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Question: Dear Sirs,
can you send a copy of your Kingfisher electric kayak plans to Italy?
How much is the shipping cost for a fast delivery (air mail, fedex, dhl)?
Thanks
Answer:
We do ship internationally. Without knowing your exact zip code or what
city you are in we have determined the following cost for shipping the
Kingfisher Kayak Plans. I used Rome as the city.
The weight in a shipping box is 1 lb 14 oz. Fed X and DHL go to the closest
lb so we used a 2 lb rate.
USPS (United States Post Office) Rates:
Express 3-5 day delivery is $34.75 USD
Priority 6-10 day delivery is $24.80 USD
Fist Class undetermined delivery is $16.80
Fed X Priority with 3 day delivery $71.14 USD
Fed X Economy with 7 day delivery $66.90 USD
DHL 2 day delivery $85.41 USD
Fed X and DHL insure the product and the USPS does not insure
internationally.
Hopefully this shipping information helps. Let us know if you have any more
questions or concerns. We are happy to be of help.
Karen Clark
Question:
I am soooooooooo sold so now it is about details & how I need to plan my
time.
I have a garage wood shop with a table saw, circular saw, router, belt
sander, random orbit sander, cordless drill, drill press, Yata yata & have
the skills to accomplish this.
It's also not about money but satisfaction of building MY boat.
I understand purchasing the plans & they appear to be some of the best I
have seen. (May I assume a materials list is included?)
I also understand the electrical system is a purchased item from you & have
no problem with that or your price. I am very experienced with marine
mechanics..........
My point is I know enough to not try to re-invent the wheel even though I
believe I could.
Last thing I want to know is which electric motor you use or recommend &
at what thrust capability? Again, may I assume this is electronically
variable?
Have you played with different thrusts?
Answer:
I appreciate your sentiments about the joy of
operating a boat you have built. On the river I sometimes get skunked, but
nobody has as much fun as I do
The required materials for each assembly is on its respective drawing. I use
McMasters part numbers for mechanical parts and they are reasonable in price and
ship same day from LA. The electrical parts are from Digikey, also in LA. Both
these folks have nicely organized on-line shopping.
If you opt for the electrical kit you will save time and effort at a reasonable
cost. The whole system can be installed with a screwdriver in a short time.
I use the MinnKota endura motor with 40 lbs of thrust. It has more power than
the boat can use as it gets up to hull speed (about 4 mph) at just over half
throttle. You can go faster, but at the cost of battery time. The best range is
achieved at 3.5 mph and paddling along with the motor. It is a nice cruise, and
almost effortless. Folks that don't know that is a motor back there are quite
impressed with my stamina.
The motor controller we supply has the continuously variable speed control in
it. It also provides reverse. I also included current limiting circuit to hold
the motor amperage down to 40 amps, the rated current for the MK40. If you burry
the prop in weeds at full throttle, it will save the motor and give you a visual
overcurrent alarm.
I have worked on the motor thrust/speed problem for a while now. The thrust is
specified assuming the boat is not moving, not too useful for the buyer. But
40lbs thrust sounds much better than 1/2 HP. In fact all of the permanent magnet
trolling motors are constant RPM per volt motors. All I have measured are 150
rpm/volt. So at 10 volts they chug along at 1500 rpm. It makes no difference if
the prop is in the water or not, you get 1500 and no more. Of course the current
drops off significantly when the prop is out of the water.
So the variable you have to play with is the prop. Ideally if the prop and boat
were perfectly matched, the motor would draw its max rated current at full
throttle and it would be doing all of the work it can. In the manual I discuss
this and we recommend a Nissan prop for the motor to give better efficiency,
speed and much better handling when the boat is backing down.
It sounds like you would enjoy the construction effort. There are variety of
things to do. Or you can buy the part from us if time is important. It takes me
about 3 weeks to build a KF10 with a lot of time waiting for adhesive to set up
or paint to dry. It is more fun if you don't hurry and just enjoy the
experience. The construction technique results in a nice looking boat. Viewers
often ask my wife if I really built that boat?? It looks that nice. And of
course wood has its own charm.
You may have questions during the construction and I can always be reached by
E/M.
