Kayaks in the Plans - new concepts



	The "Kayaks in Plans" page is the home of experimental models and resized versions of existing One Ocean Kayaks designs.

		Cape Ann HV - Efficient, large volume touring kayak for large paddlers and 'expedition' gear loading.
		Expedition Sport - High performance touring kayak for medium weight paddlers
		Storm LT - (light) High performance cruiser for small to medium sized paddlers
		Storm SLT - (super light) Lightest cruising kayak for smaller paddlers
		Choosing a kayak - a few considerations and tips about selecting the right type of kayak to fit your size, skill and paddling style. Some points about kayak seaworthiness
		Kayak comparison page - see how all One Ocean Kayaks designs compare in size, wave resistance and viscous (friction) drag.

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Kayak Design specs... The stuff that actually tells you something	Storm LT - 16.25' x 21.5" ( 4,95 x 0,546m) The Storm LT is a scaled down version of the Cape Ann Storm, designed to fit ideally small to medium size paddlers (under 6 feet/ 183cm). The hullform and the overall shape of the kayak are virtually identical to the CA Storm. I reduced the length of the kayak by a whole foot and lowered the overall deck height to give the paddler secure knee bracing as well as good "paddle to deck" clearance. You will find this kayak very responsive, maneuverable and easy to turn even in the winding channels of tidal marshes and small bodies of water such as ponds. A cruising kayak of this length can also be easily paddled in the flow of slower rivers. Installation of a skeg or rudder will improve tracking on open waters and in rough conditions. The reduced length as well as the surface area (relative to the Storm) will speed up your building time, lower material cost and make construction easier, especially in areas where space is at a premium.
	Design Features
Kayak Building Plans	Virtually identical to the Cape Ann Storm. The lightweight Storm LT hull has the second lowest total resistance (after Storm SLT), making it one of the fastest performance kayaks in its displacement category. Front cockpit depth of 12" (30,48cm) makes for sufficient knee/foot space and rear cockpit depth of 9.25" allows easier back lean and rolling. Optimal performance @160 lb (73 kg) paddler and gear weight. Average kayak weight 38 to 45lb ( 17,27 - 20,45 kg)

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Kayak Design specs... The stuff that actually tells you something	Storm SLT - 15.5' x 21.5" ( 4,72 x 0,546m) This is the lightest and smallest kayak model in the fleet. Like the larger Storm LT is designed for the intermediate to advanced paddler or a beginner with the desire to grow into a performance kayak. The Storm SLT will be the ideal kayak for day cruising on the smallest of lakes as well as the open sea. The length of the waterline (14 ft) will make this kayak also suitable for 'play in the surf'. I recommend a skeg to enhance tracking in difficult wind and open sea conditions. Paddlers searching for a very light, simple to build kayak that is easy to paddle, carry as well as load on a car will find the nimble Storm SLT a great match.
	Design Features
Kayak Building Plans	Just as in the StormLT, most of the design features are derived from the Cape Ann Storm, In this case, however, I have sharpened the bow entry and extended the stern keel in order to balance the maneuverability of the 14 foot waterline hull. I believe this 'touch up' will enhance directional stability significantly. The Storm SLT has the lowest calculated resistance of all One Ocean Kayaks models across the entire speed range. This means very fast acceleration and speed retention especially for the paddlers with lesser physical strength. Front cockpit depth of 11.5" (29,2cm) provides snug knee bracing and also allows unhindered 'close to the kayak' paddle stroke with a short paddle. The rear cockpit depth of 8 7/8" (22,5cm) will make leaning back and rolling a snap. Optimal performance @140 LB (64 kg) paddler and gear weight. Average kayak weight 37 to 45lb ( 16,8- 20,47 kg)

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Kayak Design specs... The stuff that actually tells you something	Expedition Sport - 16' 9" x 21.5" ( 5,1 x 0,546m) The Expedition Sport is for paddlers looking for a light and nimble kayak with excellent course keeping performance, handling and dynamic stability offered by hardened chines. I have sized this kayak by request from paddlers who wanted a light and forgiving craft with the performance of the Cape Ann Expedition but without its 'length'. The design and size of the Sport make it a fun 'all purpose' kayak suitable for beginners as well as advanced paddlers. The Expedition Sport is just right for day trips as well as long weekend getaways on lakes, and the sea.
	I took the Sport out this past week... It slices through the water like crazy! - John Wentz (Fire Captain from Puget Sound, Washington) ... Now that I've had the boat out a few times, I am very impressed with the handling. So easy to roll, too. I appreciated the excellent and the most complete set of plans I've received from any designer. The manual was very helpful too. Thanks, John Caldeira (Texas) ... I have just finished a 90K trip in 3 days that took me around the south east corner of Australia. We had seas from 2-3.5 metres and winds of up to 30 knots (at the same time) and the loaded Expedition Sport went a treat. I kept up with 2 good paddlers in a double (not without effort) and just had a ball. We travered parts of the coast that have small rivers with no human habitation above tham at all. The scenery was sensational, and we traveresed 50 K of coast without seeing any human presence at all...we caught a feed every night, and threw more back. Had I not made the effort to build your fine design, I would probablay never have done it...Cheers, Matt (Australia) Design Features
Kayak Building Plans	The Expedition Sport boasts higher efficiency at cruising speeds than all the other One Ocean Kayaks with the exception of is parent the Cape Ann Expedition and the Double. Efficiency in this instance means longer hull glide for every paddle stroke. I have reduced the fore and aft deck height slightly so that paddlers can achieve secure bracing in the cockpit as well as greater degree of upper body movement. The underdeck height in the footbrace area remains unchanged (from the Expedition) so that paddlers with 12 foot size will find plenty of 'toe space'. All hull features are inherited from The Cape Ann Expedition. Optimal performance @160 LB (73 kg) paddler and gear weight. Average kayak weight 38 to 45lb ( 17.29- 20,47 kg)

