15' Alford Sea Kayak, Tursiops

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Drawn by a professional designer for his own use, Tur­siops is a most personal and versatile craft. Properly handled, she can cross incredibly wild water, find a placid pond, and leave the tranquility untouched.

Tursiops combines moderate speed with comforting behavior.

She’s wide at her rail (28″) — most American touring kayaks carry about 24″ beam, and many British boats are 22″ or less. This relatively great beam takes little from her top speed and practically nothing from her touring pace, but it makes Eskimo rolling more difficult. The point is that she won’t capsize easily — and if she does go over, “wet rescues” will be easier than for narrow boats. In any case, her beam and nicely shaped ends give her gentle manners — there’s no treachery in this kayak.

Construction Profile

Designer Mike Alford describes the criteria that led to Tursiops’ creation: “My goal was to get across four or five miles of open water from the mainland to a string of un­inhabited barrier islands. I needed to carry a fair amount of camera gear and a day’s rations. Any number of boats might seem satisfactory for this purpose, but the catch was that I didn’t want to stake a boat out or worry about tide stranding, vandalism, or motor theft. A sea kayak offered all the mobility and rough-water survivability called for, and had the advantage that it could stow un­obtrusively under a bush.”

The Alford Sea Kayak can be Eskimo rolled, but not easily.

Tursiops’ graceful lines belie her simple construc­tion — she has one of the prettiest sheet-plywood hulls we’ve seen. Alford has done a nice job of working the transition from the peaked foredeck to the flat (for secur­ing gear) afterdeck-often an awkward area in similar designs.

Frames and bottom construction drawings.

This friendly kayak might be a nearly perfect “impulse boat.” She’ll ride happily on top of your car waiting to explore a stream running unnoticed under a highway bridge, and she’ll tackle open water with equal enthusi­asm.

Plans for the Alford Sea Kayak include four sheets of drawings that show lines, offsets, construc­tion, profile and deck arrangement, and include patterns and templates. WB Plan No. 85. $45.00.

Plan 85
DESCRIPTION
Hull type: V-bottomed
Construction: Plywood over web frames
PERFORMANCE
* Suitable for: Protected waters
* Intended capacity: 1
Trailerable: Cartop
Propulsion: Double-paddle
Speed (knots): 4-5 1/2
BUILDING DATA
Skill needed: Basic to intermediate
Lofting required: Yes
* Alternative construction: None
PLANS DATA
No. of sheets: 4
Level of detail: Above average Cost per set: $45.00
WB Plan No. 85