Question: I recently viewed a video on your motorized
kayak, it was extremely impressive. Is there a way to
reto-fit your motor onto a different kayak???; I own a
Hobie 16' Adventure. Any info. would be greatly
appreciated. Thanks. mike
Answer: Hi Mike
Sorry but I don't see us providing mods for plastic or fiberglass kayaks. The
problem is each model of each manufacturer is different and there appears to be
no solution that will accommodate this variety of hulls.
Sit on kayaks are especially challenging as the electrical components are
directly exposed to salt water and the equipment life would be very short. If
these components were placed inside the hull, the cooling and servicing issues
would have to be solved. In addition the motor provides about 40 lbs of thrust ,
easily pushing the boat to hull speed . If the motor strikes the bottom or a
log, the resulting impact would have to be accommodated by the mount design.
That would be difficult in a plastic kayak where attatchment points are few and
not all that strong.
I have considered a kit for canoes and small rowing boats. These have seats that
can become mounting points for pedals and other hardware. Motor attatchments are
easy for square back canoes and hardware is already available to mount motors to
standard hulls.
Question:
would love to see the boat in
action. I would be interested in building one too, perhaps modifying as
you suggest. I am no professional carpenter, but I think I could handle the wood
frame construction ok. It is the fiberglass hull part I am unsure of. Is that
difficult for a novice or do the plans give specific information how? What is
your rough estimate of the number of hours it would take to complete a build
based on your plans? Thanks again, John.
Answer:
The fiberglass work on the kayak is not difficult,
and is quite forgiving. If you bugger up a section it can be sanded
smooth and done over again. The manual describes how it is done,
providing pictures of the process and a drawing of how the glass panels
are to be cut and applied to the boat. Basically the glass cloth is
layed on the boats sanded surface, smoothed out with a 4 inch paint
brush. Any debris under the class is easily spotted and removed. Then a
2 1/2 inch brush (a cheap one) is used to apply the resin to the glass
cloth, saturating it and making it transparent. It cures over night
securing the cloth to the wood, and is sanded at the edges where the
next cloth panel will overlap the one on the boat. The process is
repeated until all 6 panels are applied, each one overlapping the other
at the edges. After a rough sanding, a final coat of resin is applied to
all of the glass which usually results in the glass weave pattern being
filled and yielding a smooth surface. An additional touch up coat can be
applied in spots not smooth. Finally the whole thing is sanded to make
the surface as smooth as you are willing to work for. It is finished
with 2 coats of spar varnish which contains the UV protection the resin
requires and leaves a lovley finish.
I took a boat to a craft show last weekend,
and several guys looking at it approached my wife on the side to ask
her if I really built the boat. It looked too good to them. If you
follow the plans it is not difficult to achieve a nice looking boat, but
it does take a bit of sanding and patience. A lot of time is spent
waiting for resin to cure or paint to dry. I use this time to make
seats, prepair electrical harnesses or make foam flotation. It is an
enjoyable boat to build but because it is powered and has steering
controls there is more to do than on a simple kayak. However, when done
you have a very capable boat, worth the extra effort.
Sub Kits are available for builders not
comfortable with doing electrical work (though it is pretty simple) or
modifying the MinnKotta motor for this application or that just want to
move along faster. They are described on our website
http://winchuckriverstore.com.
Just go to 'our products' and click on the kayak picture.
I am usually involved in several projects when
building a Kingfisher so do not have an exact count of the hours
required, and of course since I have built several of them it is
probably less than you would experience. I think it will take about 100
hours to complete the job, not counting the time watching paint dry. It
is important to read the plans a couple of times and to look at all of
the drawings and photos so you have good understanding of the process
before you start building. Of course we are always available via E/mail
to answer questions.....Jim
Question: I'm very interested in buying the Kingfisher kayak plans to
build one. I have a few questions. How long does it take to make one from scratch?
Will you ship the controller to Puerto Rico? Do you plan to make a two
seater version? I anticipate problems with my daughters if they can't
ride with me.
Thanks a lot. You have a terrific boat there.
Answer: It would take approximately 100 hours
of work to build a kayak. This not include waiting for paint to dry or for
glue to set.
I thought that I had replied to
your e/m, but perhaps not. My daughter and I have been spending 12
hrs a day catching, cleaning, smoking and canning tuna. We finished
last night and are ready to get back to the rest of our lives, she
to San Jose CA and me to kayaks.
I have been working on a larger
kayak that can accommodate two paddlers. It is 12 ft long and 32 in
wide. I think it will weigh about 75 lbs w/o the motor or battery.
