Photo courtesy of Nick Millward.
Welcome to little SHIP kayaks !
To find out more about my company, please click About.
For your own little SHIP kayaks trucker hat, please click Trucker Hats.
I am currently prototyping seakayaks and compact camping trailers. It's been a slow journey to get a shop together, ID suppliers, create adequate storage, and begin developing rapid-prototyping methodologies. But I'm finally here!
If you are interested in being part of the prototyping process, please contact me.
Why kayaks and camping trailers? Good question! Kayak design has been a personal obsession for several years, and originally this was only going to be a sea kayak/adventure racing canoe/micro-sailer company. However, even among my friends most irretrievably lost to the romance of Pacific Coastal paddling, their greatest need was not a boat. It was sane lodging. Nights crammed in the back of Honda Civics and Subarus, sleeping next to wet gear, are the norm (and I'm talking about people all the way up into their 60's.) So partly, the compact camping trailers are a concession to a known market. Using similar construction methods helps me leverage the existing shop and get some economies of scale.
I feel that camping trailers are the safest bet for an economically viable company, but they are in service to a higher goal. The kayaks are in more direct service to that higher goal, and as such, they are indispensible even though they may be more of a long shot.
The other option for wood kayak building is strip built. Such boats offer smoother shapes, and can be incredibly beautiful, but they are not as strong per pound, and they are too time intensive for rapid prototyping. I intend for LSK to be playful, innovative, and churn out prototypes for real world testing.
I will try SUP and fishing kayaks, but my first focus is 1) really bomber surf-capable day touring kayaks, 2) closed deck, low windage sail-touring canoes, and 3) a "mule" boat, i.e. a compact, sealed deck, tandem load hauler for short distances/rough water/beginners, and easy self-rescue. Longer term ambitions are a touring-capable surf ski, a paddleable micro-sailer, and a serious rough water kayak for capable teenagers and smaller adults.
The point is, I am specifically focussing on rapid prototyping methodology as that complements my construction methods. Yes, that makes me less focussed than I want to be as a start up, but 1) the diversity speeds up my general product development learning curve, and 2) I'm more likely to find niche markets not adequately served by the big boat companies. So it is sort of an investment in learning.
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Sea Kayaks
I am working on various prototypes for serious ocean paddling in the Pacific Northwest. I believe that hand made wooden boats are inherently superior in strength-to-weight, but they have been overlooked and underdeveloped due to the pressures for cheap mass production. My goal is to make boats for the paddler, not the factory owner.
Camping Trailers
I am also working on affordable, top-quality, minimalist camping trailers. "Mini" campers have exploded in popularity, but also size, cost, and frills! My design family seeks to take the towability and simplicity of classic teardrops, but add more fresh air, a place to sit while dressing, and a small "floor" area for wet shoes. Unlike virtually all living-room style campers, the lengthwise bed placement allows full-length mattresses. The design influences are intentionally classic and include Basque sheep wagons and Vardos (Gypsy caravans).