Kayaks

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 158

Best kit for building a Coho kayak

Pygmy Coho Kayaks

Using the Kayaks You Can Build book, I built my first Coho, a stich-and-glue plywood sea kayak. Before deciding on the Pygmy kit, I also considered ones offered by Mill Creek, Red Wing, Cheasapeake Light Craft, Dancing Waters, and One Ocean Design. In the end, I settled on Pygmy based on the feedback I got from other builders who touted just how very, very accurate the computer controlled router cut parts are. From the start, I realized I’ve seen a lot of Cohos out there over the years, which seemed to imply the design would be pretty well nailed down and refined by now. I was right.

The eight panels in the hull of the Coho make it a multi-chine boat, sort of half way between a strip construction and a four-panel hull. The way the deck fits elegantly onto the hull was also a big factor in my decision. I really like the fact that it is such a simple, but effective attachment. Some designs mandate you place screws or nails through the deck to the shear — to me that just seemed wrong. I also liked the more modern vertical stern, though the bow still very much keeps with a classic Greenland kayak shape. The hull is not too wide, but very stable and the deck’s extra two panels create a shape that reduces the knocking of your knuckles when you’re paddling. Also, the thinner panels of the hull really allow them to twist and create intriguing transitions that are simply not possible with a four-panel hull.

I was at Eagle Lake, CA and someone had a Pygmy Arctic Tern. The boat paddled like a dream — reminded me of the first time I rode a high quality road racing bicycle. I was finally sold. Not long after, I bought my Coho kit from Pygmy.

I took a pretty leisurely approach and probably spent about 300 hours, until it was done. After that, there is always something to consider adding — a carrying cart, some kind of a sail rig, etc. So I guess it is never really all finished! There really are only two problems with the Coho: 1) though they are very durable, you have so much time in them, you still really want to take care of them, 2) just about every trip I go on I get about six people a day stopping and asking me questions. It can actually delay your leaving the beach! — Mark Forwalter

Inflatable heavy-duty kayak

Advanced Elements Inflatable Kayak

The Advanced Expedition inflatable kayak has allowed me to get out on the water more often than I ever would with one of its hardshell cousins.

Because the boat fits in the trunk of my car and can be carried solo in a duffle bag, I find myself using it when the hassle of loading a more traditional kayak onto a roof rack and muscling it around would dissuade me. Using a double action pump it can be set up and ready to go in under 10 minutes, and the break down is even faster. It just deflates and folds back into its bag.

While it doesn’t track as well as a hard bottomed boat, it more than makes up for this with its incredible stability. Buoyed by two high-pressure inflatable tubes that form the 13.5 foot frame, the boat withstands moderate waves and can carry up to 400 pounds. Standard spray skirts fit and keep the inside snug and dry.

I have used it to surf waves, paddle with sea lions, and as a kayak escort for swim races. In all cases I have been able to keep up with fellow kayakers.

I highly recommend this for kayakers who want a full size boat but don’t have a garage or the space to keep one! — Ben Hanna

Guide to constructing Coho boats

Kayaks You Can Build

I have built several simple fiberglass canoes and repaired my sailboats, but using this book I was able to build my first “real,” high-performance boat, a Pygmy Coho, a stitch and glue plywood construction sea kayak. I read a lot of books on kayak construction, stitch and glue type in particular. I also used the Coho building manual from Pygmy some. But I absolutely would not have been as successful with my boat had I not read this book before building and referenced it during building. The detail, sharing of practical experience, the tons of photos, clarity in explanation and the examples of the exact same boat — the Coho — made this the only choice. The book lays out everything in terms of what you can expect to accomplish on Day 1, Day 2 and so forth. Even if you don’t follow it step by step, the book provides the fundamentals to make good alternative building decisions.

I was able to do all of the following alternatives: Rigged up my own plumbing for a built in bilge pump. Added 4-oz glass to the deck for strength. Added the bulkheads to also gain rear deck strength. Doubled the coaming lip for strength and aesthetics. Added in hardwood keys at the coaming spacer joints for strength. Fiberglassed the entire coaming (probably really not necessary). Made my own jigs with hot glue and pop sickle sticks as prealignment tools for bulkheads, seat braces, deck joint, etc.

