My Pygmy Borealis XL Kayak is Officially Launched!

Had a FANTASTIC day yesterday in Port Townsend, WA with my kayaking friends as I launched my new Pygmy Borealis XL kayak!

When you read the specs on the Borealis you might get the idea that it will look big. It really doesn't. In fact I think that it looks very much like the Coho. It's a bit beamier and taller, and has a Greenland style stern, but the overall impression is of a very modern boat. Beautiful!

The Borealis took three months exactly to build.

The stability is amazing. So much more stable than the my Coho or Coho Hi Volume. Those are terrific boats in their own right, but for a guy as tall and as heavy as I am (6'5", 245lbs.) the Borealis is the way to go.

I hope this blog has been helpful to someone out there who is either building or considering building a Pygmy kayak. They are wonderful boats and you won't regret building one. You will end up with a truly proper boat that is one of the best kayaks you can buy.

Oh, and I got to try out my new Thule Hullavator! Worked pretty well. It's a bit of a trick to get it to work just right but once you get the hang of it it's fantastic.

Pygmy Borealis XL kayak Thule Hullavator

Here it is on the beach at Fort Warden, Port Townsend, WA. With me were an Arctic Tern and a Pinguino 145. Oh, and a buddy with a fiberglass boat, but we let him come with us regardless...

This boat will last me years, but that doesn't mean that I won't ever build another one just for fun.

If anyone is interested in my Supplementary Manual please contact me and let me know. I've had a number of requests for it, especially for the taping method ideas.

This is my last post for this build blog, at least for now. Might build another one and if I do I'll blog about it here too. At some point I'll be starting on one of my other blogs, so check out the RC Scale Airplane blog or the RC Hydroplane blog. One of those is my next project. So with that, I'm signing out...

Good luck on your build!

Peace!

Comments

The Rogue Manual

I've posted about this earlier, but thought it might be good to post it again for anyone who may be interested. I've started to write a manual of tips and tricks for Pygmy solo kayak builders. It covers the taping method, so that your boat doesn't have hundreds of holes all over it. I'm on version 2 now. Version 2 covers several other tips and tricks from myself and from others as collected over time. ATTENTION : Use the manual at your own risk! The only person responsible for any mistakes or problems with the building of your boat is you. Always use the official Pygmy manual that came with your kit. Only do those tips and tricks that make sense to you. If something in the manual doesn't sound right to you, then don't do it! Neither I, nor Pygmy Boats, nor anyone else except YOU is responsible for the safety of your boat and the quality of your build. It's in very rough draft form right now, but if you'd like to read it, please send a $10 donat...

Annapolis Wherry Hull Painted

If you haven't yet, please read my previous post regarding amine blush and primers. After thoroughly washing the hull with water, and then priming, I was now ready for top coating. I used Interlux Toplac Plus in Matterhorn White. What a great paint! OMG... this stuff seems to have magical properties! I've never used a paint that does not sag or run, even on vertical hull sides. Of course, you have to roll on a light coat with a foam roller, but even with a thin coat like that, most paints would still have runs. This one doesn't! And you don't need to tip it either! Just roll it on and walk away. It gets better too... you don't have to sand after each coat! As long as you roll on a second coat after 16 hours but before 3 days, you don't have to sand. Nice! I did three coats in three days with no sanding between coats. There's a slight bit of orange peel, but most of the surface issues are due to my poor surface prep instead of orange peel. To be honest, ...

Grain Surfboards Waterlog Surfboard Build! Part 1

I'm making a surfboard! No, I don't actually surf. At least not yet. But we go to Hawaii a lot and a guy has to have a board, right? I didn't kayak either until I built my first Pygmy Coho over 25 years ago. Now I love kayaking. Hopefully the same thing will happen with the surfboard. The board is a kit from Grain Surfboards . I chose the Waterlog in the 10' version. I'm super tall and heavy and probably should have selected one of their larger boards, but this is the largest board they have that both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines will let my check (They have a 10' 5" limit). I didn't get any pics of the kit box, but it's just a long (10' plus) cardboard mashup box with sticks in it. The epoxy kit comes separately. I also bought the "rocker table" that is CNC cut to precisely curve the board as you build it. I highly recommend buying a rocker table if you build one. The kit comes with white cedar planks that you g...

Search This Blog