As a matter of expediency, Anders bends all the ribs himself. We help him, and watch to see how it's done. It's really performance art. In our class, Anders bent the ribs for four kayaks in one day! Here are some pics, in no particular order.

We soak the wood for the ribs overnight in big plastic bags filled with water, and then put them in the steamer.



Working quickly, Anders bends a rib just right, and the student marks the spot where it meets the gunnels. Then Anders cuts the ends and trims them to fit into their slots.








The piece of wood wedged between the deck beam and the keelson is what gives the kayak its rocker.








You can be sure that keelson is straight! It's the way the pics are displayed that make it look a little off.





























Sighting down the kayak to make sure everything is straight and symmetrical. Anders does this with every rib.


One day about midway through the course, we took a break and paddled a little. We tried out Kurt's kayaks, plus Ragnar's, who hadn't had time to finish it yet. It still needed a few more coats of paint, and deck lines.
Kurt had built kayaks in earlier classes.


Tor-Erik and Anders launch.






Tor-Erik paddles one of Kurt's kayaks


Ragnar launches a still-white Midnattsol (Midnight Sun) for the first time.






Anders





Anders and Ragnar












Stian








Tor-Erik tries out Midnattsol