Above all else, the book explains how to build a very flat, level, elevated worktable with internal/external stations to hold the boat in position. That aspect alone is reason enough to go with this book. I am currently building a skin-on-frame, Greenland style kayak for my wife, but I would re-read this book before building any other stitch and glue boat. I also recommend the Greenland kayak website, Qajaq USA and Guillemont Kayak’s boat-building forum, where there is a wealth of information for the construction and use of stitch and glue, strip building and traditional skin-on-frame (SOF) kayaks. — Mark Fowalter

• In order to achieve professional results, each stage of your work should be completed with the least number of steps as well as prepare you for the next stage. For example, if you apply the filler casually with a stick, before the next step can happen the excess will have to be sanded off. Professionals eliminate the cleanup step by placing just enough filler in the right place to do the job. When the masking tape is peeled off, the step is complete and ready for the next one. Keeping the filler under control saves time and minimizes exposure to the bad stuff. That’s a pretty fair payoff, but there’s also a bonus that comes with thinking lazy. That bonus is professional results. You cannot build a professional-quality boat when you are doing damage control between each step… We are all good at something; by combining an understanding of what needs to be done with what is already familiar, we find that practical solutions present themselves.
• The less epoxy you put on, the less you have to sand off. If the epoxy is kept under control when wet, expect about one day of sanding, preferably outside. Tidy glue application brings the additional benefits of less unhealthy dust produced and more efficient — and less costly — use of the epoxy.
  
• How to Begin
  So, how to begin? One option, of course, is the freeform approach, in which the kayak is built right on the floor or, as one manufacturer suggests, on somethingflat like three cardboard boxes. Although this lets you get right to work, there are a number of drawbacks. One is the possibility of introduction funky eccentricitiesand variables to a process that requires precise control. The other is the questionable practicality of spending hours bent over, toiling on the floor. Thisis a pretty good sized “some assembly required” project, and at some point in the process either your knees or your back will start protesting.
  Another way to go is to build a worktable that will raise your assembly surface to a more civilized altitude. With some forethought the worktable also becomes a modification of the traditional boatbuilder’s strongback. A big advantage to the worktable is that you are, in effect, working from the same baseline that the designer used to draw the boat. With the addition of a centerline and station liners, the table becomes an accurate reference and a jig for many of the building steps… Being able to reach in and clamp along the edge of the worktable is convenient, and a step towards making tidy joints that require very littlecleanup. This not only saves time but also reduces your exposure to the epoxy.
• Building the box beam and fitting and leveling the top of the worktable took the best part of one day and consumed two sheets of plywood. If building this beam sounds like too much work, there are other possibilities for getting a stable base under the top. Consider a straight ladder set up on a sawhorses, laminated floor joints or anything else that will support the length of the table to accommodate your height and the kayak you are building.
  Making the long straight cuts necessary for building a straight table could be a challenge for the casual builder. The easiest solution, and one that also simplifiestransportation, is to have the plywood sheet ripped into desired widths when you purchase the board. Some big-box home improvement stores offer this service at little or no extra cost, using extremely accurate dedicated panel saws. If you decide to do it yourself and are using a table saw, keep in mind that the panel must be supported at both the in-feed and out-feed ends for safety reasons and to ensure that the cuts are straight. If you are using a portable circular saw, consider clamping a straightedge to the board to guide the saw. The simple-to-build box beam consists of two 8-foot open-ended boxes held together with a 4-foot sectionthat fits in the open ends of the boxes to tie them together. The important point to keep in mind is that once joined, the top side of the box must be straight.
  
