Decks are made from wood strips inlayed into a King plank.

Floatation chambers are standard

Hand woven cane seats are a nice touch

( if you can figure out where all those darn pieces go!)

        While designed for solo use, the canoe can be modified to seat two.  The design can also be stretched to 16' if more room is required.  

    Construction is from wood strips, which are an ideal material for a builder with limited facilities. Very few specialized tools are needed, and the required woodworking skills are not to difficult to master. Wood strips can be formed with relative ease into compound curves which add to the beauty of the boat, and make it look like a much harder project then it really is. The finished hull will require little maintenance, be light weight, and very strong and durable.

        Wood strip projects require accurate building frames and a secure strong back for support. For a strong back, I use an 12 foot "saw horse", built from two 2x8's, covered with two layers of 3/4 in. particle board, 18 in. wide. The particle board forms a flat surface for attaching the building frames. Full scale patterns are the preferred method for laying out the frames. I use 3/4 in. plywood, and cut the frames to straddle the saw horse. The forward four frames are set with their front face on the station line, and the rear four are set with the aft face on the line. Frames are set 18" apart, and aligned by centering each frame around a tight string, which is passed through holes drilled at the intersection of the waterline and the centerline, of each frame. Its always a good idea to check frame alignment carefully using battens. Step back and sight along the batten, and shim or fill as required. The edges of the frames should be beveled to suit the curvature of the strips. A disc sander is useful here. Be careful to only trim only the "high" side of the frame.

        Wood strips can be purchased from several sources, or sawn from 1" boards. All strips are 1/4" thick. Strips can be fir, pine, redwood, mahogany, cedar, or just about anything that white glue and epoxy will stick to. A wide variety of patterns can be created by using wood strips of contrasting grain and color. For example, several black walnut strips will look good against a lighter strip like pine or redwood, and could be used to extenuate the waterline or shear.

        White glue and staples are used to fasten the strips to each other. Masking tape, applied to the frame edges, will reduce the chance of gluing the strips to the frames. The most critical part of the stripping operation is to trust your eyes, and keep the strips "fair". Even with only 18 inches between the frame stations, the strips will bend out of a fair line if your not careful. A slight hollow or bulge can be repaired by offsetting the next strip a 1/16 or so in between frames, and then stapling it to the previous strip. The ends are stapled to the stem or stern frame, and then trimmed.

    Begin stripping the boat by laying a strip along the underside of the waterline, with a 1 inch rise (towards the floor) at the bow. Small nails may be necessary to hold these strips against the frames, due to the degree of twist. Add strips to the underside of the waterline strip, working towards the shear line of the canoe. Use short strips to fill in the bow and stern areas. Then add strips to the top of the waterline strip, until a total of 23 strips (17") are in place at station 6. Now place a strip over the centerline of the canoe, fitting it into the side strips. Finish stripping the bottom with parallel strips from the center line.

    When all the strips are in place, the nails and staples are removed, and the hull is ready to smooth. A block plane is used first, followed by power sanding.  I prefer a circular random orbit sander, using 60 grip hook and loop paper.  Disc sanders are very quick, but can gouge the wood if your not careful, and should only be used on concave surfaces. A really good finish is essential here, as the slightest scratch will show through the fiberglass. The hull is next covered with one layer of 6 oz. cloth, set in epoxy or polyester resin. I prefer to dry fit the cloth over the hull, trim around the edges, and then saturate the cloth using 3" paint brushes. All the air must be worked out of the cloth along with any wrinkles and dry patches. If you don't feel confident glassing the hull yourself, and can't find any help, practice glassing over some 1/4" plywood. Its an easy surface to work with, and will build up your skill and confidence.  A second layer of glass over the bottom is recommended if you expect heavy use.

    Several coats of resin will be needed, after the first coat cures, to fill in the pores of the cloth. The hull can then be sanded smooth, broken loose from the building frame, and righted. Clean up the insides with a disc sander, and fiberglass to the same schedule as the outside. pull the sides into position and screw / glue inwale, outwale, and thwarts into place.

    Many good books are available for advice and ideas on finish work. Look around and select a combination of bottom paint, waterline stripe, and interior finish that suits you. The varnished wood strips will be a sure attention getter!