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Kayak Design specs... The stuff that actually tells you something	Cape Ann HV - 18' 6" x 24" ( 5,63 x 0,6096m) Big guys need space; plenty of room to stretch legs and a supportive backrest to ease into to really enjoy the scenery after covering miles loaded with a couple of weeks worth of gear. The HV is tailor made for tall and large paddlers and/or "expedition guide" type of loads. Tall builders will enjoy tons of foot and knee space and those who don't like to "go without" can stuff the kayak compartments to their hearts' content. Made not only for stability and comfort, the main design effort in the HV went into its hull efficiency and reduction of paddler effort with big gear loads. Out of all One Ocean kayaks, the Cape Ann HV features the most efficient hull up to 4 knots - the optimal long distance paddling speed - and is outperformed only by the the Cape Ann Double up to 5.5 knots, a speed hardly paddled with a fully loaded kayak. The HV hull, based on the stable platform of the Cape Ann will give you a seaworthy 'ride' to punch through heavy weather, great stability and solid tracking without a rudder. So if you really want to "get away" in a top notch speedy performer the Cape Ann HV may just be the ticket.
	Cape Ann HV built by Clas Kreutzman in Finland Another picture of the HV made by Jurgen Koppen in Canada Design Features
Kayak Building Plans	Hull form - Cape Ann HV has a Swede hull form. It means that its center of buoyancy (LCG) is aft midship. The hull shape is a combination of low drag, rounded cross-sections at the fore hull with "soft" chines at mid and aft sections. Large fore rocker and long waterline (16.87') - Maneuverability in a kayak with longer waterline than the Cape Ann Expedition can be a challenge. The large fore rocker and the rounded hull form of the HV are designed to initiate a turn smoothly without losing tracking. Big volume bow and stern - are instrumental in responsive buoyancy of the kayak over chop and waves. There is no fun in getting buckets of sea water in the lap. Full waterplane and 24" max beam- Convex waterlines above the designed waterline (DWL) plus 24" overall kayak width offer super secondary stability when heeling. Low profile bow and foredeck - minimizes the effects of cross winds on weathercocking and allows you to hold course (without rudder) even in stiff quartering (2 o'clock etc.) winds. Round fore hull and soft chines - no "chine grabby" behavior in waves and chop. Round hulls with soft chines are exceedingly smooth in engaging all kinds of wave patterns without being thrown off balance. This feature is certainly appreciated after a long exhausting haul when one's responses to sudden changes are less than brisk. Low Area - Displacement ratio ( 8.11)- As the loading of the kayak increases, the drag on the hull grows at much faster rate yet the paddler's energy remains the same or declines with time. What this means is that the kayak will slow down significantly for every pound of load for a given paddler effort. The lower the area displacement ratio of a kayak, the smaller the rate of increase of drag with additional weight. The lower the drag rate of your loaded kayak the better you can utilize your available paddling energy, thus the kayak will be efficient and glide further an faster for every paddle stroke - this ADDS UP over many miles or in a head current! Deep front (14") and rear cockpit (11") - Big derrieres and stiff jointed voyagers will find it very accommodating! The height of the rear deck allows large enough back rest for excellent lower back support - a prerequisite for comfortable long distance paddling. Lots of space for big feet. Stern tip is designed for easy rudder attachment. The hull is made to track well without a rudder but the addition of one in long hulled kayaks improves maneuverability and paddling efficiency considerably. Optimal kayaker weight and loading: 240 LB min. -> 277 LB ideal -> 360 LB max. (109,2 -> 126 -> 163.8 kg) Recommended max. load: 400lb (182 kg) Paddler height: between 6' 2" and 6' 7" (188 -> 200,6 cm) Average kayak weight 49 to 60lb ( 22,29 - 27,3kg)

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Last page update: 9 May 2024