  Cradle forms are the secret to controlling the shape of a plywood kayak. They can make the difference between a twisted hull with a hogged bottom and the beautiful kayak in your mind. Besides, now that you have a worktable, you might as well add several cradle forms and enjoy the peaceful rhythm of building when the pieces fall into place and stay where you put them. With cradles attached to the predictable base formed by the worktable, the hull will come together at a controlled distance above the baseline and will be centered over the table centerline; our horizontal reference will be the level, anytime we need it. As flimsy plank is added to the flimsy plank, the crade forms will hold all the pieceswhere they should be. The pieces will come together without being stressed or having to be bullied into position.
  Cover the path of the cut with masking tape to provide something to mark on and to protect the desk and the edge of the cut. Drill a hole inside the line big enough for the jigsaw blade (5-84). Take your time making the cut. Trust the line and follow it; it is easier to make the first cut to the line than to try to clean it up later. As the cut progresses, bridge the joint with tape to keep the cutout from falling into the hull (5-85). Peel off the tape when you have finished making the cut and clean up the shape with a rasp or a hard sanding block if needed. This opening will be the pattern for trimming the parts to come, so getting a smooth shape now will save correcting the same problem on the spacer and rim later.

Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

Favorite T-shirts/Design inspiration/How to become wiser

Recomendo - issue #483

My favorite T-shirts

I’ve tried many different T-shirt brands, and I’ve finally found one that checks all the boxes — Pair of Thieves. Their shirts are soft, very thin, slightly stretchy, and breathable. I bought a 3-pack on Amazon, gave them a test run, then bought two more 3-packs. — MF

Design inspiration

Long before plastic, the Japanese developed innovative ways to package goods using materials at hand: straw, bamboo, leaves, vines, paper. This peculiarly named book How to Wrap Five Eggs ($25) is a stunning gallery of everyday examples of this traditional Japanese packing, which has long disappeared. Photographed with studio black and white in the 1960s, each object is exquisite in its clever design. This thick book with two hundred examples is one that I return to often. The beauty never gets old. If you are at all partial to product design, or any type of presentation, this is a classic research source, a motherlode of how to think different. — KK

25 Questions To Ask Yourself

This blog post, “How To Become Wiser,” offers a great list of questions for reflection, organized around three main purposes: Seeking Perspective, Examining Yourself, and Developing Compassion. Introspection is my favorite tool for cultivating self-awareness and emotional regulation, and you don’t need a therapist or coach to develop your own practice—just a good set of questions. I wish I could memorize all 25, but instead, I’ve bookmarked them for those times when I’m confused, stuck, or need a journaling prompt. Here are a few of my favorites:

• What do I need in order to see this situation from a wiser perspective?
• Is this choice helping me move closer to my values or further away from them?
• What assumptions am I making right now?
• What needs is this person trying to fulfill right now?

— CD

Best internet speed test

When I want to check the speed of my internet connection (or if I’m connected at all), I use Fast.com. It starts testing instantly with no ads, measuring download speeds (plus upload and latency if needed) on any device, globally. — MF

Offline church

This website is my favorite internet find this week. Offline.church can only be accessed on your mobile device, and you can only enter the church by switching to airplane mode. Inside, you’ll find a meditative space and music, and an opportunity to be with yourself offline. It reminds me of the pocket shrines I used to carry as a child and it feels like a digital room of silence, or one of those interdenominational prayer rooms found in airports. — CD

Digital artists to follow

Three digital artists that I follow on Instagram. Each of their work is hard to explain in words:

Andy Thomas creates weird biological-like abstract shapes which move and behave with life-like energy; it’s a brilliant fusion of high tech and nature.

Zach Lieberman produces programmatically generated patterns, rich in color and light, that are animated with patterns of motion as well.

Adam Hale manufactures strange shifts in perspective, playfully collapsing dimensions, and toying with visual norms.

