A new generation of kayak builder

Advice
#1

My 13 year old daughter has just begun building a kayak of her own. This is the same daughter that some of you may remember, learned to roll a couple of months ago:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJcZiW3gWqw



Anyway, she’s been bugging me for quite some time now to build her own kayak. Until a couple of weeks ago, I worked in a paddle shop and would bring home many, many different sea kayaks from several manufactures for her to paddle on short and long trips. I even offered to buy her a kayak of her own but she refused the idea, saying that she wants to build her own boat. She’s pretty fixated on the idea of paddling a wood kayak that she’s built herself.



So a few days ago, she started building a Bear Mountain Magic kit. The Magic is 18’2" in length and 22 1/2" wide. It’s a fairly high volume fast touring kayak – exactly the type of boat that my daughter likes to paddle the most.



She’s decided to do some customizing to it to make it uniquely her own, and she’s come up with a very cool idea that will definitely turn a few heads – but I can’t tell you what it is – you’ll have to follow the build to find out.



Her build is being documented on the wcp site:



http://www.westcoastpaddler.com/building/thumbnails.php?album=17



There’s also a discussion about her build project in our forums in the Boat and Accessory Building section – please feel free to drop in and offer her any building tips or words of encouragement.



Dan (a very proud paddling Dad)



http://www.westcoastpaddler.com


#2

Very cool!
What is she wearing? Some kind of smock made of tyvek? I would have saved more than a few t-shirts on my build if I had something like that.

#3

Very cool indeed.

#4

Wonderful!
Great reason to boast a little - the grups done good here. (Nice wood shop too)

#5

You can be proud of her today and
in the future you will cherish the memories the time you spent with her on this project. When I think of the time I spent with my daughter on projects when she was growing up I just wish I had done more.



In addition to the joy of the time you spend together, teaching your daughter how to use tools and make things will be very valuable for her. The father of one of my daughter’s friends bought an old junker for his daughter’s first car, then they spent a year rebuilding it together into the car of her dreams. I wish I had be that wise and competent.

#6

Exactly!
Yes, it is a Tyvek smock. I used to work at Clipper Canoes and the guys in the back wear them. The owner gave me a few of them and that’s what Maddie’s wearing (although they’re a bit big for her so she has to use a belt). They definitely keep the mess off of your clothes. Not sure where you can buy them – perhaps at Home Depot or some other similar type store (maybe in the painting section?).



Dan



http://www.westcoastpaddler.com


#7

Future job offer right now ; 0
Look out man … I was 12 when I discovered all the fun stuff you can do with fiberglass and resin. 32 years later and still messing around with it.



If she decides to go to school down here please know she has a part or full time job with us if she wants it. Welcome to stay in our Ohana house too.



‘summer school’ Learning boat building in Hawaii … LOL.



I am soo happy for you man !



My little guy ( 2.5 ) already knows to hold a rudder blade up to the light to see how it looks once it pops out of the mold. He started saying on his own one day … " WE made this. "