East Greenland Kayak Build, Day 3. Tying on the keel, stems, and stringers. (Turn on the sound!)
I usually work a longer day on the third day of the build so I can get the keel and the stringers on the same day as I bend the ribs. Like I said yesterday this helps to smooth out the shape while the ribs are still slightly pliable.
After checking to make sure the ribs are the right height (or in this case not checking that!) I peg a handful of the ribs into their mortises and tie on the keel.
The twine that I’m using here is flat artificial sinew, which is just waxed polyester, and the stringers are tied on with continuous lashings. Some people worry these might break in use, but in 20 years I’ve never seen that happen.
The stem to keel joint is scribed in place and then cut to make a perfect fit. The original stem joint on these kayaks was much more elaborate, consisting of the gunwale tips, a lower piece generally carved out of the keel, and an upper piece, all three of which were interlocked with hook scarfs. I built one once just for the heck of it and it took me all day. There’s a picture of it somewhere back in my feed.
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