A small and easily launched kayak gives me an outing and lets me explore in a way that the skiff wouldn’t accommodate. Quite often really all I am interested in is to get a little exercise for my upper body and some vigorous paddling with the Pond Skipper allows me to look around in very shallow waters if I choose and explore to my heart’s content. She is light weight, can carry paddlers up to 250 lbs. without a problem, and is more exciting to use than her plastic roto-molded sisters. The building is easy and uses 4mm marine plywood and our venerable Stitch and Glue building method. She is a proper project for those long winter evenings when warm water and warm days are nothing more than dim memories.

For my own boat, I keep two of them on board, one for me and one for my wife, easily launched over the side and just waiting us to start poking around. I take my binoculars with me now as I have found my interest flows to birding, a pursuit that I had years ago but have recently been enjoying again.

She is a great little boat, an easy paddler, lightweight and really does her job very, very well! We arent pretending that she is the type of boat to paddle to Alaska and back in, but for a cartoppable boat, or if you want to add a couple like me to your mothership, these little Pond Skipper kayaks are a real joy! Plans are $65 dollars and call us to request prices for a simple plywood kit.

— Sam Devlin

The Pond Skipper is available in study and construction plans.

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