Custom boats:
Lightweight, beautiful, durable and perfectly fitted to YOU.
With literally thousands of Cape Falcon Kayak designs being paddled all over the world, our obsession with skin-on-frame quality speaks for itself, and whether you decide to buy or build we will always give you honest advice on choosing the right boat for your needs—even if it’s not one of ours! Check out some of our customer feedback here.
Most people start by asking about the durability and lifespan of a skin boat. The short answer is that the overall durability is very similar to a standard carbon/kevlar fiberglass boat. For a more detailed explanation check out our Skin on Frame Durability Video on YouTube or scroll down to view it on this page.
The next common question is color. We current use earth pigments exclusively to color our boats, because they are colorfast and actually looks better as they age. The pigment particles suspended in the coating also help to reduce UV damage, making the coating last longer. Check out our color chart for available options.
To commission a custom skin boat, start by sending an email to brian@capefalconkayaks.com with your height, weight, inseam, which design you are interested in, a bit about you and your goals for the craft, and any questions you have.
You can stick with one of our standard lay-ups for a nice balance between weight and durability, or we can go lighter or heavier depending on your specific needs. All of our boats come in a variety of sizes and can easily be customized further to accommodate for individual needs. Typical kayak weights vary from 25 to 40 pounds, depending on size and options. Canoe weights vary from 19 to 60 pounds depending on size, options, and number of paddlers.
Once you’ve decided on a design we’ll take a deposit, get you on the schedule, and start building. We are happy to take photos of your boat being built, just ask! Generally speaking we try to finish custom orders within 30 days, and if it’s going to take longer than that we will tell you before you commit.
We build custom boats in Chicago, Illinois and Portland, Oregon, and will typically try to assign your build to the craftsman nearest to you to reduce travel or shipping costs. You can pick it up in person or we can ship it to you using KAS transport, a small boat specific shipper. KAS has several trucks circling the country and shipping times depend on where they are at any given time. We can get you a shipping cost and time estimate before you commit. We change a $75 wrapping fee on shipped boats and make sure your boat is well packaged to prevent damage!
Pricing
Custom Kayak $2800
Kayak Frame Only $1700
cover it yourself or install it as art, we can also make 1/2 scale models!
10-12ft Pack Canoe $2000
13-14ft Pack Canoe $2200
Full size Solo Canoe $2600
Standard Layup and Additional Options
Kayaks: Our standard kayak layup includes Western red cedar longitudinals, white oak ribs, a double-lipped coaming, 9oz ballistic nylon cover, 3 layers of 2-part polyurethane tinted with earth pigment plus a liquid keel strip, suspended seat, floor mat, stern rub strip, foot braces and backband (obviously), leather end grab loops and deck straps with toggles (bungee back deck optional), and foam thigh hooks.
Canoes: There are many layup options for a canoe, tell us what you want to do with your boat and we can make suggestions.
In addition we offer the following add-on options:
–
BRASS BOW STEM BAND: $50
Available on the F1, F2, and LPB, brass stem bands provide extra wear protection at the bow. Not usually necessary, but helpful for people who crash into things a lot or people who like to run their boats up onto the beach on every single landing.
–
STERN DRAIN PLUG: $40
Exactly what it sounds like. Requires additional framing in the kayak, hence the price.
_
UNDER-DECK PUMP CLIPS: $15
These folding pump clips mount under the deck ridge directly in front of you for the perfect place to put your bilge pump. You won’t even notice it’s there until you need it.
–
PERIMETER LINES: $50
Perimeter lines add extra safety in rescue scenarios. You can also easily add these yourself with hardware we sell by following our Perimeter Line video on YouTube.
–
EXTRA COATS OF POLYURETHANE: $50
Adds more durability, but also 1lb more weight per coat. We recommend 1 extra coat for boats that will be used roughly, and 2 extra coats for expedition boats.
–
RUDDERS
Our kayaks are designed to perform very well without a rudder, but if you have a special need for one (such as in a sailing kayak) we sell rudder kits that are skinboat-specific with skinboat-specific installation instructions.
–
ARCHED ART DECK: $50
Available on the F1 or LPB, this option raises the deck behind the cockpit by one inch, making it easier access to camping gear, but sacrificing the functionality of a flat back deck. I personally wouldn’t opt for this unless I was going on frequent multi-week trips. For camping up to one week the normal configuration works fine.
Watch: How Durable are Skin-on-Frame Boats
Watch: Adding Color to a Skin-on-Frame Boat