The CINNAMON 20 is a square transom powered canoe, designed to carry four adults and 600 pounds of gear, at planning speeds. A 54" beam contributes to her stability, but canoes are tender by design, and care must be taken to always store heavy objects low in the bilge, on the centerline. A minimum 15" of free board (at a nominal displacement of 1500#) allows her to be loaded to 2500# and still have 11" of freeboard. Powered with a 20 – 25 hp outboard, Cinnamon will get on a plane quickly and run at 20 k

Instead of traditional gunnels, Cinnamon has 6" wide decks and two 12-inch wide thwarts. After covering the deck and thwarts with wood strips, the hull to deck joint and thwart to deck joint are glassed top and bottom.

The cockpit and steering station is defined by a pair of cut away bulkheads, that are covered with a 12" wide deck / seat. The third and fourth bulkheads seal off the storage area in the bow and the storage area just aft of the outboard motor. The forward compartment is reached be a watertight hinged cover located in the vertical bulkhead at station 3.

The aft storage area is reached by a pair of doors that are hinged at BL 12. The centerline edges of these doors are cut back to clear the outboard when its fully tilted. This is a good storage area for oil, emergency gasoline, and tools.

Construction starts with a wooden shell, built from either wood strips or plywood, which is then fiber glassed inside and out with 16 oz., Double Bias cloth. A six inch wide deck is used instead of the traditional gunnels. A pair of 1 x 3 rub rails are bolted to the hull, 6" below the shear line. The rails help control spray, and are drilled to except tie down ropes used to hold down cargo covers. Two sturdy, 12" wide thwarts span the cockpit.

The 6" wide decks and 12" wide thwarts are used as seats and require additional bracing. Five 1x4 blocks support the thwarts, 8 inches long, which rest in slots cut in the bulkheads. The side decks are supported by 1 x 6 stock, 12" long. These are cut to fit the hull, and located on 18 inch centers. They can also be used to hold fishing rods, or be covered over to form additional storage.

C20 ARRANGEMENT

TRANSOM DETAILS

DECK AND BULKHEAD DETAILS

CINNAMON 20 LINES

FORM DETAILS

FULL SCALE PATTERNS FOR CINNAMON 20 (four drawings total)

Building Manual and Bill of Materials

Speed Estimate work sheet

Weight and Balance work sheet

Upright Hydrostatics and Stability Report

Plot of Righting Arm VS Heel Angle

An excellent reference book. This is MUST READ book !

THE STRIPPERS GUIDE TO CANOE BUILDING by David Hazen

Tamal Vista Publications

222-D Madrone Lakespur, CA 94939

(good basic reference book, easy to read and understand)

(800) 423 0030

(excellent single source for boatbuilding supplies including screws, resin, fiberglass, and tools. free catalog)

dept. C

3rd. & "O" Streets

Anacortes, WA 98221

(206) 293 2369 ( clear sitka spruce or red cedar. square or bead & cove.)

3201 28St. North

St Petersburg,

Florida 33713

(727) 327 8117

email sales@fgci.com

good general source of materials

* 80 pounds of 50" wide, Double Bias cloth (no mat), 17-oz./square yard – probably close to a roll

* 10 gal. of ISOPHTHALIC resin and hardener

* 30 yards of Double Bias Tape, 8" wide WITH MAT

* 1 Gal. WEST EPOXY RESIN and a set of pumps and various fillers, and slow hardener.

* 1 Gal. of waterproof white glue (Titebond)

* Enough wood strips to cover 182 square feet. You may use about any kind of soft wood here, just so its dry. You can splice 2" thick boards (2x8 or 2/12) together, but they are heavy and hard to handle. Splicing 1/2" strips together takes more time, but you don’t need help.

* 140 lineal feet of 1x6 stock to build the ten FORMS. Computer controlled routers are available to do the final shaping and will even put in alignment features. If you go this route, find out what file format they need and I’ll send you the files. You can also do a fine job with the full-scale drawings, a nail, and a hammer.

* SKEG: One 1x12, 12’long. Cut on diagonal, glue together, and shape to hull

* Hat section stiffeners, 24 lineal feet of 1x3 stock

* Deck and Thwart edge coaming. 50 lineal feet of mahogany, thickness and width to suit your choice.

