After finishing Hunter I was anxious to start on Hunter II to make some improvements as noted previously. I started working on the design in October of 2016 and, very oddly, a juvenile Red Tailed Hawk appeared walking around under the table on our patio. Days later he reappeared and perched on our backyard gate for roughly two hours. A following Sunday while returning to our subdivision after Church, a large Red Tailed Hawk “dive bombed” our car, coming within about thirty inches of the windshield. He then landed about forty feet up in a nearby tree allowing us to get a better look at him.
As noted earlier in my reference to Ted Andrew’s “ANIMAL SPEAK” I wondered if this was “another messenger”. Three incidents within a period of several weeks seemed highly unusual. I began to believe I should name this kayak, “Hawk Hunter” in lieu of Hunter II, and somehow pay tribute this great local raptor.
I constructed a full size mock-up of the hull with foam core board stations, thin spruce gunnels and chines in order to determine the form. I wanted the width to be 21” versus the 22” for Hunter I and I wanted to solve the transition from bow deck to coaming and have a more usable rear storage area. I also wanted to lower the rear coaming into the deck. The length of 17’-5” seemed right. The mock-up allowed me to solve these problems and achieve the desired form. I then made chipboard pattern templates of the stations, which set the form of the kayak. Simultaneously, I began sketches to produce ideas for the “tribute to the Red Tailed Hawk” design. I chose Wild Cherry from my Grandfather’s farm for the Hawk head, beak, and various trim pieces and seat.
I drew many sketches of the hull graphics and did not want to mimic the “Sacred Eagle” motif but wanted to use more basic abstract forms. I then chose to mount the Cherry Hawk head at the front of the coaming and then paint the rest of the body in scale to the head on the foredeck immediately behind the head. The Wild Cherry accents went well with the burgundy leather keel rub strip and bungies along with the elk antler keepers. I also used burgundy leather for an innovative backband, instead of a purchased black synthetic one. I was pleased with the leather backband and artificial sinew motif. I also fiberglassed and varnished some ⅛” birch plywood and lashed it in for floorboards, which give the cockpit a nice finished look while providing a nice contrast with the Cherry seat.
