Anyone built a canoe??? For real.

I was half heartedly looking for a canoe when I saw a canoe jog for sale. It is for a cedar strip canoe.

My questions are, does anyone have experience with building one of these?

How much is the cedar and epoxy costs?

How long does it take from start to finish?

Thanks

I would buy a kit...

Chesapeake light Craft Canoe Kits

As for Epoxy.. a gallon of the stuff, from West Systems, will run you about $200 for the resin, hardner, and the filler material. This does not include any and all glass, gloves, sanding supplies, or any other tools needed

If you still want to build from the plans.. they have all the stuff you need to get the wood too

My Dad builds wooden canoes from scratch. Beautiful and amazingly light. Took him years and many canoes to really learn how to do it right. Probably not the best track for a one-off. Maybe the kit is the best way to go.

A friend of mine built two beautiful kayak kits from Chesapeake Light Craft. I have a set of Chesapeake Light Craft kayak plans that I bought years ago and never used if you're interested.

Woody, I'm interested. I'll send you a PM with my contact info.

Is that one your buddy built?

Thanks

They are beautiful though...

octavious wrote: Woody, I'm interested. I'll send you a PM with my contact info. Is that one your buddy built? Thanks

That's not his, but it's the same model as his first. I'd argue that his is probably even nicer! His second was a tandem. He customized it by adding two downward facing plexiglass portholes between your knees so you can see what's under you. It's very cool, unless you paddle in murky water. I don't really like tandems though. He brought his kayaks down to CLC from Connecticut for their annual gathering of builders.

Look up canoe building videos form Nick Offerman and channel your inner Ron Swanson.
Sample:

https://youtu.be/Q7qiXZqrvfI

Quick to build, cheap-n-dirty starter project: http://www.bateau2.com/free/cheapcanoe.htm

I've built a kayak from a set of CLC plans. Modified it to make a strip build top deck.

Definately doable by the novice. Stitch and glue is easier than strip building, but not nearly as artistic. Bead and cove really do matter, though you could stitch the strips.

I actually built two, well, one and a half. Because the first one by the time I got done stitching, it was so tweaked I just started over.

Lofting is easier than you think. A 2wd pickup truck with a bed makes a dandy strong back (4wd is too high to work comfortably). Epoxy resin is wonderful. I built mine over a single winter. Batten boards make sweet curves. A circular saw makes better sweeping cuts than a jig saw does. Cedar is harder to adhere to than pine. Work warm to cold, not cold to warm (off gassing and expansion). Paper cups, not foam cups. Un waxed cups, not waxed. Popsicle sticks, you can't have enough. Acid brushes, latex gloves and junk clothes. You will get resin everywhere.

In reply to foxtrapper:

And now he is ready to start his own boat business that will be bought by Bruinswick in 5 years.

Flight Service wrote: In reply to foxtrapper: And now he is ready to start his own boat business that will be bought by Bruinswick in 5 years.

Laughing, I've thought about it. I could build a canoe or two each winter, and theoretically sell it for a profit in the spring. Even more if I went with a simple design, of which I have several. Just single or two sheet canoes. Perfectly suitable for the many ponds and lakes around here.

I've also really thought about joining one of the marine museums when I retire. I suspect I could and would have a lot of fun woodworking on larger sailing ships.

I like to delude myself thinking some day I might actually build a Simmons Sea Skiff.

I have a definite interest in building one but doubt I'll ever be able to. I finally decided to do a "simple" project in 2010. It's a stitch and glue dingy/sail/row boat called Graefin 10. It's still in the shop in the stich stage. Anyway here's a free plan if anyone is interested.

http://www.svensons.com/boat/?p=SailBoats/greafin10

My thoughts are those canoes are just too pretty to be put through the kind of abuse I put them through.

In reply to Enyar:

those are my exact thoughts as well. I have an aluminum Grumman that I've paddled out and caught mahi mahi and sailfish out of. Landing a billfish from a beautiful wood canoe would make for a great story if any battle scars were earned, but I'd also be concerned about whether I'd make it back.

