Reliance Tandem Kayak

Product Description

The Reliance 20-8 Tandem kayak is a comfortable and efficient two-person kayak design from Bear Mountain Boats.

As the name implies, this is a reliable boat with enough stability to be make kayaking comfortable in a range of weather conditions. The Reliance gives a calm, unhurried impression even when cruising at top speed.

The beam also provides plenty of volume for carrying cargo. The two watertight compartments can be accessed through optional deck hatches for stowing your gear and they provide buoyancy to keep the boat afloat in the event of a capsize.

Ted Moores of Bear Mountain Boats is the author of Kayakcraft, the standard reference book for wood-strip kayak building. The book is recommended to accompany the kit or plans. It is packed with tips and techniques and has inspired countless first-time kayak builders around the world.

Length

6.3 m (20′ 8″)

Maximum beam

725 mm (28½″)

Beam waterline

685 mm (27″)

Beam gunwale

725 mm (28½″)

Bow height

405 mm (16″)

Centre depth

230 mm (9″)

Displacement

231 kg (510 lb)

Draught

122 mm (4.8″)

Wetted surface

3.04 m² (32.7 sq ft)

Weight to immerse

145 lb/in

Prismatic coefficient

0.561

Weight

22.5-27 kg (50-60 lb)

Cockpit opening

785 × 432 mm (31″ × 17″)

Kit

We manufacture our kits to the highest standard using European-grown Paulownia for the planking strips. Uniquely, the strips in our Bear Mountain Boats kits have not only a bead-and-cove profile but also a pre-cut finger joint at each end, making the neat joining of strips even easier for builders at home.

The kit includes:

• Plans
• Instructions booklet
• CNC-cut building forms
• Paulownia strips with bead-and-cove edges and finger joints on both ends
• Ash stem strips
• Paulownia sheer clamps
• Sapele sheer guards (rubrails)
• Marine plywood bulkheads and cockpit coaming
• Fabric covered foam seat and backband
• Adjustable footbraces
• Waterproof glue for the strips
• Epoxy resin and activator
• Dispensing pumps
• Digital scales
• Epoxy fillers
• Woven glass fabric on a roll
• Free technical support from a competent builder

Please note that the kit does not include the box beam strongback for mounting the building forms on. You can either use a straight length of suitable timber or order the box-beam strongback we supply.

Hatches are not included as standard. There are many ways of making and fastening kayak hatches and we can supply the parts.

What else do I need?

Strongback

This strongback is made up of CNC-cut MDF panels that fit together to form a strong and stiff box beam measuring 200 mm × 200 mm and long enough to build the boat. You'll need a pair of trestles or sawhorses to raise it to a comfortable working height.

Plans and Instructions (not required by kit purchasers)

The plans contain sufficient information to make it possible to build the boat from scratch rather than a kit. The plans are printed in colour and include scale plans and full size drawings for all the forms.