Building a flat bottomed canoe

Discussion in 'Wooden Boat Building and Restoration' started by troy2000, Jun 18, 2010.

  1. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 1,738
    Likes: 170, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2078
    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    My original plan was to put a flat board as a keel. both to support the bottom between frames and to act as a skid plate. I've also considered just putting a shallow skeg from the center back.

    The wheeled cart is a very good idea. I'll probably wind up making one with two wheels to strap onto one end of the canoe, so I can push it down to the water like a wheelbarrow.
     
  2. ancient kayaker
    Joined: Aug 2006
    Posts: 3,497
    Likes: 147, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 2291
    Location: Alliston, Ontario, Canada

    ancient kayaker aka Terry Haines

    Mine is a pair of replacement lawnmower wheels and hub/brackets from the local hardware store, very cheap, mounted on a piece of thick ply with a kayak-shaped hole cut in it. It fits around the hull a couple of foot back from the bow and is held on with a bungy cord to the cockpit rim. The hole is getting a bit complicated as it has been modified to fit several canoes and kayaks over the years, but it still works. For a flat-bottomed boat it can probably be even simpler.
     
  3. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 1,738
    Likes: 170, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2078
    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    This boatbuilding is starting to drag on, and I'm getting frustrated. Other things keep getting in the way.

    For example, my wife wants to get back into foster care, and wants a house specifically set up for it. So I blew a good chunk of my week off looking at manufactured homes, talking to salesmen, and negotiating.

    Then to add insult to injury, I had to come back to work yesterday and work an overtime night shift, instead of being off until Tuesday morning as planned.

    Ah well...it'll get done eventually. Latest pics:

    We added a handhold to the stern, to make it easier to wrestle around. I used a 1 1/2" hole saw, and cut through from one side until the center bit came through, then drilled back from the other side to finish the holes. Instead of trying to cut between with a saw, I just used a router with a flat bit, and took out the center about a quarter inch at a time. To finish and smooth the hole, I wrapped sandpaper around an old 1 1/2" O.D. sink drain, and used it as a rasp. It was thin-walled pvc and a little flexible, so it squeezed down just enough to keep a little pressure on the sandpaper.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    We set the breasthook in place, along with the stern sheet, with cleats under them for the lids of the watertight compartments. Then we put 1/8" closed-cell foam weatherstripping around the openings: along the bottom of three sides, and against the breasthook and stern sheet to seal the gap. The lids hook under at one end, and have cleats that goes against the inside of the bulkheads. They'll be held down in place with pins, that go through a lip and through the bulkheads; the bulkheads will have rubber grommets to keep the holes watertight.

    Sounds complicated but it isn't really. Here are a few pictures, but the pins haven't been drilled for yet. For pins we're just using 3" brass-plated hinge pins. I intend to drill them just behind the heads so I can add split rings, and have something to tie lanyards to so the pins don't get lost.

    [​IMG]



    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    A couple of overall shots:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I would really like to get the boat in the water this coming weekend. We'll see....
     
  4. hoytedow
    Joined: Sep 2009
    Posts: 5,857
    Likes: 400, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 2489
    Location: Control Group

    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    The boat looks ready. Y'all have fun!
     
  5. lewisboats
    Joined: Oct 2002
    Posts: 2,329
    Likes: 129, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 1603
    Location: Iowa

    lewisboats Obsessed Member

    I know how you feel...I started a cheapy/quicky (10 hrs) boat 3 weeks ago and will only get to finish it tomorrow.
     
  6. ancient kayaker
    Joined: Aug 2006
    Posts: 3,497
    Likes: 147, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 2291
    Location: Alliston, Ontario, Canada

    ancient kayaker aka Terry Haines

    Gee guys, you're making me feel guilty. I really must get round to that canoe I built but did not finish in Winter 2008 ...
     
  7. lewisboats
    Joined: Oct 2002
    Posts: 2,329
    Likes: 129, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 1603
    Location: Iowa

    lewisboats Obsessed Member

    Don't feel bad...I started one in 05 or 04 and it is still only a 3D hull shell hanging in my garage. I have another 2 part canoe that is in stitches...literally...that I started before that. It is still over at my buddy's garage until I find room somewhere. I have my scow which I haven't touched since I got back from my vacation and the little Tadpole which still sits full of sanding dust residue which needs to be finished. I have a resto project Thompson Runabout that is tarped in the back waiting attention and my camper needs a roof repair and part of one side replaced along with a section of floor. So what do I do...start another boat!
     
