BUILDING THE OOTEK SEA KAYAK

This is a 17.5 ft  low profile Greenland style sea kayak with soft chines. I chose this design for its obvious compatibility for use with a traditional Greenland paddle. It turned out to have particularly good rough water stability as a bonus.

Unaltered, the deck height is not suitable for a foot size of more than UK 9.5 - Euro 44 on a six ft tall person. Despite its low profile, the Ootek can carry a 240 lb paddler without any problem. Smaller paddlers seem to find it quite amenable too.

I fitted this boat with a skeg, and it definitely benefits from it, stiffening the boat up nicely while off the wind on long reaches.