Njord around the globe…

Friday, August 8, 2008, 4 comments

During my vacation I have received five launchings reports with Njords – in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and USA.

Juli 31 Erik Frantzen in Denmark mailed this report and these pics – a new beautifully built Njord (I saw it in Denmark last week)

Hello Björn

My Njord was launched at the summer meeting at Limfjorden. Some of those trying it were so impressed, that they ordered plans.

The hull is built quick-and-dirty, as you call it. It is fast work, but the strips need a good fit, otherwise gaps in the epoxy weekens the joints (perhaps more a feeling than actual knowledge). The deck is built staple-less. A routed grove in the molds made it possible to use sinmple clamps to hold the strips – assisted with hot glue where the strips tended to lift from the molds.

I intended to paint the entire kayak with Internationals Perfektion – the hull platinium and the deck royal blue. But in the end I left the deck clear, partly because I happened to have a can of Internationals Schooner and partly because the deck came out quite nicely.

The recesses for the hatyches are built in 3 mm plywood, hidden, perhaps not very elegantly, in black paint. Cockpit rim is carbon fiber to match the black hatches.

Regards
Erik Frantzen
www.kajakbyg.dk

Augusti 2 this mail and photos came from Carl Johan Steffen in Limhamn:

Hello Björn

Launched my Njord in early july after a hectic building period. Thanks for your help..

After some ten paddling days I am very satisfied, especially since I added hip- and backsupport. A leaky control line tubing have to be fixed coming winter.

Since this is just my second year in kayaking I do not have much to compare with, but the Njord is very easily manoevered with the skeg up, very easily driven and insensitive to wind and waves. I have not yet tried rolling.

With a little discipline there is room for all the gear needed. I have moved the bulkheads a little to make room for bulky items in the cockpit.

We found Bohuslän in july somewhat crowded with boats, so Tjust on the east coast came as a pleasant surprice; fewer boats and a really beautiful archipelago..

I am already contemplating my next building project, in a year or two – and looking forward to reduce the building time with at least fifty percent.

My Njord data:
Loa 5,20 m
Beam 50 cm
Weight 17,7 kg

Regards Carl Johan

The same day Magne Tollefsen from Skien in Norwaypresented a yellow Njord:

Hello Bjørn.

At last my Njord is finished, launched and paddled a couple of days. The cockpit is a little tighter than I would have thought, but I am getting used to it. It manoevers efficiently, rolls easily and I am eager to try it in open sea. As you see it is painted yellow. I use a paint from Jotun, called Hardtop, intended for fiberglass boats. I have not yet painted the insides, would you say that is needed?

Have already started thinking of my next project, but more on that later..

Thanks for the inspiration and good advices on your web page. I have linked to it from our paddle clubs site, so that my collegues can access all the information there.

Regards Magne.

August 4 this came from Dan Caouette in USA:

Hello Bjorn,

Excuse this very brief message. Things are crazy around here lately.

I thought you would be interested in hearing that [my customer] picked up his Njord last Saturday (July 26th). We did the final outfitting together at the shop. Final weight was 39 pounds. I little heavier than we wanted but the little bits add up fast (the hatches alone weigh almost a kilo!). He's thrilled with it. He raced it this weekend for the first time. Attached are a few pictures taken at the house and [my customer´s] race report.

"At the race yesterday, I was on the low side of Bjorn's prediction for speed, about 5.6 mph average, over 12.5 miles. It was a long race for me and the [Connecticut] River was a little elevated with a fair current so it was tiring. I picked up speed downstream but am not as skilled at river running as I am at sea kayaking. I'm never quite sure of the best line to take. Still I got a second place because I was in the Touring Class with only two kayaks! (That's the class where the boat has to be at least 18" wide at the 4" waterline.) I am waiting for my [Bughead] Akuilisaq which should come this week and then will go off shore as soon as I can get the opportunity. I picked up a little scratch on the very bottom of the stern, nothing at all, but I think I'll put some body guard a few inches up the stern.

I love the kayak and you did an exceptional job on it! Many many thanks."

I still have 5 or 6 blog entries to post on the construction and I need to work up the gallery page. Consider this a sneak preview...

Thanks,
Dan

…och finally (this far!), on augusti 6, Gösta Schwartz in Kalmar, a builder of many kayaks, sent this:

 

Hello Björn.

Pics of my latest, a Njord.

Abacci in the hull,Brazilian Cedar in the deck, inlays in aspen, weight 17,3 kg.

Regards Gösta in Kalmar.