Eastern Arctic Kayaks

Eastern Arctic Kayaks is the product of years of kayak study by two of the world's experts. Combining analyses of form and function with historical background and illustrations of kayaking techniques, this volume will appeal to recreational kayakers and scholarly readers alike. An excerpt from John Brand's Little Kayak Book series makes this British publication available to American readers for the first time.

Across the vast expanse of northern lands from eastern Siberia to Greenland, Aboriginal peoples created fifty to sixty different models of kayaks. This book treats Canada’s share of this spectrum, which is broken down into three kayak groups: Mackenzie, Central Canadian and East Canadian. This is an initial survey of the history and construction of kayaks in the Canadian Arctic.

Across the vast expanse of northern lands from eastern Siberia to Greenland a great variety of native kayaks were created by the Koryak, Chukchi, Aleut, Yuit and Inuit. Some fifty or sixty different models can be distinguished, and further subvarieties as well, which scholars group into about a dozen major lots or families. Canada's share of this spectrum is the subject of this essay which deals with three kayak groups, labelled for convenience "Mackenzie", "Central Canadian", and "East Canadian". Each is treated mainly in terms of historical records and construction. Variation within each grouping is discussed, but without more study a definitive statement is not possible. This essay is just an initial survey of Canada's kayaks. A score of scale lines drawings, mostly of kayaks in the Canadian Museum of Civilization, are included along with some photographs.

This amply illustrated book documents the construction of a Bering Sea-style kayak made in the community of Hooper Bay, Alaska, under the direction of Dick Bunyan. Written as journal entries, the text details construction from the initial splitting of the wood to the final fitting of the cockpit lashings. (Reprinted without blueprints)

After his astounding 12,000-mile canoe trip from Winnipeg down to the Amazon (recounted in his bestseller Paddle to the Amazon on page 48), Don Starkell decided to paddle a kayak from Hudson Bay 3,000 miles through the Northwest Passage. This is Don's diary of this journey from Churchill, Manitoba, to Tuktoyaktuk, close to Alaska, a voyage by kayak (paddled on water or dragged on a sled over the ice) that took him three Arctic summers and almost cost him his life. Through this compelling book we find ourselves sharing his blazing, driving determination to reach his goal, as he closes in on his destination, with his supplies running out and his ocean highway freezing over, making death a near certainty. Armchair travel at its best.

The first two papers describe King Island and North Baffin kayaks, their construction and their equipment. Other articles are on kayak design variation, Greenland kayaks, “kayak fear”, Canadian revival and the fascinating Aleut designs. All papers are illustrated and reflect the Canadian Museum of Civilization’s collection.

" ... [This book] leads you step-by-step through the process of creating your own lashed-frame, fabric-covered, custom-fitted Greenland kayak, using inexpensive, easy-to-find materials and common woodworking tools. ..."--Back cover.