* 5 wooden sawhorses, and 10 sacks of ready mix concrete (these are used to build a strong back for attaching the forms).

CUT THE STRIPS

Rip 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch strips from the edge of long, clear, dry, 2x8 softwood, like western red cedar or redwood. Eight, ten, and twelve foot lengths of 2 x 8 stock can be joined together with scarf joints, then ripped into strips with a table saw or skill saw with a fence. Cove and bead strips can be custom milled, but I don’t think they are worth the extra money. You can get excellent results using a block plane to form the correct bevel. Another advantage of straight cut strips is that they can be tapered easily, which helps in places that have a lot of curvature. 182 sq.ft. of strips are needed for the hull and deck. Allow 10% for waste and 20 strips should be cut to a width of 1" for getting around tight places, like the turn of the bilge.

BUILD THE FORMS

BUILDING THE SUPPORT STRUCTURE

The forms must be held rigid while the strips are being applied. This requires a stiff structure that the forms can be attached to, often referred to as a strong back. The CINNAMON 20 is too large for a simple box structure like smaller canoes use, and to small for the "20 4x4 posts set in concrete" approach. I recommend building a temporary structure out of saw horses and 2x8’s. Buy 10 wooden saw horses, 100 lineal feet of 2x8 stock, and 20 50 pound sand bags. A concrete slab is an ideal surface to work from, but you can work on dirt also, it’s just harder to keep aligned. Place the sawhorses on a level surface, as indicated in the STRONG BACK drawing and line them up. Find the center of each sawhorse and strike a line 12" on each side of center. Place two saw horses side by side, and then spread them apart until the outer edges are 40" apart. Cut two 40" pieces from 2x8 stock, and position them across the sawhorses, with their outer edges on the 24" lines previously drawn. Check the alignment and lock them together with 16, 3" drywall screws. Build a total of four of these small "islands", each of which will hold two forms. Assuming your sawhorses are 32" long, like mine, you should position them 16" apart. Cut two 24" pieces of 2x8 stock and place them between two islands. Check that the form lines are 24" apart, from island to island, and then dry wall screws the two islands together. Continue until all four islands are locked together.

The first three forms, 1,2,and 3, are two narrow to straddle an island. Take the last two sawhorses, but them together, and screw down an 8 foot piece of 2x8, with the front edge flush with the first sawhorse. Layout three lines along the 2x8, 24" apart. Push the overhanging 2x8 into the center of the first island, until the form line on the island measures 24" from the form line on the single 2x8, and screw them together. Take the remaining 2x8’s and screw them down along the tops of the islands, staying inside the 40 inch edges. Arrange the lengths so that joints fall away from the transverse members, place blocks under each joint, and tie everything together with more dry wall screws. You should end up with a smooth, flat group of surfaces that the forms can be fastened to, and the whole mess can be taken apart when your finished and sold at a garage sale!

Shim the sawhorses around until the surfaces are close to level, layout 24" marks down the whole structure, then fill the sandbags and put two across each sawhorse. Starting at the front, screw down a length of 2x4 on each 24" line, making sure that the forward edge of the 2x4 is on the line.

Temporarily clamp the forms in position and align them using string, your eyeballs, and a laser level. Drill 1/4-inch holes at matching locations on the centerline, waterline, and + 12 WL and use a string or laser level to align them. Work slowly and get them perfect. If the structure is to flexible to maintain alignment, consider more sandbags and placing 8" square pads under the sawhorse legs. The nose template is cut back one inch, and this area is filled with thin(1/8") strips, 1 1/2" wide. After its aligned, the glued on strips are beveled. Check the bevel by temporarily stapling a few strips from form 1 and 2, up to the nose. Use the same technique to bevel the forward 5 forms. The front forms should be beveled until a check strip sits flat on the form. Check the finished forms with some long strips. Sight along them and look for bumps or hollows. If you find any they can be fixed with a little sanding or gluing a thin shim to the form. Lock the forms together with three full length strips, one down the centerline and the others near the shear. Screw these pieces to every form, starting in the center and working evenly towards the ends. Check the alignment one last time.

