Click on the images for a larger version --->>>>
A small piece of wood called Abarki is placed on the hull form. This is done both for the bow and stern of the kayak to create the strongest structure.
Choosing the wood.
- Abugatanga – (mahogany) from South Africa – this is the wood you can see on inside and outside of the kayak.
- Kaja – (mahogany) This wood is between the outer and inner wood of the kayak.
- Abarki – the long wood strips in the picture. This is a structural layer residing in between the other layers of wood.
The wenge wood – an extra strong kind of wood which we put around the cockpit and the back and front of the kayak.
Each hull is made with four layers of wood. This is the first layer: each layer is between 0.6 and 1.3 millimeters thick (1/16" of an inch)
The cockpit area receives special attention as this is the most visible and open area of the kayak. This is also an area that is under high structural stress, therefore each layer is set and glued. Fact: half of the weight of a kayak is glue and varnish which is absorbed by the wood. To fit the wood to exactly match the hull contour requires a lot of detail work.
After the lay up is completed, the hull is set into a vacuum bag and brought to a negative pressure (vacuum) of 7 bar (like being 70 meters under water!)
The bag with the hull is then set into the oven, for aproximately 1-1/2 hour. By this process all air is extracted from the wood.
This is the first part of the finishing process. The hull is first sanded and then lacquered/varnished before the final assembly
The two shells of the kayaks receive the final fitting before assembly
Detail of the seat area and seat rails
The two shells of the kayaks (hull and deck) are assembled. This is when final hull controls occur.
The hull and deck are sanded
The extra strong wood Wenge is layed around the cockpit.
Finishing touches and quality control of the overall set-up. The Wenge wood is fitted to the bow and stern.
Sanding the hull and deck exterior to a extra-smooth finish is the first of the final finishing steps.
Five layer of laquer/varnish are applied to the hull and polished
After each layer of polish/laquer is applies the hull is scraped of the excess material
This is done FIVE TIMES. The result is a perfect smooth hull surface without ribs or imperfections. This along with the hull design is what makes our boats go FAST like no other. The secret to a perfect hull is CRAFTMANSHIP and attention to details.
This is the final polishing of the boat.
