MichiganKayaker.com

Finally, life is great and I am looking forward to a new season of paddling. I am a beer and wine salesman and have every weekend off and every evening.

I just got Volume 1 of Rolling With Dubside and it ROCKS! I have watched it three times and highly recommend it. One amazing thing is that he rolls kayaks that seem "unrollable".

Pick it up a Dubside.net

It's been a while since I made a post. A lot has happened since I started this blog. I ran a retail store in the mall called Steve and Barrys. Thats store is gone now. I worked the last year at Kay Jewelers, but found myself pretty miserable working the mall hours. I finally found a job I like. I have worked the last few weeks at a place called Wicksall.....a BEER DISTRIBUTER!!! It is the best job I have ever had! The people are amazing. The work is hard but fun, and I meet the greatest people every day. One of the best parts is that I get to come home every night and spend time with my family.

With the job changes and stress related to them, there has not been much paddling in my life. I am going to make it a point to go paddling this month, no matter what it takes! Lake Michigan, and the Grand Traverse Bay, have been very warm.

These pics are of my boats getting NO use and my unfinished motorcycle overhaul. Time to get to work, and have some fun!

She is thinking the boat needs a little work.


Hull turned out nice!

Use you teeth, bro.

Were you looking right or left on that one?


A good friend always pays in beer! :)

Ignore the date on the pictures. I don't know how to use my camera!

I launched the Sea Ranger today. The water is dangerously cold right now so I paddled conservatively. I think I will wait for a little warmer weather to roll! The Ranger is fantastic. It is fast and tracks straight. The front deck is low and makes it perfect for Greenland paddles. The cockpit was roomier than I thought and I felt very secure.

I have to say one of the highlights of the paddle this morning was putting the kayak back on the car! Skin on frames are SOOOOOO light. I always dread dragging my boat out of the water after paddling for a while. I am usually tired and then I have to heft it back onto the rack. This boat is a one hand lift with all the gear still attached!

I have found that I think I prefer this type of construction. I am already thinking I will build some more of these. There is mostly assembly time and very little finishing work (sanding sucks).

The two part resin from skinboats.com is fantastic. I highly recommend it!

The finish weight of this boat is 28lbs. If you are currently building one, please feel free to email me at tcqajaq@yahoo.com with any questions.

Thank you Tom Yost for the great design and support while building this. You are a great person who has done wonders for the kayak world. If I am ever out your way I will rent a motorcycle and we can go tear up the twisties!

With that, I am sure Mrs Keller is glad this thing is done!

I am getting excited. The Sea Ranger is ready for the water! I still need to add some small loops for grab handles/paddle catches at the ends and figure my permanent back rest, but otherwise the Ranger is done! The finish weight is 28 lbs even. This boat, by far, was the easiest boat I have built. There is more assembly and less finish work, and for me that means more fun. I decided not to die the nylon and leave that cool translucent look. If it bugs me later or starts to get ugly, I will just paint it. I can't wait to launch it!

The resin was still tacky this morning. It was just too cold last night. I stuck the boat in the living room and cranked the heat up to 80 degrees. That seemed to do the trick! On to the deck!

Sorry about the pic sizes. My phone wouldn't upload correctly. The 2-part resin from skinboats.com was interesting. It has no smell and went on pretty easy. It was a really messy job but resins usually are. It kicked in about 15 minutes so I had to work pretty fast, even though I did it in 40 degree temp. Tonight I finished the three coats on the hull and will finish the deck tomorrow. I hope it is warm out. I expect the deck to be a little more challenging due to the rounded shape.

The kayak became translucent after the poly was applied. I kind of like it that way! One word of warning for any newbies like myself....when you are steaming out he nylon to shrink it, don't let any water run down the sides of the hull. The water made invisible stains that only showed up after the resin was applied. They don't look that bad. I am still real happy with the results. :)