All three of these artists create art that is in motion, that are in between gifs and video, and are therefore ideal to catch on a social media stream. And while they are “generated” they are not generated with AI. — KK

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Gar’s Tips & Tools – Issue #205

Access to tools, techniques, and shop tales from the diverse worlds of DIY

Building Your Own Desktop Spray Booth

I have long flirted with the idea of making my own tabletop spray booth. In this episode of Steady Craftin, everyone’s favorite puppet crafter, The Crafsman, shows how he built a pretty swanky booth on the cheap — at least most of it was cheap. He started with a simple storage tote, a furnace filter, and an under-cabinet light. He finished it off with a $180 Mounto fan. You can probably get away with something less expensive, but never use a brushed box fan for something like this. The beauty of using a fan like the Mounto is that it is guaranteed explosion-proof. Sparks are not your friend here, so you want to make sure you use a brushless-motor. I’ve seen a number of small booth projects using HVAC inline duct fans (available for around $30).

TOYS! El Cheapo Cordless Rotary Tool

When I saw this rotary tool on Amazon for a mere seventeen bones, I knew I couldn’t resist. The reviews were decent and… well… $17! At first, I was disappointed. It doesn’t have a lot of torque, and it binds easily and shuts off. It is definitely not a replacement for my corded rotary tools. But now that I’ve learned its limitations and eccentricities, I love having it on my hobby bench. For small (especially plastic) sanding and shaping jobs, light cutting, drilling through softer plastics, it’s great. Did I mention $17?

Carpenter’s Pencil Pro Tips

You probably already know some of the benefits of carpenter pencils (they’re flat so they don’t roll, they’re about 1/4” so you can use them as a crude ruler, they make a convenient spacer for deck boards, etc.). But Scott of Essential Craftsman is always droppin’ the science, digging deeper on tricks of the trade. Here, he runs through different methods for sharpening the graphite for different marking use, how to use them for measuring, marking, scribing, and more. You always learn something in one of Scott’s videos.

Understanding Benchtop Power Supplies

In Becky Stern’s latest video for DigiKey, she offers a clear, beginner’s guide to benchtop power supplies. These adjustable DC power units let you dial in the exact voltages and current for your circuit projects. Unlike batteries or wall adapters, they provide precision, built-in protection, and flexibility that make them indispensable for prototyping, debugging, and testing, and all serious benchtop electronics work. Becky explains key features (digital displays, coarse and fine adjustments, constant voltage vs. constant current modes), demonstrates practical uses like measuring current draw to size batteries, reviving rechargeable cells, and simulating weak power conditions, and offers tips for safe operation: set current limits first, double-check polarity, and start low and slow. She also points out what to look for when shopping for a supply, such as low ripple and noise for clean, reliable power.

The Uncommon Pleasures of Battery Rolling

It’s the little things. Like squeezing every last bit o’ juice from two measly AAA batteries. I don’t know about you, but I get a surprising kick out twisting the batteries in my remote control to keep them going for as long as possible. Infrared remotes don’t need a lot of juice, so battery rolling (or switching the batts around in the bay) can often keep them in service longer. We’ve had the same AAA batteries in our Samsung TV remote for years and I’ve become somewhat obsessed with seeing how long I can extend their life. Rolling batteries helps redistribute the electrolyte in them, giving you a short-lived boost. Switching them around can sometimes get more juice out of the weaker one(s). OK, so all a little silly for something that’s a couple o’ bucks for two, but as I said… the little things.

Shop Talk

Tips & Tools readers join in the conversation

I’ve recommended these inexpensive 20w LED shop lights a number of times over the years and I’m always thrilled when I get email (with pics) from readers who buy them and are as impressed as I am. You get six 4’, 2200lm, 6500K Super Bright White fixtures that can be daisy chained (up to 8 fixtures) for $43 — that’s just over $7 each! A few weeks ago, I got an email from my old pal Steven Roberts (the venerable high-tech nomad). He’s installed them in his mobile shop and is loving them. Looking good, Steve! Love your organization system, too!

Consider a Paid Subscription

Gar’s Tips & Tools is free. But if you really like what I’m throwing down and want to support it, please consider a paid subscription. Same great taste, more cheddar to help keep me in tattoo wash bottles. Plus, I’ll occasionally pick paid subscribers at random and send them little treats, tools, or tip-related treasures.