The battery is located behind the rear seat under the deck, and the
seat folds forward for access. I have attached a drawing of the boat
as it now stands.
I am also working on a set of
wheels for the boats so a single paddler can launch it unassisted.
It uses 20 inch wheels that are on a frame that matches the contour
of the bottom of the boat. The boat is placed on the frame/wheel
assembly (truck) near the stern and then pushed from the bow to/from
the water. The truck floats and can be recovered when the boat is in
the water. It should make it possible to launch the boat with the
motor and battery installed.
The plans for the new boat
will employ as many of the KF10 parts as possible. I will just
extend the mid section of the boat.
The motor can be tilted up
out of the water from the seat on the KF10, and this may not be
practical for the KF12 as the rear seat is now located in front of
the location of the tilt handle and it is too far back to reach from
the front seat. I will explore the possibility of relocating the
tilt handle toward the front of the boat, accessible from the front
seat.
As for the schedule, I cannot
at this time offer one. I will have to build at least one boat to
insure all of the parts fit as expected, and check the boat
characteristics on the water. I am a little concerned about the
attitude of the boat on the water with one and two passengers. It
may have to be extended to 13 ft to deal with an adult in the back
seat, or limit the rear seat to lighter passengers.
We will post our KF12 progress
on our web site so just check on it now and then for its status.
Thanks for your interest....Jim
Question: How does it steer? Jude H from
Oregon after watching the video
Answer: The
Kingfisher-10 has a controller that has sensors that work in conjunction with
the two peddles. This controller is what makes the Kingfisher-10 unique
from other motorized kayaks.
Question: I was under the impression that the electrical kit & controller
were seperate items but when I order the controller kit it eliminates the
elctrical kit.
Anywho I ordered the controller kit & if it includes the electrical kit ... As
Lynette says "WOO-HOO"
Hoov
Answer:
Hi
Hoov,Played
hooky yeaterday and went fishing in the morning. We caught 5 salmon and
had a wonderful time. The large fish aren't in yet, but are on their
way, so there are some good times ahead.
The controller can be ordered on the winchuck store site, or just work
it out with Karen . You won't need it until the boat is almost done and
ready for the electrical wiring. There are two things you will need. One
is a Motor Controller that sells for $290.00 dollars and is NOT a kit.
It is simple to install, and has a connector at one end and 4 wire
terminal block on the other .
Another item is a KF10- electrical kit. This kit contains the Control
Panel that goes on the left cockpit combing and contains a switch, a
speed control and a warning light. It mounts with 2 screws. It has a
cable assembly attatched with a connector on the far end that plugs into
the Motor Controller, and another 3 wire cable that pluggs into the
pedal sensors mounted on Frame 2. It is completely built and tested and
you just plug it in.
The electrical kit also contains the power wiring from the battery to
the Motor Controller (2 of the 4 terminals above ), and an additional 2
wires that go from the Motor Controller to the motor, via the transome.
No soldering involved, just a screwdriver to secure the wires to the
Motor Controler, and a crescent wrench to install the motor wires on the
feed thru terminals on the transome.
Question:
I saw your video, and your setup looked
interesting. I would like more info. How low does the motor below
the hull. I am looking for something to use in relatively shallow
water, with mutiple rock areas. I try for the channels, but my
outboard prop has taken a beating. Thanks Brian
Answer:
Hi Brian,
Lets assume you weigh 175 lbs, the keel of the boat will
be 5 inches down and the skeg of the motor will be 11 inches
from the surface of the water. The motor can be tilted up
like the O/B motor, but you need to get the 7 inch prop down
far enough to push some water. This can save you an inch or
two, but you have to use less power to push the boat or the
motor will cavitate. Of course you can raise the motor and
use a paddle, but you will need at least 5-6 inches of water
to stay afloat . By the way, the motor can be raised land
lowered from the seat .
Question:
Well,
Looks like I'm going to wait 5-6 weeks for a sheet of
12mm okoume!
I am so spoiled here in the SF Bay Area. You know you
lived here too.
We are so used to everything being at our fingertips but
unfortunately Okoume Plywood is not one of them.
I can get the 12mm sheet special ordered at $156.00 a
sheet tax included but I think I will wait. McBeath
stocks it for $114 total. Drive time is about the same
(Oakland or SJ)
Soooo, I'm HOPING the 4mm & 18mm at the PALs I mentioned
are the real deal.
