Boat Testing | Cape Falcon Kayak

Video: Sailing a traditional Greenland kayak

March 2022June 2023Leave a comment

The customer who purchased the recent Greenland kayak had a rather unusual request, he wanted me to make a decorative sail for it. This was oddly serendipitous because I originally modified this kayak for a sail (One of the reasons I added the drop skeg) before realizing that was a BAD IDEA and never...

Video: A few drone clips from the launch of the kayak catamaran prototype

February 2022June 2023Leave a comment

Here’s a few drone clips from the launch of the kayak catamaran prototype. I still need to change the board spacing and modify the attachment system and add a rudder to at least one of the kayaks before we can start rough water and sailing trials. I originally envisioned this as a way for...

First kayak catamaran test

February 2022September 2022Leave a comment

Yesterday I finally had a chance to try the catamaran system on a pair of kayaks. This setup is kind of a worst-case scenario because the bungees aren’t as strong as I normally use, only the back board bridges the width of the kayaks, and one of the kayaks is retrofitted rather than native...

Super informative day on the water yesterday

February 2022September 2022Leave a comment

Super informative day on the water yesterday. I had the opportunity to launch the new 140 pound size LPB and paddle it next to my 165 pound flat-deck sail-modified F1 and a plastic Valley Gemini. The Gemini belongs to Jessi, an avid Seattle area kayaker who built an LPB last year and is planning...

More photos from the LPB saran wrap test

January 2022September 2022Leave a comment

Deep in the video updates and plan edits right now so not much time to post. Here’s a few more photos from saran wrap day that really shows the unique shape of the LPB. This size is 21 1/2 inches wide behind the paddle her and 20 1/2 inches wide at the knees. Back...

Video: A few more clips from the LPB saran wrap test

January 2022September 2022Leave a comment

Here’s a few more clips from the LPB saran wrap test a week ago. This new size is 16’4” long, 21.5 inches wide at the backrest, 20.5 at the knees, and is targeted at 140 pound paddler. I’m overloading it here so I’m sinking the tail a little too deep (I paddle the 22...

Video: Saran wrap test on the new LPB kayak

January 2022July 2023Leave a comment

Ever since the last Greenland design progression, wrapping new boats in plastic and testing them has become standard operating procedure. It’s a bit wasteful but not nearly as much as skinning the boat, paddling it once, and then never using it again. This is my second LPB frame in 2 weeks as I work...

Video: A quick edit from last week’s kayak sail testing

January 2022September 2022Leave a comment

Here’s a quick edit from the kayak sail testing last week. As I get more serious about this project I want to talk a bit about what I’m trying to accomplish here to avoid confusion. Basically this is intended to be an ultra simple downwind/crosswind sail that anyone can build in a weekend with...

Video: Here’s that same kayak sailing video from yesterday shot from the front deck

January 2022September 2022Leave a comment

Here’s that same kayak sailing video from yesterday shot from the front deck. Here I’m demonstrating the effect of the flip down skeg on the sailing performance of the F1, more details on that in yesterday‘s post. I really like making these on the water videos but I think I’m gonna scrap this one...

Video: Making videos about kayaking while kayaking

January 2022September 2022Leave a comment

With my phone mounted on the front deck I’m always trying to make videos about kayaking while kayaking which is a great idea in theory but doesn’t usually work because my brain function sucks so much from the chronic illness that I just can’t speak on demand like I used to! Here’s a short...

Sail testing the flat deck F1

January 2022September 2022Leave a comment

Finally finished rigging the new flat deck F1 and did a little bit of studio sailing before heading out for some real world testing. The Willamette at flood stage with a sewage warning is not exactly ideal but we get so little wind here that I’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity if...

Finally found some time to take the new Greenland kayak out on the water for a couple of minutes

December 2021September 2022Leave a comment

Finally found some time to take the new Greenland Kayak out on the water for a couple of minutes. My first impression is that I LOVE the fit. My earlier version of this kayak was surprisingly comfortable for a true Greenland shape, but this one is even better. It’s still a very snug low-volume...

Video: Flat deck F1 saran wrap test

December 2021September 2022Leave a comment

I wrapped the new flat deck F1 frame in plastic and took it out along with a standard F1 for a comparison. As far as the water is concerned it’s mostly the same boat. Quick, stable, and maneuverable, but I did make a few shaping changes. I moved the entire volume of the hull...

West Greenland Kayak Build, Frame number 3: Second water test

November 2021September 2022Leave a comment

West Greenland Kayak Build, Frame number 3, second water test. After pulling a quarter inch of rocker out of the stern, we wrapped the frame in black plastic and then wrapped it again with the last of my clear plastic which actually ended up adding so much tension that it distorted the frame, but...

Video: West Greenland Kayak Build, frame number 3: First water test

November 2021July 2023Leave a comment

West Greenland Kayak Build, Frame number 3, first water test. (there’s music on this one). I’m not sure I actually got a good sense of the kayak this time out. We ran out of the clear shrink wrap and so this time I bought black wrap to try to reduce the number of distracting...