North Alaskan Kayak Frame Build, Day 3: Laid out and shaped the full size gunwales today for both boats. The wood I’m using is pine purchased from Reclaim NW. I was grateful to find this at a salvage yard, because these kayaks wouldn’t have been as authentic with cedar or fir and also I just feel like a replica should be salvaged wood.
Those of you who know me from years back know that my preferred method of reclaiming wood is to chase it down in a kayak with 400 feet of old crabbing line, a PFD full of log dogs, and a 20 Oz framing hammer. Tenacity, times, and tides would get it to a boat ramp where we would haul it out for chain or bandsaw milling. Unfortunately, my body won’t do that these days so places like Reclaim NW fulfill a little bit of my lust for salvage wood.
These particular pine boards were milled in 2001 and then never sold due to the housing crisis. It’s nice wood, pretty straight and not many knots. Planes and carves nicely which I appreciate because there’s gonna be a lot of hand carving on these boats!
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