Reviews
Wolfgang Brinck
1615 Seaborn Ct.
Alameda, CA 94501
Telephone: (510) 846-5488
email: boats@wolfgangbrinck.com
Reviews of The Aleutian Kayak
The Aleutian Kayak was the first comprehensive manual on traditional native kayak construction published in the United States. The book was first published in 1993 and went out of print in 2004. I am currently working on a new edition of the book.The following are reviews from various sources. The most gratifying to me were the personal letters from people for whom boat building opened up new vistas and possiblilities.
From the Publisher
For true traditionalists, here are the first complete plans and detailed building instructions for authentic Aleutian Kayak, the ancient voyaging and hunting craft of the nomadic Unangan of Alaska. Based on originals in museums in Oregon and California, these lightweight (35 Pounds, 17 feet long) skin-on-frame sea kayaks can be built to fit the owner's exact dimensions, using simple hand tools and readily obtainable materials, for less than $200, including paddles,spray skirt, and traditional paddling jacket. Known as Baidarkas among the Russian settlers of Alaska, these unique native American craft evolved over centuries to carry heavy loads swiftly over long distances in wind and wave, ideal for modern sea kayakers looking for an alternative to plastic replicas of short-range Greenland-style boats.A Reader from the Faroe Islands
I found your book "The Aleutian Kayak" in the internet bookstore Amazon.com and was so thrilled by it that I am about to finish the frame, I have just to lash the cockpit coaming to the deckbeams and gunwales. I am very excited now when I have got as far as that. I expect that in 3-4 weeks to start paddling.Anyway, I have had great fun building it, and now I am very excited as this is my first ever kayak!
Thanks for a brilliant book on the baidarka!
Mr. Róin Clementsen
Sandur
The Faroe Islands.
A Barnes and Noble customer
September 11, 2002,This book is wonderful. Contains many diagrams and pictures. With the information in this book, you could build your own Baidarka (Canvas Aleutian Kayak). I keep this book handy, and have read it often. Contains lots of information and instruction. Info is also given to allow one to scale a craft to their own body size and proportions, covers materials and decorating your finished craft. Blends old world technology with modern materials. A must have for any Kayak enthusiast.
Some Amazon Customers
a profound experience, April 11, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from oakdale, ny United States
Having built the boat in this book was a profound experience for me. I now understand the workings of a kayak more intimatly and will never look at a plastic, fiberglass, kevlar or even plywood kayak the same. There were one or two times in the building of this boat that were frustrating, but I just stepped back took a day or so off, thought about it and worked my way through it. Mr. Brinck's instructions were as good as you can get, trying to explain as complex a project as this. His spiritual insights in the text were quite insprirational. I love my boat...it paddles wonderfully...and I am now a boat builder for life!
Baidarka construction, February 20, 2000
Reviewer: rgrmedic@ulster.net from Woodstock, NY
I just finished building a traditional west greenland sea kayak. I can't wait to move on and build a baidarka. This book is an important guide for the traditional construction of an Aleutian Baidarka. This is an awesome book for anyone interested in building an authentic Aleutian Baidarka whether they have experience working with wood or not. I highly recommend it!
A wonderful work with tradition., January 30, 2000
Reviewer: Pat Morrisey from Foster City, California
This book helped me build a spectacular kayak. Beware, it can change your life. I am now a boatbuilder. Brinck's traditional methods are inspirational. The text left me with a few questions, but most of them were solved with re-reading, walking around the project a few times, or finding the Baidarka listserv on the net. Again, beware! If you buy this book you may spend the next six months in your garage.
Great referance material!, June 11, 1999
Reviewer: canobra@mindspring.com from Georgia USA
W. Brinck hits the mark with this book. With little wood experience anyone can build this boat for less than $200 US. Although I am building a Greenland style kayak, Brinck's book provides invaluable information to get the job done quickly and easily. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in kayak building.
Read it front to back and back to front., April 2, 1999
Reviewer: pjmonty@clear.lakes.com from Minnesota
I found this book a real page turner. I read it once and read it again. I keep going back to it and will be starting my kayak this spring.
An excellent book for the true do it yourselfer., October 14, 1997
Reviewer: alkurzen@aol.com from usa
This is an excellent book on how to build your own light weight kayak or "baidarka". If your'e looking to do it yourself, and looking to do it very inexpensively, you just cannot beat the way the original Aleuts did it. They had thousands of years to do it right. Those who did not drowned. Mr. Brinck walks you through the process with clarity, lots of pictures, and large doses of common sense. There is no need for brain cell killing epoxy or for that matter, hardly any synthetic material. I am in the process of building one now and I am very much enjoying the hand fitting and "hand" measuring. Best of luck.
For construction, history and the spiritual, Nothing Better!, September 9, 1997
Reviewer: drugge @superiway.net from Edmonton, Canada
I have just purchased this book and I am very impressed with not only the technical/historical position of the book, but also the spiritual background of this publication. The technical side of building a traditional baidarka from very basic tools, materials and knowledge is yet to be determined as I have yet to build. We shall see.