Reviews

I love my kayak--what a work of art! Makes me feel at home in smooth and choppy water, and I feel so lucky to have this beautiful way of exploring the world. I've been able to get out onto Lake Washington even more regularly than I hoped. Thanks again so much.

“I had no expectations for the kayak building workshop with Seawolf Kayaks other than hard work and a great boat when I was finished. I had no idea how it was going to go in between. From the very beginning I was thrilled with the incredible leadership and teaching skills exhibited by the Seawolf staff leading us student builders every step of the way. A very clear demonstration prefaced every step of the process. It was intense hard work all day every day for 10 days. But oh, so gratifying! I discovered immense joy in the entire process, beginning with the framing work and finally sewing the skin onto the frame; in making my new kayak. Creating this kayak with Seawolf Kayaks was the most fun I think I’ve ever had creating something. And the kayak is a living thing of beauty and grace that I will enjoy paddling for years to come. An unexpected present was the discovery that it smells like fresh cut cedar, even a month after completion!

Yes, you can just buy one of these kayaks, but if you like the idea of building something for yourself instead of simply buying it, then this is for you. If a skin-on-frame kayak is something you want, or if you want to learn about skin-on-frame construction before building something on your own, then you'll get your money's worth. If you're in a position to seriously consider spending nine days building a kayak from scratch, then you should do it. Buy the ticket. Take the ride. Do it now!

I had heard from Adriana that a skin on frame kayak building course would be run at Lots Ait in London 2015 by Kiliii from Seattle and I decided I should be there. I was not disappointed. The location was inspirational, an old boatyard on the Thames. Kiliii was inspirational too with interesting stories of the culture of his people and others around the Northern lands. The instruction and demos were easy to follow, with great tips and well selected materials. Kilii's song and guitar for entertainment in between with barbecue nights and learning to light a fire with sticks all made for a great experience. The kayak model I chose to build was a Kurki, but more of that in the kayak reviews. I recommend this as a once in a lifetime experience and I learned enough to build my own design the following year!

I throughly enjoyed the experience of building my skin-on-frame kayak with Seawolf Kayak. Kiliii's years of experience clearly shows through by how well he has refined the construction process into a series of very manageable steps. His calm, relaxed demeanor fosters a team spirit making it a delightful environment in which to learn and build, so much so that, each evening, I found myself looking forward to the next day's session. An my kayak is a joy to paddle: light and responsive. I'm already signed up for the next workshop in my area.

Meeting Kiliii and getting to know him, is worth the class in itself. Building a kayak with old and new friends is a memory for a lifetime #Bucketlist. The class was timed well. Time flew. We were busy but in a way that felt good. Kiliii and Robin were always there to help and it didn't seem hard to build it at all. The day you put your own kayak in the water, you have the biggest smile on your face. That feeling can be described but has to be experienced. I went for multiple trips this summer and the boat handles perfect in all conditions. Want to do it again.

I loved every minute of it. The class is masterfully planned and there is a beautiful presence of organic creativity throughout it, you can really imagine how they built then thousands of years ago to this day. The most impressive part is that the modern kayak handles better and weighs less than their modern counterparts. Building my first kayak with Kiliii in the London workshop changed my life, now 3 years later we're hosting the 3rd workshop together in Finland, looking forward to many more - thank you.

I was so fortunate to take a class with Kiliii a couple years ago at his home base in seattle. I have nothing short of praise, appreciation, and wonder for the skills he is preserving and teaching. I’ve taken courses in the past building many things I enjoy and use in my life, from hand forging my kitchen knives to welding up a titanium mountain bike, but nothing was as fulfilling and fun as building my first skin boat. The entire process was not only interesting but it really tapped into a vein of mans historical connection with the sea. There is something kind of inexplainable about building a boat you made by hand and trusting it in an open ocean or river. It still blows my mind every time I am out in it and feel the water through a thin piece of canvas skin.

I had been waiting to take the class for about 2 years and thoroughly enjoyed both the instruction and fellowship of the class participants. I had one concern last fall as I pulled out my kayak and found that the skin was quite loose. Further inspection found that mold had fixed itself to a few of the ribs. I was a bit surprised at this as we live in a very arid environment. However, it was September and the nights were beginning to cool. I used a light solution of bleach and cleaned the mold. Since then I have kept the craft inside and the skin popped back to it's original and beautiful design. Just a heads up on storing your boats.

I had not done any creative classes in years. It was really fun. I am pretty good with tools & I was able to do what needed to be done to build the boat. The sewing & lashing was fairly easy for me because I sew & have been a girl scout.

Building a kayak in your Portland workshop was one of the best creative experiences of my life, so I encourage others to enroll. This is a project that could change your life.