Course description

Picking up where our FREE Skin-on-Frame Kayak Prep Course leaves off, this course contains over 17 hours of extremely detailed information covering all aspects of the skin-on-frame building process. Follow along as we build five different skin-on-frame kayaks. You'll learn how to make easy mortise and tenon deck beams, steam bend ribs, tie the frame together, skin and coat the kayak, and add all the rigging and accessories needed to make your kayak safe and seaworthy. 

This course can be used as a standalone product to learn about skin-on-frame building in general or with a set of Cape Falcon Kayak plans to build any of our seven different kayak designs.


LICENSING AGREEMENT:

This online video course is intended for use by one builder only. Multiple persons may not work from a single course, with the exception of children under 18 working with an adult. Commercial use is allowed with written permission and a licensing fee, contact for details.

Course curriculum

    1. Kayak Course Introduction

      FREE PREVIEW
    2. Kayak Building Course General Update, DON'T SKIP THIS VIDEO

    3. Kayak Plans Overview

      FREE PREVIEW
    4. Licensing Agreement

      FREE PREVIEW
    5. Tips for a successful Kayak Build: READ THIS FIRST

    6. KAYAK COURSE UPDATES/CHANGES, READ THIS BEFORE YOU BUILD

    1. Skin on Frame Kayak Outfitting Options (borrowed from my YouTube channel)

    2. Planning the Reinforcements for Catamaran, Sailing, or Back Deck Bungee Loops

    3. Should I add a rudder to my kayak? TEXT ONLY

    4. Color options for skinboats, Acid Dye vs. Earth Pigment

    5. Planning for brass bow protection

    6. Considerations for adding a liquid keel protection strip

    7. Using Fresh Cut Bamboo for Kayak Ribs

    8. Advantages and Disadvantages of Adjustable Footbraces in Greenland Kayaks (Currently for West Greenland Kayaks only)

    9. Bilge pump clips (standard version F1, F2, LPB only) this is just here so you can remember to order and install them before the skin is on.

    10. Drop Kits and Custom Drop Plates (usually not needed, but sometimes useful for smaller feet or rudder control)

    1. Setting up the gunwales

    2. Kerfing the ends

    3. Lashing the ends together

    4. Checking for symmetry

    5. Pegging the ends together

    6. Setting up the deck beams

    7. Mortise and tenon deck beams overview

    8. Mortise and tenon deck beams: Step 1

    9. Mortise and tenon deck beams: Step 2

    10. Mortise and tenon deck beams: Step 3

    11. Mortise and tenon deck beams: Step 4

    12. Mortise and tenon deck beams: Step 5

    13. Mortise and tenon deck beams: Step 6

    14. Fitting the deck beams

    15. Pegging the deck beams

    16. Trimming the dowels and planing the ends

    17. Flattening the gunwales (Greenland)

    18. Marking the stems (F1, F2, and LPB) Important: If you are making a Flat Deck version, watch next video also before marking.

    19. Additional bow stem marking instructions for the FLAT DECK F1 or LPB only

    20. Stern Stem rudder modification (F1, F2, LPB) (optional)

    21. Marking the stems (Greenland)

    22. Adding a drain plug (optional)

    23. Understanding the kayak rib measuring system

    24. Measuring and cutting ribs

    25. Measuring and cutting the West Greenland ribs (use with VERSION 2.0 plan set only)

    26. Prepping the rib stock

    1. Using the rib HEIGHT measuring stick (currently only available for Version 2.0 of the West Greenland Kayak)

    2. Setting up for steam bending the ribs (borrowed from the Canoe Building Course)

    3. Loading the steam box

    4. Tips for steam bending (watch this video!)

    5. Fixing rib mistakes (F1 shown but useful for all kayak models!) I put this before bending so you'll know how to fix any issues before you start bending.

