Kayak 3.0, Contemporary Builders; Brian Schulz, Cape Falcon Kayak

East Greenland Replica fron Nuuk, ca. Mid 20th C. Greenland National Museum

Deck fittings. Brian had this to say about this Qajaq:

"The mysterious East Greenland kayak, ultra low volume, fast, manuverable. Let's be clear, there is not a lot of stability in a boat of this type. The kayak will spear through all but the smallest waves. It will not roll as well as a West Greenland boat with a more bouyant cross section. Yet, despite all this, it remains one of my favorite kayaks. There is something so sweet about slicing it across flat water, silent, easy and intimate. The East Greenland kayaks are just something you see and fall in love with, and that's a good enough reason as any to build one. "

Brian Schulz' latest experiment, the Rhino

Rhino in the surf

My favorite, the F1

1935 Sisimuit Replica, which Brian considers his favorite Greenland Qajaq.

Brian built a skin on frame version of Joel White's Shearwater and cruised it inthe Sea of Cortez, Mexico.

camp

all photos courtesy Brian Shulz, Cape Falcon Kayaks

Brian Schulz is obsessed with kayaks, their design, their construction, their performance. Although he occasionally builds another kind of boat, his production and interest and experimentation is almost exclusively with skin of frame kayaks. Well versed in traditional kayak design and construction, Brian doesn't shy away from working with newer designs and concepts to achieve a desired result. What we find here is exuberant, robust and intriguing. His website is a must, and Harvey Golden assures me that Brian's building classes are a great introduction into the world of traditional kayak building, whether one is looking to build a traditional Greenland style, a Baidarka or one of Brian's more contemporary designs. You can also commission Brian to build you one of many designs. The Cape Falcon website includes a wealth of information, and is frequently updated with Brian's latest research project. Before you plunk down 4k on that latest kevlar boat, glimpse where it all came from and why a skin on frame might serve your purposes better. I think Brian makes a good case. Brian Schulz is also a very active participant in the Qajaq USA Greenland forum and you can learn tons about these type boats there.