In this Video of the Week, woodworker Andrew Szeto, is bringing us part 1 of his newest project: a wooden stitch and glue kayak. Andrew has previously built cedar strip canoes, and that process gave him such an affinity for watercraft that he wanted to try out this particular technique of boat building! No stranger to boats and the ocean, Szeto is the Multimedia Officer for the Canadian Coast Guard, which often has him hanging out of helicopters or small rubber boats charging through the ice in order to get the shots & film that shows the fortitude of these northern Coasties. Between assignments for the Coast Guard, Andrew is often living off the grid in his home-built A-Frame tiny home, but that spot didn’t have the space needed to build this kayak, so his living room will have to suffice as a makeshift boat shop.
Andrew is building this type of kayak, instead of a canoe, to face the fast currents of his local river in Wakefield, Quebec. He wants to build something with more performance so he is able to get through the currents of this swift river. He even plans on adding his own personal touches to this canoe by finishing it with recycled skateboards on top to give it a unique pattern and array of colors. In the past, he’s used the skateboard design to make paddles for his canoe, tools and furniture pieces – and each is a stunning display of his talent and knack for repurposing broken skateboards.
In this video, Andrew begins to assemble the panels with fiberglass and our High Performance Epoxy. Once all the panels are assembled, he brings us through his process of stitching the boat together. Be sure to subscribe to Andrew’s channel so you can follow the rest of his build series and see this recycled skateboard and wooden kayak come together! Thanks for watching!
