This isn’t a great video but here’s a quick preview of the new flatter deck modification for my modern kayak designs. From the gunwale down this is just a standard F1 built in my size, quick, nimble, stable, basically an SOF SUV, but the front deck exchanges the bold central stringer for a pair of lower ones.
How do I feel about it? There’s upsides and downsides. The flatter deck reduces the forward cargo area and a spare paddle doesn’t fit nearly as cleanly on the front deck. On the other hand the two deck stringers make a convenient mounting surface for all sorts of accessories and the flat front deck will hopefully allow me to catamaran two of these together.
Psychologically it feels like a much lower volume kayak even though the hull, cockpit, and foot area are identical.
This isn’t actually the kayak you’ve seen me working on here but rather a slightly different one that I had Tom build to proof the instructions we are going to add to the plans (Tom builds all of our commissions and honestly does nicer work than I do!). I don’t really need this kayak for anything, it was just a step in the process so I’m putting it up for sale for $300 less than the normal price just to get rid of it. So if you’re in the market for a brand new F1, (sized for 170lbs, will work for 155 to 185) let me know. (Kayak has sold)
I’ll post the kayak I’ve been working on tomorrow.
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