With the stringers tied on and the end plates in place, I turn my attention to finishing the deck and cleaning up the frame.
The front of the cockpit is supported by a curved framing member called the ‘masik’ that sits low and tight across the paddler’s thighs. Ideally this should be fitted with the paddler present to ensure a tight, but not dangerously tight, fit.
On many West Greenland kayaks the masik is paired with another lower deck beam in front that supports the deck stringers, but I choose to build it as a single piece because it lets me keep the original lines and tight fit, but with more comfort and safety for the paddler. Cutting out the rib beneath the heel also helps reduce the entrapment risk. This modification is common on many historic Greenland kayaks.
The deck stringers float in an angled pocket mortise cut into the masik. This non-traditional joint is the only precise woodworking in the entire kayak! It’s not hard to do and would probably be even easier if I actually sharpened my chisel.
With the frame complete I clean up any sharp edges and liberally apply a coat of danish oil. Truthfully, this step has very little functional value but it makes the frame look pretty, which seems like as good a reason as any to do it.
I’m very careful to wipe the frame and sawhorses dry so no residual oil bleeds into the nylon skin.
Build time on this step: 5 hours
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