Kayak From Russian Siberia, 2-hole Aleutian type, in Washington State 

 Historical Society and Museum. Taken off by John Heath, 1962. 



bow built with the portion above the slit arched 

 upward higher than the outer stem-piece and so 

 more prominent; there are also minor variations in 

 the stern. The shape of the hull, however, is con- 

 sistently maintained throughout the area in which 

 this type is used. Though the deck is ridged, it is 

 relatively low compared to that of the Kodiak kayak, 

 and the thwarts supporting the manhole are heavily 

 arched and in one piece from gunwale to gunwale. 

 The construction is like that of the Kodiak ka>ak, 

 but the gunwales and upper longitudinal battens, 

 instead of meeting the stern post, end on a cross- 

 piece well inside the stern to give the effect of a tran- 

 som stern. However, some Aleut kayaks have the 

 normal sharp stern after the fashion of the Kodiak 

 kayak, but without the projecting tail or handgrip, 

 and nearly all have two thwarts between the after 

 manhole thwart and the stern and three forward 

 of the fore manhole thwart. The skin cover passes 

 over the manhole rim as in the Kodiak type. The 

 bow block is sometimes built up of two blocks sewn 

 or laced together. Strengthening pieces of light 

 plank are sometimes fitted from the bow block aft; 

 these are laced to the top inside edge of the gun- 

 wales and pinned to the stem block to form long 

 breast-hooks. In some kayaks with the square stern, 

 only the gunwale is supported by the crosspiece on 

 the stern, the two battens on each side being sup- 

 ported by the last frame only, about 6 inches in- 

 board of the crosspiece. 



This type of kayak is the only one known to have 

 been built with more than one manhole. The 

 two-hole kayak is an Aleut development used in 

 whaling and sea-otter hunting, so far as is known; 

 the paddler sits in the after manhole. Measure- 

 ments of a two-hole kayak in the United States 

 National Museum show it to be 20 feet 7% inches 



long. 23 inches Ijeam, and 9}^ inches deep to top of 

 gunwale. The manholes are about 46 inches apart 

 edge to edge and the foremost is about 8 feet from 

 the bow. 



The three-holer, commonly believed to have been 

 introduced by the Russians, was used by Russian 

 officers, inspectors, and traders in their explorations 

 and travels on the Alaskan coast. One of these 

 boats measures 24 feet 8^8 inches long, 30 inches 

 beam, and \0}i inches deep to top of gunwale. The 

 center manhole is commonly larger in diameter than 

 the other two and is used for either a passenger or 

 cargo. The fore edge of the fore manhole is 8 feet 

 to 8}^ feet from the bow and the other manholes are 

 from 4 to 4^ feet apart edge to edge. A large 

 example of this class of kayak measures 28 feet 

 1% inches long, 38}^ inches beam and 12 inches 

 deep to top of gunwale. Probably none exceed 30 

 ftet in length. Both the single- and the double-blade 

 paddle are used by the Aleuts, but the double blade 

 is preferred in hunting. The paddle blades are 

 rather narrow and leaf-shaped, with pointed tips. 



The plan of a kayak from Nunivak Island (about 

 due north of Unalaska and roughly half-way to St. 

 Lawrence Island) is shown on page 198 (fig. 180). 

 This type of kayak is obviously related to that of Ko- 

 diak Island, for it has approximately the same lines and 

 proportions. Only the profiles of bow and stern exhibit 

 marked differences. Perhaps the most striking feature 

 of the Nunivak kayak is its bow, which might repre- 

 sent a seal's head; a hole through the whole bow 

 structure forms the eyes and also serves functionally 

 as a lifting handle. The stern profile is simpler 

 than that used in the Kodiak kayaks. The example 

 shows the mythological water monster Palriayuk, a 

 painted totem that once distinguished the Nunivak 

 kayaks; missionary influence has long since erased 



197 