Yeah I should have prefaced with this will be a small lake/pond boat. I won't take it anyplace that if the boat goes down I won't be able to swim to shore, because I'm not sure if I trust my own building skills...

And if you haven't already DO NOT make the mistake of looking up wooden canoe! There are some beautiful boats out there.

I've always had plastic Pelican/Old town canoes and just looking for something different. I've never had a aluminum or wooden canoe.

foxtrapper wrote: I've built a kayak from a set of CLC plans. Modified it to make a strip build top deck. Definately doable by the novice. Stitch and glue is easier than strip building, but not nearly as artistic. Bead and cove really do matter, though you could stitch the strips. I actually built two, well, one and a half. Because the first one by the time I got done stitching, it was so tweaked I just started over. Lofting is easier than you think. A 2wd pickup truck with a bed makes a dandy strong back (4wd is too high to work comfortably). Epoxy resin is wonderful. I built mine over a single winter. Batten boards make sweet curves. A circular saw makes better sweeping cuts than a jig saw does. Cedar is harder to adhere to than pine. Work warm to cold, not cold to warm (off gassing and expansion). Paper cups, not foam cups. Un waxed cups, not waxed. Popsicle sticks, you can't have enough. Acid brushes, latex gloves and junk clothes. You will get resin everywhere.

White Vinegar will get Epoxy resin off of your skin and out of your clothes if you get to it before it cures.

Me.. I just throw away old jeans where there are more stiff areas than flexible.

Do concrete canoes count?

In reply to 93EXCivic:

Those are cool

Enyar wrote: My thoughts are those canoes are just too pretty to be put through the kind of abuse I put them through.

In their defense, they are not delicate dainty things. They can take quite a pounding.

If you're around the eastern shore area come October, there's a semi special event held over there that specializes in small wooden boats:

http://cbmm.org/events/annual-festivals-and-special-events/mid-atlantic-small-craft-festival-and-maritime-model-expo/

foxtrapper wrote:

Flight Service wrote: In reply to foxtrapper: And now he is ready to start his own boat business that will be bought by Bruinswick in 5 years.

Laughing, I've thought about it. I could build a canoe or two each winter, and theoretically sell it for a profit in the spring. Even more if I went with a simple design, of which I have several. Just single or two sheet canoes. Perfectly suitable for the many ponds and lakes around here. I've also really thought about joining one of the marine museums when I retire. I suspect I could and would have a lot of fun woodworking on larger sailing ships. I like to delude myself thinking some day I might actually build a Simmons Sea Skiff.

If you have something novel or a feature you like, I would do a one off, make a mold of the repeatable non-brightwork parts and they fab the rest. Probably build and assemble a few a year if the price is right. Mid-market sort of thing. There a cheap canoes and bespoke ones. I haven't seen much in the middle.

I want to do one out of closed cell RFB and glass it all in. That should be fun.

93EXCivic wrote: Do concrete canoes count?

Pretty sure I remember Clemson University used to enter a concrete canoe in a competitive event each year. I think it was the civil engineers that did it. Kind of like Formula SAE.

Flight Service wrote: I want to do one out of closed cell RFB and glass it all in. That should be fun.

It's been some years since I've been on Nick's Guillemot forums, but there was quite a bit of discussion about building this way. Several had done it, a few were doing, and I think even Nick was playing with it.

http://www.kayakforum.com/ I think this is the forum.

spitfirebill wrote:

93EXCivic wrote: Do concrete canoes count?

Pretty sure I remember Clemson University used to enter a concrete canoe in a competitive event each year. I think it was the civil engineers that did it. Kind of like Formula SAE.

ASCE has been doing the concrete canoe compeition for decades- http://www.asce.org/event/2015/concrete-canoe/

(then again, FSAE dates back to the 80's too)

(and I know Civic is an engineer, which is why I suspect the post)

In reply to spitfirebill:

Yup, We sure did do that at Clemson. The cool thing was the cement was flexible. Weirdest thing I ever seen