While I was writing my first book The Strip-Built Sea Kayak, Ted was writing this book, and I knew it. At that point Ted already had his wildly successful bible on the subject, CanoeCraft, out for nearly 15 years and he was a vastly more experienced builder than I was. I don't know what he was thinking, but for me it was definitely a race. I wanted my book to come out first.
I'm glad it did, because KayakCraft is such a good book that it would have been an uphill fight to get any recognition of my book after this one came out. This book shows Ted's mastery of the woodstrip technique of building and his experience teaching folks to build boats is evident in his clear descriptions of how to do each process.
If you are building one of the kayaks from the Bear Mountain Boats collection, this is obviously the first book to choose, but regardless of what woodstrip boat you are building there will be information in this book that will make you a better boat builder.
Ted sent me a copy of this book when it came out (about a year after mine) with the following inscription:
Aren't we glad there is more than one way to skin a cat. Nice to be in a business that teaches people to make things & have fun. Wishing you the Best oof all good things.
I feel very privileged to work in a field where people are so generous with their knowledge and experience. If you want to tap into that a bit, you should buy this book.
Included in the Book:
- A good
- A very good chapter on kayak design by Steve Killing.
- Offset tables for 4 kayaks:
- Endeavour 17'
- Resolute 16' 6"
- Venture 14'
- Reliance 20' 8"
- How to set up your shop
- Preparing your materials
- Setting up the forms
- Doing the woodwork
- Doing the fiberglass/epoxy work
- Outfitting the kayak
- And final varnish and finish work
- $19.95
