Kayak is finally Done!

Posted on By Mike No Comments on Kayak is finally Done!
Kayak Building, Sabalo 12 MK1

Took the winter off. Garage was too cold and just didn’t have the mood to work on something we couldn’t use right away. The warm weather brought about some excitement to finish this project off and I ended up leaving it a little late.

Lets get it out of the way. Full boat shot

Colour goes quite well with our SUP.

Love the colour of the Epifanes 2 part polyurethane paint/varnish. The white we actually did 3 coats and than a coat of clear with a white pearl mica powder mixed in and than 1 more clear on top. The bright side is just 3 coats of clear.

The Epifanes was really easy to apply and I’m hoping the extra effort of going with the two part will give a long lasting finish.

Love the reflection of the rocks in this shot. Did I say the Epifanes 2 part paint was glossy?
Looks fast, is fast. Ez keel guard was not easy to get on, and a couple spots have issues, not sure if I will use it on the next boat

On this day it was really windy with 45km/hr gusts. The waves weren’t too big as we were in a small bay. However I did manage 8.5km/hr upwind and 9.5km/hr down.

I would’ve liked to had some more initial stability. The point to which the kayak rolls before it starts to steady is a little un-nerving for the little one and my wife who are used to extremely stable kayaks. Our other 2 Kayaks are a Hobie Tandem with similar length but I think 34″ beam. And the Advanced Elements Convertible which is a tandem inflatable that is rock solid.

In the 1.5 Tandem setup. The rear seat slides back along the rails, and there’s enough room for the two of us. Seemed to be trimmed pretty well. I’m about 185 lbs, and shes 39 in this photo if your wondering about capacity.
T Tracks allow the seat to slide forward and back to help trim the Kayak depending if its to be paddled solo or with our daughter in front.

The seat is really comfy, but I might look for somethign that lowers the center of gravity a bit for extra stability. The hexagon grip pads are great, otherwise the finish might be a little slippery when wet.
Rear shot. What do you think should the paint have gone straight across the stern? I couldn’t decide.
Father Daughter covid project complete!
Went with the magnetic hatch cover. However it will need some modifications. The magnets are not strong enough to push the weather seal down enough so its not flush anymore. Also since the gap is larger with the seal the magnets are not as strong. I’m not confident to drive down the highway with the hatch on. Also if we did flip the kayak I have a feeling the weight of the things inside could push the hatch open letting everything out.
I do love the wood grain pattern up there though. I actually cut out this piece with that pattern in mind.
Paddle holder design. A couple small pieces on the side as a rest, and a couple pieces inside to hold the bungee. Easier to get on/off than on our Hobie even.
Rear storage. Yes some white dripped down the scupper. Just too lazy and anxious to get it done. 5 foot rule! Had to make special wood spacers to mount the rod holders otherwise the recess is not deep enough. I guess thats the problem of extending the cockpit.

I do love the Maroske fittings and how clean the bungee looks.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.