Redfish Silver
Launched 9/01
Here are pictures of Holly's kayak, a Redfish Silver. The shiny dots along the sheer line are mother-of-pearl (abalone) inlaid for decoration.
(thumbnails have links to larger picture in a separate window)
Basic Construction Notes:
- 1/4" western red cedar strips
- Alaska yellow cedar and walnut accent stripes
- Stapleless construction
- Cove and bead strips on bottom 2/3 of hull, beveled strips elsewhere
- Urethane glue used for deck strips
- Generally 2 layers of 3.2 oz cloth with MAS epoxy
- Carbon fiber deck ribs and hatch lips
Comments:
Holly's first boat was an Arctic Tern, which turned out to be too large when the wind picked up. At the time there were not too many designs that seemed suitable for her size, weight, and ability. We chose the Redfish Silver and it has turned out to a good match for her.This boat is a very efficient cruiser for the 130 lb. female paddler. It has very neutral handling in wind and waves. It is much less affected by wind than the AT, is a bit less stable, but turns about the same. My wife paddles faster and has no trouble keeping up with the guys once she moved to this boat, even on 100 mile expeditions or 25 mile day paddles. Packing carefully we got enough gear and food in it for a two week trip, with nothing on the deck. There are photos of Holly paddling it in the Queen Charlotte Islands.
