Editors note: You will probably notice that this and future posts might contain a little less content. I found myself skipping steps while writing so I will try this format and see how it works out. It could mean a little more technical content, but should mean more posts, a quicker read and maybe even be a little less boring.
Once I had the strongback and frame built, I needed to set the inner stems. A stem is the leading edge at the bow and in most cases, the stern.
For kayak construction, there can be an inner stem as well as an outer stem. The inner serves as a form or guide for the mounting point of the planks. The planks are glued to and extend beyond the stem just a bit. Later, the extra wood will be removed and the plank edges rounded. I will show all that in future posts.
This boat is designed with only an inner stem although an outer could be added. In that case, the outer stem would “cap” the ends of the planks (instead of rounding the edges) adding to the length of the boat.
Often times, these outer stems are made from a different type or color of wood, solid or laminated for style and aesthetics as well as function. But not today.
I used a solid piece of 1/2″ white pine included in the kit, the provided template and a plane, file and sandpaper to set the designed shape.
