Notes on the first edition
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The Aleutian Kayak, Online Edition
Notes on the first edition
Terminology
The first edition of my book The Aleutian Kayak was based primarily on what I knew of the Atkan kayak in the Hearst museum. When I referred to traditional baidarkas, I was generalizing from this particular model to all models of that era. Whether this generalization is justified I don't know, but I am guilty of it.
Stability
Baidarkas built according to traditional dimensions tend to be less stable than suits a lot of people. The narrow hull and deep vee bottom of the traditional baidarka made it well suited to rough water especially when carrying ballast. But when paddling it empty, a lot of people would prefer more stability. So I would suggest that if stability is your goal, then you might make your baidarka a little wider, something like 24 inches.Cockpit Configuration
In the first edition, I suggested that you could have a 24 inch long cockpit coaming and use the back of the coaming as your back rest, the front of the coaming as a knee brace and deck beam number 3 as a foot brace. I have since realized that this is impossible for most people. If you set up a 24 inch cockpit so you can lean on the back of it and have deck beam 3 positioned so you can brace your feet against it, deck beam 4 at the front of the cockpit will be somewhere forward of your knees for most people under six foot four in height.Some people taller than five foot nine and especially people whose knees don't bend back have a hard time getting into a 24 inch long cockpit. I therefore suggest a 26 inch long cockpit for anyone of taller dimensions. I can't give exact recommendations but if you are at all in doubt, do some measuring to see whether you will fit into your cockpit before you commit to locking everything in place and covering it with a skin.
Skin Materials
Cotton skin in a fresh water environment has a relatively short life compared to synthetic skins. I know of one builder whose cotton skin has lasted him 8 years in a saltwater environment. But in fresh water expect to do some repairs after two years and replacement after five years. That assumes frequent use and a humid environment. I have switched to synthetic skins on my own boats. I have used both nylon and polyester. Nylon is easier to work with because it stretches. Polyester is harder to get wrinkle free and requires the sewing of darts and shrinking with a heat gun. But nylon has a number of negative qualities.
Lumber
Although some people have success with light lumber species such as Western Red Cedar (wrc), my own use and that of some of my students is such that we tend to crack this material. Wrc is brittle, with short fibers and tends to react to impact by cracking. I prefer to use stronger wood such as Douglas Fir for applications such as hull stringers.
Keelson
In the first edition, I showed how to build a traditional keelson in three parts. This approach has some merit, but adds more complexity than is worth it unless you want to get the feel of a faithful replica. Doing the keelson in one piece is simpler and doesn't change performance in any way that is noticeable to me.
Ribs
In the first edition, I advocated round ribs spaced 4 inches on center. I now use flat ribs spaced 6 inches on center for the most part since they are less work. However, if you have the inclination and patience to gather your own twigs then bending round twigs into ribs can be quite enjoyable.
Rolling
A traditionally configured baidarka can be rolled by someone who knows how to roll, though not as readily as say, a Greenland kayak. Two things consipire against ease of rolling in a baidarka. The first is the high backrest that makes laying back difficult. The second is the long cockpit that you tend to fall out of when inverted. I have found that you can roll a baidarka well enough if you slide forward until your legs are locked solidly under the deck beam at the front of the cockpit. Being slid forward, you can also lean back enough to execute a halfway decent layback roll.
Some people improve the rollability of a baidarka by lowering the back deck which allows for a shorter raked cockpit coaming. The downside of this approach is reduced storage capacity and less back support. Personally, I don't think that this modification is worth the effort unless you are really in love with the baidarka hull shape but want to roll like a Greenlander.