The Greenland kayak design and construction methods have been perfected over thousands of years and millions of hours of use in the most demanding conditions; and has brought their paddlers safely back to shore time after time again, sometimes though even the worst open ocean storms. Every joint and design feature adds to the strength and durability of the kayak, while also keeping them amazingly light, just 20 to 30 lbs depending on the size. For example, lashed hull joints, mortised and pegged rib seats, screwed together deck assembly make the frame strong. Light enough to easily carry to the water without help, and place back on the car alone, even when you’re worn out. They are as much fun to use as it is a pleasure to look at.

The modern skins of these boats are made from tough 8oz ballistic nylon fabric. After this strong fabric is stretched and hand sewn over the hull’s frame, it is dyed to color, and shrunk to a drum-tight wrinkle free fit over the frame. Finally the skin is saturated with three coats of a special two part polyurethane sealant, developed specifically for sealing the skin of kayaks. This leaves the skin waterproof, completely smooth, strong and yet flexible with a glossy varnish-like finish.

Some people worry that this skin is fragile and will puncture easily. However, this is not the case. I can demonstrate for you that the skins on my kayaks are extremely tough and nearly puncture-proof. If there is some accident, the skin can easily be repaired.

I use the same kayak designs and basic construction methods used in Greenland for thousands of years. To improve the strength of the kayaks, I use screws to assemble the decks rather than mortise and tenon joints or wooden pegs. I use nylon "artificial sinew" for lashing together all the joints in the hull and stems. I also use epoxy where a strong glued joint is useful. With a visit to my shop, you can look at a frame and see just how well built and designed these kayaks are.

A Monkcraft kayak is custom built to order based on the ancient anthropometric system of kayak design, which bases the boat’s dimensions on your body, so that your new kayak perfectly fits you and your intended uses for your boat. Further considerations help create a boat perfect for you, such as:

• Boat length, based on your height and intended use of the kayak
• Beam, based on hip width, weight and desired stability vs. speed and efficiency
• Hull volume and height, build a high volume cruising boat, or a low volume narrow fast boat
• Hull shape and type - do you want a stable flat bottomed kayak, a V bottomed double chined sporty kayak, or a rolling kayak?
• Custom dyed skin color
• Bow and stern stems - can be sculpted to whatever shape and style pleases your eye and your taste. Look at different pictures of kayaks on my website, or on others, pick out the ones you like the best, and I can built that into your new kayak.

Most people do not know just how strong skin-on-frame kayaks really are. Fiberglass and wooden kayaks are brittle and fragile compared to the skin-on-frame kayaks. An impact that would crack and shatter the hull of a fiberglass kayak will simply bounce off of a skin-on-frame. A grounding that would badly scratch either a plastic, wood or fiberglass kayak does little damage to the skin-on-frame kayak because the skin can flex out of the way. You can drop a skin-on-frame kayak onto the ground and it will just bounce, where a fiberglass kayak may take serious damage. The plastic kayaks are literally bomb proof, and there are no other kayaks that are stronger. However, they weight over 60 pounds making them slow and unresponsive on the water and very difficult to transport. Don't forget the fact that plastic and fiberglass kayaks are made from 50-60 pounds of toxic materials that will be in the environment forever. Plastic kayaks are also ugly to look at. Skin-on-frame kayaks feel alive on the water, due to how they subtly flex and react to the water, and due to the fact they are made from mostly organic materials. Plastic and fiberglass kayaks feel hard and dead. If you try paddling a skin-on-frame kayak, you will agree that they feel alive, and feel much more rewarding to paddle.

 

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