Start of another stripper: Isfjord

I began construction of my second kayak during the winter of 2006/2007.  I wanted something different from the Outer Island, and decided on an Isfjord, a West Greenland design by Bjorn Thomassen.  The boat has more rocker and a hard chine, and with a little more volume would serve more readily for short camping trips.

Part of the plan was to use a store of white pine which Ray, a beloved cousin of mine, had cut twenty years earlier.  He passed away a few years ago and the pine had been milled into 3" X 8" planks, 12' to 18' long, drying in an outbuilding on his property.  Ray, a gifted artist, would have appreciated the kayak, and I was sure it would bring back many fond memories while creating a few new ones.

The picture above is of the stations on m y trusty strongback.  I spent a few months laying up the hull before suffering an unrelated back injury.  Surgery forced me to set aside my plans for over a year, but now, as I approach the winter of '08/'09, I've started up work on the deck in hopes of a springtime launch.