This weekend I had a few hours to spare on Friday night so I embarked on a project I had been looking forward to for some time – to build an Avataq, a Greenland Kayak hunting float, not for the purpose of hunting but as a rolling aid to help teaching, as well as to learn a couple of rolls that require the use of an Avataq strapped to the kayak.
The is a well known book on building Greenland Kayaks by Christopher Cunningham, it contains plans for many accessories including a hunting float. The book contains detailed instructions on making a float using heat seal-able nylon. I was not interested in building one this way, I wanted instead to make one from neoprene.I researched what was the best material and bonding method, I opted for 3mm neoprene with a contact cement for bonding and a heat sealing tape over the joints as well as a “baseball stitch” sewing method for strengthening the joints with thread.
I started by transferring the pattern onto thick paper (a brown paper grocery store bag opened up). I drew one inch squares over an area 24″ by 18″ and then used this to map out the shape from Christopher Cunningham’s book. I then cut the pattern out and marked the center line so I could create the three different individual pieces from the one pattern.
I transferred the shapes to the neoprene using tailors chalk, I purchased neoprene on a roll which allowed me to get all three pieces from one 18″ strip, laid out side by side.
Next I cut each piece out of the 3mm neoprene trying to keep each edge as smooth as possible.I then sewed each seam together. While doing this I realized that the corners where not going to work well for neoprene based on the books pattern so I rounded each corner with about a 3/4 inch round. This allowed each end to be sewn into a nice curved “neck” and “tail” instead of the original pattern that would have created an odd star like end. After I had sewn each seam I sealed them with neoprene cement, and then ironed heat seal-able tape over the joint. I fixed the nozzle (purchased from NRS) into a small PVC tube which I cemented into one of the flippers which I had reduced in size to make it a snug fit (diameter).The end product looks like a baby seal but was tiny in comparison with the Brooks Avataq which is at least double the size of the Cunningham pattern.