Building a Greenland Kayak

John Petersen built a Greenland skin-on-frame kayak at Robert Morris's Brewery Creek Small Boat Shop in Vancouver, BC. John recommends the 5 day class to anyone who might be interested in making traditional Artic skin boats. Robert Morris wrote a book on this subject entitled "Building Skin-on-Frame Boats". WaveLength Paddling Magazine article on Brewery Creek Small Boat Shop. Read other articals about skin-on-frame kayaks. QAANNAT KATTUFFIAT, the Greenland Kayak Association.

John performed a traditional Inuit ceremony before taking his boat on its maiden voyage. An interesting part of the ceremony involves the men of the village urinating on the kayak to remove oils/smells from the kayak left by the women of the village as they stitched the skins. Hunting from a kayak is a difficult and dangerous task and men wanted to make sure that the animals wouldn't pickup the women's scent.

The name of his boat is "Ningeq". Which means,"Hunters share", i.e. that hunter who lands the first harpoon in the animal,gets the choicest cut of meat to give to his family.

More information can be obtained at John's web site: shamankayaks.com.

Below are pictures of the building process, the initiation ceremony, and finally getting out on the water.

Click on picture to see larger image

Brewery Creek
Small Boat Shop

Measuring
keelson depth

Lashing the
chine stringers

Fitting my boat
on for size

Using a traditional
artic drill

Stichin the
ballistic nylon

Cockpit detail

Paddle detail

Seal effigy toggles

Smudging the boat

The urination

Refugio State Beach

Heading out

On the water

Click on picture to see larger image

Brewery Creek Small Boat Shop	Measuring keelson depth	Lashing the chine stringers

Fitting my boat on for size	Using a traditional artic drill	Stichin the ballistic nylon

Cockpit detail	Paddle detail	Seal effigy toggles

Smudging the boat	The urination	Refugio State Beach

Heading out	On the water