Lay down two strips, one per side, exactly on the waterline, and glue them to each station and the nose. Let them overhang 12" past the last form. Add more strips, working both up and down from the initial pair. At this point you need to decide how important a perfect finish is. If you want to finish the strips with clear spar varnish, then you should not use any nails or staples, as the holes they leave will show up no matter what you use as a filler. My approach is to assume the bottom + a 2" waterline will be painted, and that lets me use small dry wall screws. These strips are too thick for staples, so some sort of clamp(s) are beaded. There is no easy way to hold the strips without damaging them. Sometimes you can use clamps and wedges, but I prefer 3 foot lengths of surgical tubing. You need four pieces at each form, and some clamps. Take a fresh strip, cover one edge with white glue, and put it into position. Then take a piece of tubing with one end attached to the form below the new strip, and stretch it out, then bend it over the top of the new strip and clamp it. Work your way from the center to the ends, then place a cheap plastic spring clamp in-between each form pushing it in contact with the old strip. Do the other side, and then give the glue time to dry. It’s a slow process but you won’t see any nail holes when your finished. As you add strips, the forward areas will become difficult to fit without excessive bending and twisting. Using 1/2" thick strips only makes the problem worse. When the strips get to hard to twist and bend into place you can cut a six foot long strip on the diagonal and clamp it with the wide end forward. Then place a regular strip over the cut one and see if it’s easier to put in place. If it’s still hard to bend, stack a second, longer strip on top of the first. Going to half strips and more tapered strips should get you around the turn of the bilge.

Watch the progress of the strips as they move up the bow and see if you can bend a strip down the centerline and into the "vee" formed by the sides. When the centerline strips fits, lock it in place and begin to add strips on either side of the centerline. You will need to jam each strip into position and then mark where it needs cutting. Cut it to fit and go on to the next strip. Run the strips past form the #10 form around 12-16 inches. This will give you material for a reverse transom, if you want one. These centerline strips may become difficult also, forcing you to fill in the middle with strips that are fat in the middle and taper to nothing at the ends. There is a lot of custom fitting with this process, which makes it hard to justify the expense of cove and bead features, at least around the bottom. Perhaps you could cut the taper on the bead side and then use a router to form it again. Another approach would be to finish the new bead with a block plane and sandpaper. IF all else fails, you can always go to 1/4" strips and put on a second layer.

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 belt and pad sanders. Disc sanders are the quickest, but can gouge the wood if your not careful, and should only be used on concave surfaces. A really good finish is only needed in those areas that will be finished bright. It is difficult to see unfair areas because of the busy wood grain surface. You can use a long flexible board to find the unfair areas, by working the board at various angles, from straight up and down to straight back and forth. Remember that the strips tend to sag where they have no support so go easy in-between the forms.

Two 50 inch wide pieces of 17 oz. Double Bias cloth (without mat) covers the hull and also leaves a large overlap, which should reach the turn of the bilge. I prefer to dry fit the cloth (both pieces) over the hull, with the overlap centered over the keel. Smooth the fabric out by using your hands to pull the extra material out. Trim around the edges, and then saturate the cloth using 3" paint brushes and a quart bucket of resin. House painting rollers and trays work well, and are faster then a brush. Use ISO Polyester resin, its much cheaper than epoxy and its tailored for fiberglass. All the air must be worked out of the cloth along with any wrinkles and dry patches. I brush the resin on quickly then go back over it concentrating on the dry spots. Resin rich areas can be moved to dry areas by using a plastic screed or stippling (a rapid up and down motion) with a brush. 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.

Several coats of resin will be needed, after the first coat cures, to fill in the pores of the cloth. When all the pores are filled, brush on a layer of Finishing Resin. It cures hard, and will not clog up sandpaper. Try to avoid cutting into the fiberglass when sanding. If you see the glass being sanded, stop and put on several coats of finishing resin. When you finish sanding, crawl under the boat and use your drill driver to remove the screws holding the forms to the strong back. The hull can now be righted and placed in a padded cradle. The cradle should extend above the shear line a few inches so that a line can be tied across the boat, forcing the sides into the correct position.