Your support keeps this whole Rube Goldberg contraption lovingly cobbled together and running…smoothly (enough). Thank you!

Special thanks to Hero of the Realm members: Jim Coraci, Donobster, Peter Sugarman, and Will Phillips for your generous support.

Size of Africa/Office Mandate Realities/Cheaper Mexico Flights

Nomadico issue #174

The Real Size of Africa

For reasons that would take too long to go into here, maps and globes often distort the size of some regions and make others seem smaller than they really are. As this graphic points out, it’s hard to fathom how huge the continent of Africa is until we see a visualization like this that overlays other countries onto it. You can fit China, the USA, India, and Iran on it like puzzle pieces and still have room for 21 more countries, including laying Turkey on top of Madagascar.

Headlines vs. Reality in Return-to-Office Mandates

The big companies forcing people back into the office are facing incredible headwinds, with widespread flouting of the rules and A-players testing how blatantly they can ignore the mandates while shopping for a new gig. Among the stats on this page: “While required office time increased by 12% from 2024 to 2025, actual office attendance only increased by 1-3%.” If you’re facing this kind of situation, see this list of 15 companies that are fully remote, though it’s just a start. There are plenty more with hundreds of employees. Try DynamiteJobs.com where there are zero listings that involve key cards, commutes, or cubicles.

Cheap Flight Hack for Mexico

From many destinations you can get a cheaper flight to where you’re going in Mexico if you are willing to fly to Cancun first and change airlines. That’s because the two largest Mexican budget airlines, Volaris and Viva Aerobus, fly from Cancun direct to dozens of other cities. Breeze Airways in the USA just added four weekly flights to Cancun and direct British service from Virgin Atlantic returns this month. This is on top of bargain flights from the likes of Frontier, Sun Country, Westjet, Flair, Wingo, and (for now anyway) Spirit. According to DirectFlights.com, “There are 124 airports with direct flights to Cancun from 27 different countries and 37 U.S. states.”

A Bad Week for Tight Layovers

Even though one party controls all three branches of the U.S. government, they’re not too keen on actually governing, so the whole federal system shut down at midnight on October 1 and isn’t paying its bills. Government workers do a lot of airport work and if this goes on for more than a day or two, expect increasingly frequent delays, long security lines, and flight troubles. (And this will not be a good time to argue with that TSA agent about the size of your liquids…)

A weekly newsletter with four quick bites, edited by Tim Leffel, author of A Better Life for Half the Price and The World’s Cheapest Destinations. See past editions here, where your like-minded friends can subscribe and join you.

What’s in my NOW? — Colby Black, P.I.

issue #225

I’m an Operational Swiss Army Knife (looking for my next gig) Production, Program & Project Management Executive who builds, launches, and grows high-impact digital experiences. West Texas native who lives in Brooklyn with my wife and 4 year old heat seeking missile of a daughter. — Colby Black, P.I.

PHYSICAL

• ANCEL AD310 Classic Universal OBD II Scanner: Our 8 year old VW has started acting like it. I bought this cheap OBD II reader to read the check engine soon codes it throws now and I feed them into Gemini. “Low Vacuum System” and “Low turbo boost” cause Gemini to diagnose I needed a new gas cap instead of a $3000 turbo.
• ARZOPA Portable Monitor 15.6”: I got one of these second monitors for my laptop. Not too expensive, can throw it in a backpack and totally life changing.
• YETI 20 oz Tumbler: Might be lame and basic, but the 20 ounce Yeti Rambler is just about perfect. NOT leakproof so don’t go tossing it in a bag or carrying it upside down.

DIGITAL

• Sunsama: Sunsama is the only way I can keep things on track at home and work and extra curricular. Shared affiliate link will get folks $20 in Sunsama credits.
• Cursor: I’ve been playing with vibe coding the last year or so and Cursor just feels like sorcery.

INVISIBLE

“Never let short term greed get in the way of long term greed.”

I read this almost 15 years ago and it stuck with me.