    6. Steam bending the ribs - F1 kayak

    7. F1 rib shaping overview

    8. Steam bending the ribs - LPB kayak

    9. LPB rib shaping overview

    10. Steam bending the ribs - West Greenland Kayak

    11. West Greenland rib shaping overview

    12. NEW Steam bending the ribs West Greenland Kayak, use with VERSION 2.0 plan set

    13. NEW West Greenland shaping review: Use with VERSION 2.0 plan set

    14. Steam bending the ribs - East Greenland Kayak

    15. East Greenland rib shaping overview

    1. Setting the keel heights (F1, F2, and LPB)

    2. Setting keel heights (Greenland)

    3. Pegging the ribs

    4. Centering the keel

    5. Making winders for lashing

    6. Lashing on the keel

    7. Fixing a broken lashing

    8. Fitting the stems to keel (F1, F2, and LPB) Important: watch next video also if making a Flat Deck version

    9. Additional bow stem layout instructions for FLAT DECK F1 and LPB only

    10. Fitting the stems to the keel (Greenland)

    11. Marking, drilling, and lashing on the stems

    12. Pegging the stems to the keel

    13. Setting the stringers ( F1, F2, and LPB )

    14. Setting the stringers (Greenland)

    15. Lashing the stringers to the ribs

      FREE PREVIEW
    16. Shaping and tying the stringer ends to the stems

    17. Installing temporary stanchions

    18. Gluing on end blocks (F1, F2, and LPB) Important note: watch the next video also if building a flat deck version.

    19. Special instructions for finishing the bow stem of the FLAT DECK F1/LPB (this can be done a bit later in the process also)

    1. Catamaran, sailing, and back deck bungee loop reinforcements (only applies to people who want to do any of these things)

About this course

  • $199.00
5 star rating

Natural -born teacher

Michael Wilson

Great course. Easy to use and very comprehensive. Brian not only knows how to build kayaks,he also knows how to teach building kayaks. I am delighted that I...

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Great course. Easy to use and very comprehensive. Brian not only knows how to build kayaks,he also knows how to teach building kayaks. I am delighted that I purchased the course. Thanks Brian.

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5 star rating

Skin on Frame Kayak Building Course

Ralph Sutter

This is a well-conceived, carefully executed video series that shows in detail the numerous steps involved in building a skin on frame kayak. Schulz is extre...

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This is a well-conceived, carefully executed video series that shows in detail the numerous steps involved in building a skin on frame kayak. Schulz is extremely methodical in his instruction, often offering helpful segments on how to fix builder errors.

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5 star rating

Cape Falcon F1

Jay Knight

I am building a F1, jokingly called a F1xl, because I weigh 275 which is substantially over what the traditional paddler weighs. Brian has assisted in scali...

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I am building a F1, jokingly called a F1xl, because I weigh 275 which is substantially over what the traditional paddler weighs. Brian has assisted in scaling his F1 to a size appropriate to me. I have built 5 boats, from a folding kayak to a 20 sailboat and the full range of boats between, so I am accustomed to various degrees of builders support from the plans provider. Brian’s method of plans with video is excellent! Only think that could improve his videos would have him in my shop full time! He has the experience as a instructor and seems to knows the questions asked during each phase of the building process. If you follow his video instructions exactly you will have a great experience and a wonderful kayak in the end.

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5 star rating

Excellent, inspiring, successful...

jordi alamany

As far as the course is concerned, i could'nt be happier and satisfied to have done it. I simply find it inspiring, very enjoyable and motivating as you pro...

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As far as the course is concerned, i could'nt be happier and satisfied to have done it. I simply find it inspiring, very enjoyable and motivating as you progress through the project. Also, i think that anyone is able to follow it, since hundreds of advices and details of how to perform every single little step are explained, and more importantly, (at least in my case) what you should'nt do! I would add that i enjoyed a lot the beauty of building skin on frame kayaks, but also i really admire the simplicity of the technique that Brian has developed in the construction of his boats as well as his facility to share and teach it.