In fact, if they are I just might double my order.
In the meantime I guess I'll work on the BB & transom if
I end up getting the 4mm &18mm at PALs. Will find out
this week. ... LOL, If I were a true & greedy
entrepreneur I'd buy the whole 75 sheets PALs has &
resell it. I have a feeling there is going to be
several more than me here in the Bay Area building your
Kingfisher. Could double my money & still be a good guy
offering a bargain. Instead I think I will just check it
out & if it's cool will give you the details so you
can point folks in the right direction.
BTW, in your (Karen's?hehehe) Q&A section I have an
answer for John. I know you probably already answered
him privately but every time I tell friends about my
plans to build Kingfisher the same question arises; "How
you going to do the fiberglass?" (Non surfing friends
that is) ...so here it is. You can use it or
not, change,add, use my name or not, make it yours, I
don't care, no stress to me either way.
John,
As a neutral party here (I'm starting to build
Kingfisher from plans as of now) I can tell you it is
harder to measure wood & cut it accurately than to
fiber-glass.
The main problem most folks have with fiber-glass is
they don't follow directions. You HAVE to mix resin &
hardener proportions accurately. PERIOD!!
Temperature DOES matter so follow directions. They are
always on the label.
Doesn't matter if you use epoxy or polyester the HUGE
deal is mixing proportions to direction. ( & then stir a
tad more! LOL) Measuring pumps are worth the extra
expense.
Technique is important but truly, all you are doing is
evenly soaking cloth with goo & by applying subsequent
coats of goo, building surface thickness.
The first coat is probably the most important but read
the directions & use your eyes. The manufacturers are
really explicit as to what is required.
If the cloth is "wetted" properly (saturated) & the
resin is mixed to proportion with the first coat, you
can correct problems with following coats. DO NOT work
in the sun & better higher ambient temp to low ... than
low to high. I like to fiberglass in the afternoon when
ambient temps are highest & let things cool from there.
Fiber-glassing creates it own heat & does better when
the ambient temp cools rather than increases. This will
help prevent "gassing" which causes little bitty bubbles
forming within the resin as it hardens.
After drying, the first coat will still show the cloth
pattern & you will be applying several more coats to
fill this anyway.
Hint: Use light passes with a squeegee or brush to even
out the cloth ("stick it to the wood without wrinkles")
& then fuss with a roller (slowly) to saturate for the
first coat. Add resin if you think it needs more.
Work from the middle & spread towards the outside of
your work. This way the bubbles have a place to go & be
expelled on the edges. The excess resin just drips off.
You will figure out if you used too much by how much is
on the floor! THEN you will get the hang of it & won't
do that anymore. Well, not as much! LOL
You just gotta DO it. If you can build the frames & cut
the skins you can fiberglass.
A run or two? So what? Smooth & feather them by sanding,
then apply another coat of resin to make it all
transparent again.
Just for ducks, practice on something close to a 1' x 1'
piece of ANY wood, hopefully something that is
garbage! Go through the steps (sanding etc.) just like
it was your boat. Hehehe ... Might want to think about
this as being a base for something like a flower pot
etc. because it is REALLY gonna look nice! Roundy edges
are easier & look nicer than square ones when
fiber-glassing.
Hope this helps,
Bob (Hoov)
Answer:
Hi Hoov good to hear
from you,
Never would have
thought finding some plywood would be such an issue. We have
it all over the area up here. Before you buy a ton of it for
re-sale, I thought I would let you know that I am thinking
of offering the kit with the wood included sometime in the
future. I just have to work out the shipping costs and
packaging. The wood would be cut as called for in the plans
so the builders would have to buy only enough to build the
boat. BTW the 1/2 panel will be enough to build a boat, and
the 3/4 will build two.
I (actually Karen) am
going to add a forum to the KFB website so folks can share
their experiences building and operating the boat. There are
a lot of talented folks out there and all of us can benefit
from their experience. Your comments on fiberglass is a good
example. We will also add a bunch of parts for sale that are
either too expensive to buy in low quantities, or are made
of Un-obtainium. I think we all can save a little money that
way.
It is 5 am and the fish
are calling. The warm water has blown up from mexico and the
tuna can't be far away. Lynnette (daughter and granny) is up
from the bay area and is fixing bkfst and loading the gear.
Gotta run b4 she figures I am letting her do all of the
work. Take care....Jim
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