The forms are now knocked loose and removed. Clean up the insides with a disc sander, and fiberglass to the same schedule as the outside. You only need one extra coat of resin on the insides, since it will not be sanded. Leave the surface "sticky" (no finishing resin) so the bulkheads and stiffeners will get a good bond.

STIFFENERS

The planning surface is stiffened with a 2" wide skeg attached on centerline (BL 0), and two "hat section" stiffeners located 12 inches off the centerline. The skeg tapers from 2 inches to 6 inches, starting at station four and going back to the transom. Attach the skeg with 1 1/2" brass screws, on 12-inch centers, bedded in thickened epoxy. Use additional epoxy to form a smooth radius along the joint, then fiberglass the skeg to the hull with one layer of 8 inch, DB tape. The two 1 x 3 hat shaped stiffeners, located on Butt line +12 and –12, are attached the same way as the skeg, then glassed. Finally, the two 1x3 spray rails are attached to the hull, six inches below the deck. The spray rails can be laminated from left over strips, using a simple jig to get the curvature close. They are attached with screws on 12" centers and epoxy adhesive. Drill a 1/2" hole in-between each screw. They will be handy for tying down covers, holding bumpers, etc..

TRANSOM

The transom is built up from 4 pieces of 1/2" plywood using epoxy adhesive,. Install it with 10-degree rake aft using lots of epoxy and hold it in place with 6 screws. Smooth out the epoxy into an even radius and cover the transom and 12 inches of the sides / bottom with two layers of DB cloth. Then put another two layers over the hull to transom joint using 8" DB tape with mat.. glass both sides to the hull, using two layers of 8" DB tape with mat. Repeat this process on the back of the transom, after cutting away the bottom where its close to the outboard. Now is a good time to trim the excess strips.

BULKHEADS AND DECK

The bulkheads are cut out of 1/2" plywood, epoxy bonded in place, and then glassed to the hull with 8" DB tape with mat. The tops of all bulkheads should stop 1/2" below the shear line to accommodate the plywood deck, and then rise towards the center forming a slight (1") camber. The bottom of bulkhead should be cut away to clear the two longitudinal. "hat cross section, stiffeners. The inside of the bulkheads can be cut out to allow easy access to the cargo area, but stay at least 6 inches from the edge. Next, a series of vertical deck supports are cut from 1x6 stock, trimmed to fit the hull. These are glued to the hull, 1/2" below the shear line, on 18" centers. Bulkheads located at station 7 and 15 support the thwarts with 5 – 1x3 support blocks that are fitted into slots on the upper surface of the bulkheads. The decks and thwarts are roughed in with 1/2" plywood forming a six-inch wide side deck and 12" wide cross decks at the front and rear of the cockpit. Cut a 6 " radius" where the side decks meet the transverse decks. Smooth the surface, and cover the decks with wood strips bedded with thickened epoxy. Round off the edges, and fiberglass the deck, over the hull to deck joint, and down the sides four inches. Use one layer of DB cloth without mat. Now turn the boat upside down and block it up high enough to work comfortable on the inside. Cover all joints with a layer of 8-inch wide, DB tape with mat. If the fumes get to you while working in the inverted hull, hook up a shop vac and use it to pull the dirty air from the hull.

FINISHING TOUCHES:

Sunshades are popular and come in a wide variety of styles. I like an aluminum arch fitted with a molded glass shade and plenty of room for antennas, floodlights, flags, and running lights.

If you get tired of sitting on a thwart, a large selection of boat chairs can be found at West Marine. Some are designed for fisherman, others fold down and form a bed!

West Marine also sells a variety of fuel tanks. Its good to mount fuel tanks about in the middle of the boat so that they have little effect on trim. A 12 gal. tank will fit inside the steering pedestal

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!

Flotation foam is always smart to have. Using the USCG process the Cinnamon 20 should have at least 6 cuft. 2 cuft. Is available in the forward storage area and another 2 cuft. Is possible in the aft storage area. Another 2 cuft. Is found under the 2x2 table forward of the steering station. Other areas suitable for foam include under the deck or under the thwarts.

These instructions are brief and not very detailed, so don’t hesitate to email me if you have problems. I would also appreciate any pictures you can spare – I think the boat will be a big success – its certainly going to stand out from the production boats!!