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5 star rating

Review of deck building

Dan Silvernail

Excellent! Clear, concise instruction. He also includes tips and scenarios on how mistakes can be made. If you carefully follow these instructions the proces...

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Excellent! Clear, concise instruction. He also includes tips and scenarios on how mistakes can be made. If you carefully follow these instructions the process will go smoothly. I watched each video twice to make sure I caught everything. Well worth the money I spent.

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5 star rating

Great videos!

Kirk Dunn

Really enjoyed this video course. There are a lot of gems of knowledge here. The process is thoughtfully laid out and the techniques carefully and logically ...

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Really enjoyed this video course. There are a lot of gems of knowledge here. The process is thoughtfully laid out and the techniques carefully and logically explained. I'll be back for the plans for the F1 :) k

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FAQ

  • Are plans available in metric measurements?

    Because the accompanying video courses call out imperial measurements, and we are constantly making updates to both the plans and videos, we’ve found that metric plans leave a lot of room for potential confusion or error. For builders outside the US, we recommend purchasing a metric to imperial tape measure to make your build easier.

  • Why can’t I buy the plans without the video course?

    Unlike nearly all other forms of boatbuilding, skin-on-frame building has never seen the sort of commercial application that leads to good standardized building practices. Instead, what we have is a small handful of books written by experienced hobbyists. Using the techniques in these books, skin-on-frame building is slower, less efficient, heavier, and less durable than it needs to be.

    This is where I started out 20 years ago. Using these books in combination with open access to kayak historian Harvey Golden's research library, I quickly surpassed the existing knowledge, building 15 kayaks my first year and almost twice that my second. From there I taught in-person skin-on-frame kayak building classes, producing between 50–80 kayaks per year for the next 12 years. To put it simply, in 14 years of building over 1000 skin on frame kayaks I developed better kayak designs, and much faster, easier, and more durable ways to build them. Many of these techniques just make the overall building process much simpler and more enjoyable, but some of these techniques are unique to my kayaks. My modern designs are often built with extreme tensions and unfair lines that, while barely visible in the finished product, are critical to performance.

    “Ok, but I’ve built skin on frame boats before.” I get this a lot, so if that’s you, let’s dig a bit deeper here. Let’s say you’re going to clamp a stringer on my F1 design, all you’ve got to do is just measure the heights and clamp right? So you go and try to do that in the logical sequence, but every time you go to push the stringer up for that last clamp in the stern the whole thing snaps flat or blasts sideways off the boat. After about six frustrating tries you make the logical assumption that my measurement must be wrong, so you clamp it on ½ inch lower down, and it works fine and gives better skin to rib clearance which makes sense. Later on you get the boat out on the water and kick it up on edge to see this magic F1 edge-turn for yourself….and nothing happens. Why? It’s because of what you did with that chine. What you were supposed to do is clamp the stringer on with 2 inch metal spring clamps at a downward diagonal angle, starting at rib 11, then 1, then 5, then 15, and THEN you can get that last rib to chine connection to stay put in the stern. It’s simple and not hard, but also not at all intuitive, and not described in any book.

    Take what I just wrote and apply it to a hundred other things about the kayak, and you can see right away why the video course makes a huge amount of sense. You get to skip the 15 year learning curve and have more fun building a better kayak faster.

  • How much should I budget for the build?

    In addition to the cost of the course and plans, you should budget $550–$750 for your build. Materials costs vary based on local availability, shipping costs, and how many items you choose to build yourself as opposed to purchasing from us.

  • Do the videos expire? Can I watch on multiple devices?

    You can login and view the course on any device. Enrolling in a course gives you lifetime access to the course material, including any updates or additions we make to the material in the future. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons we created these video courses instead of writing a book, because our designs and techniques are constantly evolving and we want you to always have access to the best and most up-to-date information.

  • I don’t have internet in my shop, can I download the videos to watch later?

    You can download individual videos to your device, but be aware that file sizes can be quite large.