First Canoe Build

[gomer]

I built a canoe or pirogue boat, whichever you prefer. I use it to just paddle around. Not much of a duck hunter. Took me 2 weekends. She is 14' in length, 27 1/2" beam, w/1/2" rocker. She weighs in @ 52 lbs. Made of 1/4" Birch ply. Stitch and glue type construction. 3 coats of Sunrise Red Rustoleum over 2 coats of Fiberglass resin. Used Bondo for the fillets sanded to 3/8" radius. Fiberglass tape on top of the fillets then more epoxy. Very fun build. I hope to do a cedar strip canoe sometime in the future. But I figured this would be a good starter build. Hope you like it.

[gomer]

Sorry about double post. Still learning.

[sachbvn]

Very cool!! Wow, only two weekends? That's pretty impressive. Nice photo of the canoe in action - that way we know it floats!


Zac

[Ruffnek]

Awesome, Gomer! A canoe is one of those things on my roundtoit list. Got any in-progress build pictures? I'd love to see them.

BTW, where in Texas are you located. That lake looks a whole lot like Lake Palestine.

[dburkhart]

thats SWEEEEET

[gomer]

Thanks guys for the kind words. Cody, I don;t have any in progress pics. My camera is a piece of !@#$! It is all I can do to get finished pics. Time for a new one. I am just down the road a bit from you in Forney. It is White Rock Lake in Dallas. Small lake w/ a bunch of mansions surrounding it blocking the wind. In Texas we gotta find all the windbreaks we can.

[Joe Lyddon]

Fine job... Nice boat... and you are FAST!

... just don't standup in'em...

[Beamer]

Nice work, Gomer!

Any man who can build a boat has my respect. I ain't too terribly inclined to do so, but I know it's a different world than buildin' square stuff

[gomer]

Thanks fellas! You are So right Joe. As you can see, I installed some canvas seats that I made. They are useless. Sit up too high, makes it too tippy. I think I will install some inwales. That way I can install some seat hangers from them down lower in the boat. Wish I would have known this beforehand. Oh well, you build and learn.

Beamer, This was the simplest design to start with. Not difficult at all. But I'll take all the respect I can get. Thanks again.

[imahic]

Very nice canoe. It looks great.

[deepsplinter]

"Hope you like it."

What's not to like? Pretty boat.

What kinda wood is that around the top, and the little flat parts on the front & back? (Do they have a name?)

[gomer]

Deep Splinter, Thanks buddy. The wood on the top edges are called gunwales and they are western cedar. Soaked them in the rain for bout an hour, then hung them horizontally across my garage door supports, then pulled down from the middle and tied it off. Left it there for bout 3 days then untied and they were bent to the perfect shape. (almost). The flat pieces on the ends are called breasthooks or decks. I made mine out of Aspen pine and hand carved the sunburst and initials. I applied 4 coats of Spar varnish on the gunwales, decks, and inside of boat. I also added some aluminum plating on the bottom for skid protection on the bow and stern. Thanks for the interest.

[art3427]

Have had the intentions of building a boat for several years now. You've definitely upped the antie on me. Did you do your own plans or buy some?

art

[gomer]

Hey Art, go ahead and get started. It was an absolute joy to see her come together. I googled canoe plans. This was the easiest set I could find and they were free from bateau.com. I took my own liberties w/ the design though and removed a little of the rocker because I wanted a better tracking canoe. I don't use a double paddle, so it's a little easier to stay straight w/ a flatter bottom. Thanks for the comment.

[lpdicecco]

Hey, Gomer,
send me a PM with a mailing address and you will get a book with step by step instructions as well several plans for cedar strip canoe. I used this one to build two canoes. Of course the cost will be exorbitant, a and thank you.

All the info you need for each station is in the book if you have Leo get involved.
Have fun!!!

[gomer]

Larry, You my friend are the MAN! Much appreciated. Will do immediately. Thanks again. The people on this forum can NOT be beat.
Rest assured, I will credit you whenever she is displayed.
I would love to see your canoes if you have pics.

[sawduster]

Until I saw the pics with it manned on the water, I was thinking it looked an awful lot like a plywood boat I made years ago from some plans in Mother Earth News. Mine was right at 16 feet long. Only got it in the water a few times since I was living out in the desert of far West Texas at the time, so bodies of water were a fur piece down the road. Had a small really nasty lake (overgrown water tank by the standards around here) and I had it in there a few times. Kept the wet stuff on the outside. Mine wasn't near as pretty as yours.

[gomer]

Thank you Jerry for the compliment. They sure are fun to build. I grew up in the panhandle of Texas. So, I understand about the lack of bodies of water. A 5 acre pond is considered a lake in that part of the country. Even worse in far west Texas. I got out of that place as fast as I could. Great people, but the climate just did not suit my allergies. I was born w/ asthma. I was a sick boy most of the time. I moved to Dallas area 25 years ago, haven't had a bad attack since.

[sawduster]

Having spent a goodly part of my life in the desert, then moving to Central Texas, allergies have kicked my butt big time here.

[gomer]

I hear ya! In the fall the Ragweed does that to me. Up there it was all the cotton and dirt blowing in the air. Dust is a killer to me.