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The Sweetapolita Bakebook / Castro’s Cuba

Issue No. 87

THE SWEETAPOLITA BAKEBOOK – TRANSFORM BAKING STAPLES INTO (EDIBLE!) FINE ART

The Sweetapolita Bakebook: 75 Fanciful Cakes, Cookies and More
by Rosie Alyea
Clarkson Potter
2015, 208 pages, 8.6 x 10.5 x 0.5 inches (softcover)

Buy on Amazon

Since she was a teenager, Rosie Alyea has been obsessed with “whipping up a sweet life.” She began as a professional baker and then veered into the world of entrepreneurship, launching a decadent beauty product line. In 2010, Alyea began dreaming up creative confections for her blog, Sweetapolita. Her ribbons of Swiss Meringue Buttercream piled up rave reviews, and with each colorful cake creation she cultivated an adoring crowd. Today, Sweetapolita has nearly half a million followers on Facebook, and now Alyea is also an author with her first cookbook, the The Sweetapolita Bakebook.

This bakebook is a showstopper, full of bright, vibrant pastels. Rosie obviously has a passion for color, evident in the line of every dazzling dessert she fashions. Her cookies transcend bakery staples into the realm of fine art. The buttery rounds are swimming with swirls of watercolor frosting and then dipped in edible gold so that they look like gilt-edged framed paintings, worthy of gracing any museum wall. Her infamous cakelets stand like fairytale towers, adorned with charming children’s fondant doodles in carnival colors.

If the Sweetapolita recipes look daunting, don’t despair. Rosie has included lots of basic baking and decorating techniques, as well as an extensive section stocked with easy favorite frostings and simple cakes. Even beginning bakers will find bite-sized inspiration in the shape of Jumbo Frosted Animal Crackers. If you appreciate the art of baking, this beautiful, drool-worthy book will become a source of inspiration. – Kaz Weida

CASTRO’S CUBA – 50 YEARS LATER, THE ISLAND NATION IS STILL CASTRO COUNTRY

Castro’s Cuba: An American Journalist’s Inside Look at Cuba 1959-1969
by Lee Lockwood
Taschen
2016, 360 pages, 10.3 x 13.6 x 1.4 inches (hardcover)

Buy on Amazon

Right now, Cuba is red hot, hotter even than when Ry Cooder introduced most of the world to the Buena Vista Social Club almost 20 years ago. Thanks to the normalization of relations between the United States and the Caribbean island nation, American tourists will soon have a new place to drink alcohol, lie in the sun, and complain about their ceviche – regular flights between the U.S. and Cuba begin at the end of August.

Despite the diplomatic thaw, though, Cuba is still Castro country. Fidel, who just turned, 90, may be out of the picture, but his younger brother, Raul (age 85), remains firmly in control. Which makes the new Taschen reprint and expansion of photojournalist Lee Lockwood’s 1967 Castro’s Cuba, Cuba’s Fidel so timely. The new 7 ½-pound, 360-page version – simplified to Castro’s Cuba — expands greatly on the original, supplementing the original 100 black-and-white photos with hundreds of color shots, a pair of essays by the late Castro documentarian Saul Landau, and, as usual with Taschen, high-production values.

Style, though, is not the book’s primary virtue. Its heart revolves around lengthy interviews Lockwood conducted with Fidel Castro in 1965, in which the revolutionary leader spelled out his vision for his country — from its agriculture to its education system to its arts. Castro considered the roles of his country’s institutions carefully, explaining at one point that what looked like political indoctrination to Americans was social education to the Cubans, who were, after all, being prepared for a new life in a new Communist society. “From an early age,” Castro tells Lockwood, “they must be discouraged from every egotistical feeling in the enjoyment of material things.” Lockwood captured examples of this social education with his camera, as seen in the numerous images of young people working in fields, but he was no propagandist for the Cuban leader who granted him so much exclusive access — Lockwood also got a priceless candid shot of two boys proudly posing with the latest album by The Beatles. – Ben Marks

Once a week we’ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because the possibilities they inspire are new. Sign up here to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.

What’s in my NOW? — Colby Black, P.I.