Gonna build me a kayak

My friend Mark Ware told me about some wooden kayak kits you can purchase and then build yourself. I was instantly interested in this, and decided to look into it right away. Reviews and proximity to Vancouver quickly led me to Pygmy Boats from Port Townsend Washington.

Pygmy’s website has a lot of information on thier boats, and I went through their catalogue looking into which models might be suitable for us. Initially I thought I could build a kayak for Mercy, and if it turned out okay I could later build one for myself. The basic goal is to develop a sport/activity that Mercy and I can enjoy together, and I know that Mercy loves sea kayaking.

After a few phone calls to Pygmy, I decided that the Tern 14 was a good boat for Mercy. It sounds like the larger boats would be too big for her. However, the Tern 14 can pack something like 80lbs of gear, which makes it a good choice for day trips and overnight trips. The Tern 14 might also be enough boat for myself as well. Later on I guess I’ll find out. I’ll either end up with a second Tern 14, or perhaps the Tern 17 or Coho.

Anyways, I’ve created a new blog category called “Tern 14” and I’ll try to update this as much as possible with boat building information. Here’s the link to the category. For those more internet savy, here’s the rss feed for building a Pygmy Tern 14.