My first big paddle.. 10.5 miles on Graham Lake, Mariaville, ME.

Jacks Photos
Shawns Photos

[photo credit: Jack Heddon]

Thanks to everyone that visited this blog during the construction. The comments were helpful, encouraging and entertaining. Thanks to everyone from the CLC forum, I’ll post there and thank again. I have 272 construction/first float photos in a gallery for those so inclined to
view them. Here is the Slide Show link. And for the not so devoted… the thumbnails and photos.

I’ll now consider the kayak completed… I added one more coat of varnish and the deck bungee’s.  They’ll always be the “additional” coats of paint, varnish.. for now.. its time to paddle.

You know what those white specs on the rocks are don’t you??  Un-huh… it’s begun.. the first paint has been deposited.. I might wait a couple weeks before i add that last coat!!

There she blows.. christen’d the Compass Rose with a one person audience.. Because I’ve done nothing but build a kayak this spring, this is actually my first paddle of the year!  I was a bit rusty.. the craft felt ‘twitchy’ but i think I’ll get used to the secondary stability in time (hopefully shortly).

Air temperature: 55F
Water temperature: 55F (thanks for the concern Ron)
It took some adjusting, (foot braces, seat, backband) but I think I’ve got my position nearly zeroed in.  And its fast.. I didn’t have my GPS with me, (no deck bungees) so I couldn’t ‘clock’ myself.. but it skimmed the water and hardly pushed any water in the bow. (hey Jack, those hatches didn’t leak!)

The skies finally closed up.. after several days of rain.. its now only overcast and the last sprinkle for the day has hit the ground… i “tossed” the new project out on the lawn for its first Photo Shoot.  Still a bit naked (no deck bungees), it looks simplified. (why isn’t that lawn mowed anyway!!!)

Tomorrow, May 20th, after 30 days of construction and 68 hours of labor…

I plan to have a christening and a launch, in overcast skies, for the Compass Rose. (Then its back to the shop for another coat of white  and 2-3 more coats of varnish)
So here she is.. all seventeen feet of her…  (still yet to see the sky).

Added the Compass, the Back Band and the glued the seat together (but not in).. also added some rope handles on the bow and stern.

I masked the white paint line off… and added the first coat of Interlux Schooner Varnish.. I like this stuff.. even smells ok.

Finished up with the Moby Latches.. I used 1/4″ bungee and they seemed to have a nice Rat Trap sound to them…. and added the foam tape (not shown).