This page will show photos at various stages of the construction of a kayak. To purchase one of these kayaks go to www.solitaireboats.com Michael will handcraft a boat to your specifications.
Early stage
This shows the shear clamp attached to the molds and the stems being glued up.
The first five strips
This is the first five strips (1/8") in place. You can see them attached to the stern stem.
Ten Strips
Now there are ten strips (5 1/8" and 5 1/4') in place. The 1/4" strips are concave and convex on each side to accommodate the curve of the hull and add more strength.
Ready to trim centerline
One side is complete to the centerline and ready to be trimmed. Once the line is cut, the other side is continued up to meet in the middle. Each piece is cut to fit from here.
Sanded hull
The strips are in place and the hull is sanded.
Epoxied
A coat of epoxy is applied and ready to be sanded.
Glassed and epoxied
The hull has been fiber glassed and epoxied. Yes it's ready for sanding!
Sanded
Sanded and ready to be taken off the strong back.
Ready to be decked
Right side up and ready for the deck strips to be installed.
First deck strips
The outer edge strips are in place and the walnut accent is aligned.
Deck on
All the deck strips are in place, sanded and ready for epoxy.
Epoxy and witing for it to set
The epoxy has been applied and waiting to set. In about 24 hours it will be ready for sanding.
Deck glassed
The deck has been sanded and now the glass and epoxy have been applied. The glass needs to be trimmed.
Partially sanded
The inside of the hull has been partially sanded. The deck will need to be sanded as well. Once they are both sanded, they will be epoxied and glassed. Then they will be joined together.
The deck and the hull are joined
The deck and the hull are now together. Notice the screws around the deck. These will come out before the epoxy is fully set.
Nice lines
The screws will be removed. The deck and the hull will be held together with epoxy. A little sanding and then the cockpit and hatches can be cut.
Cockpit outline
The cockpit lines are drawn and ready to be cut out.
Cockpit and hatches cut out
Cockpit and hatches cut out and bulkheads in place. The bulkheads will need to be epoxied and installed.
Building up the coaming
The cockpit coaming is being built up. The layers are epoxied and clamped.
