Here’s a 9ft long (2.75m) Kiwi Kayak Lobo my friend Ted just gave me.

I’ve used lots of kayaks and canoes but none this short. It’s clorox bottle plastic but pretty light. Looks big enough to fit me but I haven’t tried it yet.
The bottom is dished in a bit. Might try to fix it or might just try it as is. I’ve seen some pretty lumpy boats do OK.

Especially since my plan is to try sailing it with a small sail rig using this pool stick for a mast. Some tiny sprit rig, lateen or leg-o-mutton sail should really move this mini-boat.

Need to figure out a mast step and support, maybe attached to the footrest support. And some type of primitive simple rudder and lee board.

Paddle is very light with carbon fiber handle, and the blades are canted or feathered for efficiency. Hope it’s long enough though, short ones get you wet.

Charity thrift store cue stick was too curved for pool but fine for nautical work. Unscrews for packing.

I’ll sort it out and try paddling it before I attempt to sail it. Web opinion on the Kiwi Lobo’s stability is generally good-but some do report swamping it.
I expect paddling it to be pretty slow and difficult given what it is…a cheap, rugged, $400-500 starter boat. But sailing it might be a blast. Thanks Ted.

And now for something not entirely different, Uncle John’s Piroge boat kit.

I believe I paid around $60 for this Uncle John’s Pirogue boat-in-a-box kit back in the mid-oughties. I always wanted to try building it-maybe conning my woodworker dad to do most of the work, but it hasn’t happened yet and he’s 92 now.

Easy as 1-2-3, all you add to the kit is two 1/4″ (6.35mm) plywood sheets, 14 ft (4.25 m) of 1x4in (25x100mm nominal) lumber, fasteners and paint. And of course ‘one weekend’s’ labor.

All bits are numbered for easy assembly. You could easily make extra ribs to make the length from 13 to 15 feet.

If done right these Uncle John’s pirogues can turn out beautiful and work very well in thin waters.

I guess I never built it because I always had a boat to float me and didn’t need to. But one of these days…

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