About

Learn to make a 16-foot, strip-built cedar kayak from start to its fiberglass finish with guidance from Joe Greenley, designer of the beautiful boats sold by Redfish Kayaks in Port Townsend.

There is no materials fee for students who want to work on the main class project, which will be sold at auction to benefit the BARN Woodworking & Small Boat Building Shop. There will also be space for a limited number of students to build kayaks to take home, but these students must purchase the necessary materials. The kits, from Redfish Kayaks, cost $1,695 or $1,295, depending on the model. 

The class is ideal for beginning woodworkers, as well as more seasoned woodworkers who want to enhance their skills in hand tools and experience the comaraderie of working on wooden boats as a team. With minimum power tool use, students will focus on using planes, spoke shaves and various measuring tools to achieve a high degree of craftsmanship.

The class will provide a strong base for anyone who wants to build a kayak on their own or with friends or family. Open studio time in the boatbuilding area within the BARN woodshop will be dedicated to strip kayak building in the fall.

Questions about the class should be directed to Michael Gunderson at gunderhatch@yahoo.com.

Instructors: Joe Greenley, founder of Redfish Kayaks,  and Michael Gunderson, head of the boatbuilding programs at BARN.