KAYEL canoe plans

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roger

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Bear with me I'm new to this forum and this may be an inappropriate posting. Some 40 years ago I had plans for a Ken Littledyke designed one man touring Kayak made from a couple of sheets of thin plywood. I cannot find these plans on the net at all. Can anyone give me an address - please?
 
Hello Roger,

Can't help specifically, but have you had a look at the Fyne Boat Kits Site? There may be something there that would interest you? Sorry can't be of more help.

Best, Charlie.
 
Hello Roger,

Further to my previuos post, there are a couple of Kayels for sale at the Portsmouth and District Canoe Club (A Sea Otter, and a Cub)...........

The P&DCC have a website.

best, Charlie.
 
Many thanks for the replies. I did look at Ottersports but, being mean, the prices put me off - £280 up for a kit seemed a bit steep.
I have found some other plans available on the net but most are for Canadian canoes.
I do remember the Littledyke canoes as being easy to construct, and cheap, requiring typically 2 sheets of 6mm. ply.
I must admit I havent looked up the price of ply.
I do remember Ken Littledyke saying (at a canoe building conference) that he reckoned external rather than marine ply was good enough and would last a reasonable time.
Unfortunately that was forty years ago -Ah well, back to the zimmer frame.
 
Ha, Just saw this again & remembered our first canoe efforts - ooh lets see nearly 50 years ago - lovely spruce framed jobs covered in grey & green rubberised canvas, what a distinctive smell. Actually quite light initially ('till they got waterlogged) but very bendy. Note subjected to much abuse with 2 or 3 up but great fun was had.
Eventually went the way of all good things, holed, patched / perished / broke / bonfire night.

Go on, buy the kit, think of the long winter nights
 
Ken Littledyke sadly passed away a few years ago after retirement from the then manufacturer of Kayel Kits, Granta Boats, Ramsey, Cambs. I worked with Ken at Granta selling Kayel kits and Granta's GRP range and can say how much I liked Ken and his wonderful designs - I feel the future may see a resurgence of interest in Ken's "Stitch and Glue" technique as GRP is derived from the petrochem industry and greener products will eventually be required - apart from which they look great and are light! Many thousands of boaters got their first taste of boating after building one of Kens designs. Quite apart from this aspect of Kens life he was a Great man, a good Christian, slow to anger and quick to forgive, a true gentleman in every way - he was never bitter over the fact that his concept was used by others to make a good deal of money, but that was Ken. I often wondered if Kens designs had been saved or archived, there must be many sets of plans out there. They out to be saved and protected in his memory.
Ken Littledyke - Sadly Missed - progressivedave
 
Have a look at LakeSailors pics of the outriggers he's building for a trimaran on Lake Windermere. Very similar stitched ply.

I'll pm him to look at this thread in case he's missed it, so he can post pics here.
 
Ah Yes. I made these from 3mm ply stitched and glued with epoxy.
I've had a lot of help from Hugh at http://www.fyneboatkits.com/trolleyed/index.htm

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