Wood Duck 14 Hybrid

 The Wood Duck 14 Hybrid substitutes cedar strips for the standard plywood deck of the  Wood Duck 14, while the stitch-and-glue hull and underbody are identical to the standard version. Thus it's a "hybrid" of strip-planking and stitch-and-glue building techniques. Wood Duck Hybrids offer builders with more woodworking skills the opportunity to customize their kayaks with creative strip patterns and designs.  Both versions are big, versatile kayaks in a compact, ultralight, easy-to-build package. 

As a curious historical note, "hybrid" as a term describing a plywood kayak with a cedar-stripped deck actually predates the rise of the hybrid automobile.  We still get a lot of emails wondering if the Wood Duck Hybrids are electric-powered (they are not). 

By having designer Eric Schade add a little more volume to the Wood Duck 10 and Wood Duck 12 designs, however, we could help out two kinds of paddlers:  those who need a really generous amount of room for comfort, or those who need the space in the cockpit for a toddler or---more commonly---a big dog.  The Wood Duck 14 is also an amazing platform for serious fishing.  Again, the cockpit is absolutely voluminous.

Because of its size, we don't recommend the Wood Duck 14 for paddlers under 200 pounds unless there is also a need for the extra-long cockpit opening.  We'd suggest a rudder for lighter paddlers.  The Wood Duck 14 is ideal for all conditions, from placid narrow creeks to open bays.

The amount of cockpit volume indicated a need for watertight bulkheads both fore and aft, so those are standard in the kit to make it easier to self-rescue.  Flush deck hatches are also standard in the kit. 

The Wood Duck Hybrid’s hull is identical to the standard Wood Duck’s, with computer-cut BS 1088 Okoume panels assembled with “puzzle joints” so it goes together very, very quickly.  Computer-cut molds are set into the hull with temporary hot glue.  These molds shape and support the deck during construction.  With the kit, we include precision-milled bead-and-cove Western Red and Alaskan Yellow cedar strips.  The strips are milled with a “bead and cove” joint so that one slides into the next for perfect joinery.  

Once the deck pattern has been established and glued together, the entire deck is gently taken off the hull and the underside fiberglassed.  The molds are removed from the hull, then the deck is epoxied back in place.  Finally, the top of the strip deck is fiberglassed and the cockpit and hatches are added.

Our strip-built and hybrid kits ship with 50% Western Red and 50% Alaskan Yellow cedar bead & cove strips. Photos on our website and printed materials may show patterns and accent strips with walnut or other materials. Optional walnut strips are available and can be shipped with kit orders. 

Plans for the Wood Duck 14 include full-sized patterns for every part, the comprehensive step-by-step instruction manual, and of course materials lists and finishing detail.

Do you fit in this kayak?  Study our kayak fit chart.