Today (5/7/20) I launched my Yukon (18’x 20.5”) designed by Nick Schade. The build took 235 man-hours spread over a ten-month period. The boat was built with 3/16” strips on the hull and 1/8” on the deck (WRC with Alaskan Yellow accents). The strips and forms were purchased as a special order from CLC. The interior was glassed with 4oz S-glass (C0427S) and exterior is 3oz tight weave E-glass (C0338) both from US Composits. The bulkheads, cockpit recess and coaming assembly were all built with 3mm Sapelle plywood. Bare hull weight is 31.2# which includes the three rails required to mount the Stellar foot brace. Fully rigged, the boat weighs 36#.
I will write a more detailed performance report once I get sufficient miles on the boat, but I was quite happy with my five-mile paddle today. The boat is a bit more stable than the Mystery and certainly more maneuverable. I did not paddle hard because I have a race this Saturday, but at my all-day pace (heart rate ~130-135) the boat seemed just as fast as the Mystery. During one brief (1/4 mile) full power run, the Yukon appeared to be a solid 0.2 mph slower than the Mystery. I believe that this will be an excellent boat for long (15+ mile races) and for racing in the USCA Sea Kayak Class. I had originally planned to race this boat in the 20 mile BLBF race end of May, but with its cancellation I guess I will wait for the 24 mile race in Knoxville in August.
