From Instagram | Cape Falcon Kayak

Videos: Some footage and thoughts on the row/sail canoe

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Took the canoe out for another quick row to check the rowing geometry before I start on version 2 tomorrow. Overall, it’s a decent little rowboat. 15’6” long, 42 inches wide, 14.5 inches deep, 60 lbs. Not too much for one person to handle, but big enough for two people and a week of...

A house full of custom kayaks ready to ship

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

A bit of a full house today with 5 new F1 kayaks ready to ship out. Each one is custom sized and outfitted for the user. My longtime friend Tom Moen handles all the commissions these days so I can stay focused on design. Tom is an accomplished boat builder outside of the work...

Our video setup

February 2019July 2023Leave a comment

Like many things, video is one of those places where spending too much money, too little money, or buying the wrong stuff all causes problems. My minimalist tendencies drive me towards the simplest cleanest systems that will allow me to achieve my goals. Slowly I’ve narrowed in on the following setup which is just...

Video: Day 21, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 21, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer. Test sail. Took the boat down to a variably breezy and cold Columbia river today for a quick shakedown sail. Stability is nice, it sits on a narrow waterline but hardens up considerably as you approach capsize. The fullness of the hull towards the ends makes it fairly insensitive to...

Day 20, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 20, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer. Build time: 5 hrs. Spent the morning rigging the boat with all the usual last minute modifications. Set it up, take it down, set it up, take it down. I usually do my initial rigging with cheap polypropylene rope and the once I’ve sailed a few times I’ll replace it...

Well today started out ok…

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Well today started out ok. I went to my buddy’s garage to pick up all the shiny bits and was heading home to rig the canoe when I thought: ‘you know, my dinghy plans won’t be here for another week, I could build the rig in the meantime, I already have some decent fir...

Day 19, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 19, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer. Build time: 5hrs. Finished the replacement oars today bringing the total time for this pair down to 8 hrs, which is an acceptable amount of time. Loving the spruce looms with ash blades, seems like a perfect marriage of weight, strength and toughness. This pair weighs a bit over 3lbs...

Day 18, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 18, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer. Build time: 5hrs. Started working on the replacement oars today, 7’2” long this time. I decided to go for a spruce shaft and laminated ash blades. This gives me a light oar that’s tough in the right places without having to get fiberglass and epoxy involved. I did all my...

A brilliant simple cartop loading system

January 2019July 2023Leave a comment

I just found this brilliant simple cartop loading system in a 1950’s Montgomery Ward Catalog. I’m going to build one next time I own a car. Make sure to check out the second picture. ___ This post was originally featured on our Instagram feed. See the original post and discussion here. Follow Cape Falcon...

Day 17, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer

January 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 17, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer. Build time 3 hrs. In the 3 days I’ve been varnishing Jared is almost halfway done with a new pair of pack canoes. This clearly shows just how much strings, foils, spars, and a gaggle of shiny bits add cost and time to a build. By the time I’m done...

Day 16, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer

January 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 16, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer. Build time: 2 hrs. My level of varnishing experience is clearly visible and that is not a compliment. Ran out of Rapid Clear much faster than expected and switched over to an old can of Z-spar. Luckily I have a few more coats and plenty of sandpaper to get things...

Day 15, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer

January 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 15, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer. Build time: 1 hr. Started the long, toxic, expensive, annoying process of varnishing all the bits. Generally speaking I’m fanatically anti-brightwork for all the reasons I just listed, and on anything but a row/sailboat I just slap a few coats of pine tar/tung oil mix on whatever needs it and...

Day 14, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer

January 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 14, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer. Build time: 5 hrs. Started the day with the boat on the sidewalk and stuffed rolled up beach towels under the sides to get it firmly level. Dropped in the mast step and clamped on the partners and raised the mast. I always leave the two feet above the partners...

Day 13, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer

January 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 13, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer. Build time: 4 hrs Hauled the boat outside for some backyard row testing. I’m trying to set the mast partners so they will do dual duty as a backrest. It’s tricky because you don’t want to be whacking into them in normal row mode but you do want it to...

Day 12. Skin-on-frame rower-sailer

January 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 12, Skin-on-frame rower-sailer. Build time: 7hrs. Made the decision to move the seats, and made relatively quick work of modifying the seating and relocating the risers. Center seat shifted 5 inches aft, stern seat 10 inches aft, very close to my original plan. Feet now land on the subsequent thwart, as it should...