies, and frame the upper deck. The frame pieces are cut from naturally bent branches of cedar so the grain follows the shape of the part.