New design for 2024

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New design for 2024 ~~~~

Hatch Cove Kayak

Easy-to-Build | stable and ultralight | Cartoppable

SPECIFICATIONS

LOA 13' 8" | LWL 12' 11”
Beam 32" | Draft 4"
Depth amidships 12”
Bare hull 45 lbs | Capacity 300 lbs or 1 ppl max

Clint has teamed up with David Wyman of Castine, Maine to create this new recreational kayak kit. David Wyman, a Professional Engineer and Naval Architect, wanted something he can use to continue paddling well into his 80s on his lakefront cottage as well as move to the ocean in the bed of his mid-size truck. Clint wanted a stable, comfortable kayak that he can use on saltwater rivers and bays, and as a non-paddler, a kayak he felt comfortable getting in and out of!.

With lines refined for moving efficiently through the water with one adult, she is both fast and stable - not a common dual trait in kayaks. This is accomplished by careful placing of underwater volume and creating a smooth flow of water around the chine.

David Wyman drew the kayak for himself and with Clint’s feedback and knowledge of kit development. We couldn’t be happier about the results.

“I’m really pleased with how my kayak paddles - she goes well, she is dry, stable and relatively easy to build with the kit system - the boat comes out perfectly and I use her all the time.”

— D.W., Castine, Maine

Hull #1 being paddled by a Katy Nicketakis on Toddy Pond in Blue Hill, Maine.

The Hatch Cove Kayak is built from 4mm planking with 6mm frames utilizing the tab-n-lock system that has become a trademark of our kits. This allows for a more traditional build approach without the need for a strongback. The kayak is vee-bottom with a garboard, all stitch-and-taped, and a sheer strake that is epoxy-glued-lapstrake for classic looks. And it turns out the lap makes an incredible rail for knocking down waves and spray.

What you will feel right away in this boat is how light she is - surprising for a wooden boat! Many folks don’t realize that these cheap, plastic boats actually weight a ton! Plywood and epoxy will always result in a lighter boat if designed and built properly without any sacrifice in strength. Despite amazing tracking ability - you will notice that the Kayak just points ahead and goes - she will also spin around at rest and is quite maneuverable for a boat that tracks so well, something Ben Fuller (die-hard paddler) noticed when he took her for a spin. The cockpit can be personalized quite a bit as there are many options on the market for seats. Of course, there are any number of ways your paint scheme can be planned to make this truly your boat.

We do have thoughts that this boat can be stretched to make her longer but also scaled down a bit to make a more kid friendly (or small adult) boat, so if there is interest in this please let us know!

Complete kit contents for the Hatch Cove Kayak

plywood kit | timber kit | hardware kit | epoxy kit

The Hatch Cove Kayak kit is composed of a few sheets of 4mm Okoume for the hull and 6mm thick plywood for the structural parts such as frames. The timber kit uses select Spruce for gunwales and hardwood for a few trims.