The Deck
In recent years, great advances have been made in the technology of the fabric industry. "Polytech" is one of the revolutionary new fabrics of the outdoor industry. It has proven to be a robust material that remains dimensionally stable in and out of a water environment. We changed from the standard Cordura to Poly-Tech because we now had a choice.
Poly-Tech begins with a 420 denier high tenacity nylon balanced weave fabric. A 4 1/2 oz. per sq. yd. urethane coating on the outside is embossed (patterned) to give it the touch and appearance of fabric. The inside is coated with 2 oz. per sq. yd. of urethane. These multiple applications of urethane create a total water-barrier. The fabric can be welded, is completely waterproof, abrasion resistant, and fade-resistant.
Poly-Tech color choices: Teal, Yellow, Green, Red, Blue, Black
The Hull
Duratek -- This fabric has been exclusively designed to our specifications, and extensively field-tested. The abrasion resistant qualities of urethane was proven long ago, however it remained a difficult fabric to bond using conventional gluing methods. Now using welding technology, we have been able to utilize this versatile compound. To create the hull fabric, the process begins with a ballistic 840 denier high tenacity nylon balanced weave fabric. The fabric is first impregnated with a polyurethane solution coat, followed by a series of additional polyurethane solution coats. The impregnation of the solution coat to the base fabric ensures a complete bond with no delaminating. The material is finished to our weight specifications using multiple layers of polyurethane. This unique, lengthy process results in a supple fabric designed to be heat sealable, and highly abrasion resistant.
We estimate that 80% of wear and abrasion occurs along the keel and chine areas of the hull. Reinforcement of these sections has always been standard in our hull construction. Our new welding technology allows us to apply solid urethane reinforcement strips, almost 2 inches wide, on all of our hulls. This type of welding has never before been accomplished in the outdoor industry. To make a quick fix with duct tape, first clean the area with rubbing alcohol, or sand the patch and the area to be patched.
How long will the hull last? Treated with the same care as a fibreglass hull, you can expect 20 - 30 years of use.
A word about reinforcements
It is very important to understand that about 80% of all wear on a hull is directly under the keel and chine bars. Because of this, ALL Feathercraft hulls have keel and chine reinforcement strips on the outside. This is labor-intensive and expensive work.Check the competition! In our view, a hull is not complete without these strips. Note that, at present, no urethane hull, nor any folding kayak on the market in the lower-end price range, has reinforcement strips. All Feathercraft Kayaks also have reinforcements on the inside of the hull at wear-points. No other manufacturer does this.
Sponsons
Sponsons are air tubes welded from supported urethane fabric and are inside the skin on each side of the kayak. Each sponson is inside a protective fabric sleeve and is easily removed for repair or replacement. Sponsons tension the skin and add to the stability of the kayak.
The Frame
The aluminum frame is built from 6061-T6 aluminum/magnesium alloy -- the same material used in the aircraft industry -- and has been clear anodized for corrosion resistance. The properties of aluminum are well known: strong, light-weight, and resilient.
The crossribs used in the K1, K2, Klondike, Khatsalano and Wisper boats are made from high-density polyethylene. This is an almost indestructible plastic which helps hold the shape of the kayak when assembled. For the Kahuna, we use injection-molded polycarbonate cross-ribs. These are lighter-weight than the polyethylene crossribs, helping to make the Kahuna one of the lightest kayaks on the market.
The crossribs in a kayak frame hold apart the main longitudinal frame parts, thereby defining the shape of the kayak. Ideally they should also act to cushion the impact of water or land against the long frame members. In our early kayaks we used both high density polyethylene plastic and aluminum crossribs. We found that the aluminum ones were prone to breaking at the joints with other frame parts. The plastic parts did not and also acted as shock absorbers for the whole frame. We don't use wood because it is prone to breakage. All of our crossribs are now either polyethylene or polycarbonate plastic.
The crossrib must be held securely to the framework, but not too tightly.
If the rib is held too tightly too much stress may be transmitted to the aluminum tube and it may eventually fail. Some flex at the joint is also desirable for the kayak to perform well at sea. We have developed a number of systems for attaching crossribs that have stood the passage of time.
All fasteners and hardware are either aluminum or stainless steel.
The Folding of a Kayak
Ingenious design features have been incorporated to each model. The framework assembly of each model has similar characteristics, yet each is uniquely different. Longitudanal sections are shock-corded together like tent poles. To minimize assembly steps, chine and gunwale tubes for both the bow and stern frame sections are permanently attached to keel reinforcements plates. Deck bars are used as lever bars to extend the frame sections tightly into the skin. No additional tools are required for assembly. Because the framework is sectional, should damage occur, the individual section can easily be repaired or replaced. Crosspieces are either hand-cut from high density polyethylene, or are injected molded polycarbonate, depending on the model.
The Coaming
As of 2005, the Klondike, Kahuna, Big Kahuna and Wisper were changed to a built-in coaming system. All other models were changed to this system in 2006. Prior to this, all Feathercraft kayaks had rigid fiberglass coamings.
Built-in coaming The built-in coaming system makes assembly easier, ensures that the coaming will always be watertight, and is less susceptible to breakage during shipping.
As part of the design change with the built-in coaming, cockpit bracing bars were added. The built-in coaming continues to allow the use of the sea sock and spray skirt as usual.
The coaming rim is made of fabric sleeves sewn and welded to the cockpit opening. In the sleeves are sewn 1/2" high density foam inserts. At the bow and stern ends of the coaming 1/4" plastic (high-density polyethylene) inserts are also inserted permanently into the sleeves. Separate 1/4" HDPE side inserts slide into pockets along the underside of the built-in rim. These side inserts are removed when rolling up the skin. The sea socks and spray skirts are attached in the same way as the fibreglass coamings. Thigh brace bars fit on either side of the cockpit. For the best fit of the cockpit, and best bracing, insert the bars; for a roomier cockpit, leave them out. The bars add rigidity to the cockpit which is useful when one lifts the kayak at the cockpit.
The new welded cockpits are slightly larger than the fibreglass coamings. Therefore, the sprayskirts and seasocks are now slightly larger. These will fit either the new welded system or models with the fibreglass coamings.
The Rudder
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Rudder
All Feathercrafts, except the K-Light (now discontinued), Kahuna models, Wisper, and Khatsalano, come with a flip-up ("surf") rudder. A rudder is optional on the Kahuna models and the Khatsalano. The Wisper does not accept a rudder due to the shape of the stern. The flip-up surf rudder was introduced by Feathercraft in the late 1980's and has become a classic design. It has since been copied by Aquaterra, Current Designs, Wilderness Systems and others. In 1994, we introduced an injection-molded disc that is 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter. This is now the easiest of all rudders to raise and lower.
Our rudder system also features an airfoil cross-section blade that is stiffer and creates less drag than a fin cut from flat sheet. All rudder components are formed and cut by a CNC machine. This is a computer controlled router machine. This adds to the smooth operation of the rudder and the consistant shape of all parts.
Deck • Hull • Reinforcements • Sponsons • Frame • Folding • Coaming • Rudder