  8. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 1,738
    Likes: 170, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2078
    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    Like with anything else, it's cleaning up the details after you think the boat is pretty much done that'll drive you crazy.

    I had my son put teak oil on the unpainted wood while I was gone working. I gave him very explicit instructions: flood it on; hang around and add more anywhere it soaks in and looks thin; flood the whole thing again after half an hour; wait a few minutes and thoroughly wipe it dry.

    Somehow, he missed that last bit. So when I got home this morning, the cap rails had a heavy layer of oil on top of them, like a varnish job. I just spent the last hour sanding it, steel-wooling it; and scrubbing it with turpentine (not necessarily always in that order; I mixed it up as I went).

    On the plus side, those cap rails are now as smooth as a baby's....cheeks. Next step is to hit them with more teak oil - and this time, wipe it off before it dries. :)

    I've never used teak oil on Douglas fir before, and I was surprised by how much it darkened. On the other hand, the pine lips on the lids fore and aft didn't change color at all. I should have hit them with something like a golden oak stain, before having him oil them.

    Planning to throw the boat into the water tomorrow morning over at Perris Lake, if all goes well. Today I need to come up with some sort of a rack for the back end of my little Nissan pickup, so we can car-top it. The forward half should just lay over the cab (with a blanket under it), and tie off to my front bumper. We're getting ready to go throw it up there as soon as I have breakfast (lunch? Brunch?), so I can see what's needed.

    Perris Lake is motorboat heaven; a canoe could easily get run over by the ski boats and the maniacs on PWC's. But if I remember right, there's a good-sized cove that's restricted to sailing dinghies, rowboats and canoes, where no power boats are allowed. So it should be a good place for a test run.
     
  9. ancient kayaker
    Joined: Aug 2006
    Posts: 3,497
    Likes: 147, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 2291
    Location: Alliston, Ontario, Canada

    ancient kayaker aka Terry Haines

    I didn’t want to mention the other 2 unfinished sailing projects .. But you’re right, I need to start another boat. I know just the one ...

    Sorry Troy: we’re not trying to highjack your thread!

    The canoe is looking and sounding just great. Good luck with the launch. I too am lucky as power boats are banned on my local lake. I don’t live on the waterfront or have a lakeside cottage and I envy those who do. However, at least I have a swimming pool in the backyard where I can do stuff like check stability, position rowing or paddling seats, mark the waterline for the final paint coat, and generally avoid the embarrassment of really stupid mistakes being aired in public.
     
  10. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 1,738
    Likes: 170, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2078
    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    Never occurred to me you were hijacking; it was just part of the conversation. If I can post pic's of Sea World here, you can mention your canoes....:p
     
  11. ancient kayaker
    Joined: Aug 2006
    Posts: 3,497
    Likes: 147, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 2291
    Location: Alliston, Ontario, Canada

    ancient kayaker aka Terry Haines

    Getting back to the wheeled cart I was describing in post #92, I made mine to fit over the stem. Since your canoe has a transom, it occurs to me that it would be simpler to attach the cart to it and lift the bow, unless the boat is so heavy it needs the cart to be closer to midships.

    Afterthought: can't recall if you mentioned the boat's weight but I'd guess at around 100+ lb from it's size and construction, so lifting the bow would be around 45 lb - a long walk with that might be tiring. Of course, with a flat bottom you could easily locate it about 5' which would cut the lift by about 50% and it would be easier getting it around corners too.

    (I'm babbling, aren't I? Just itching to see it in the water!)
     
  12. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 1,738
    Likes: 170, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2078
    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    I think you're about right with the weight, although I haven't measured it. When I originally started, I was shooting for about 80 pounds. But every time we had a choice between keeping it light or making it sturdier or fancier, the weight lost out....

    I'm thinking about just saying 'the heck with it,' and buying a small boat trailer kit. Harbor Freight has one on sale for $329.00, and it's strong enough to carry a whole stack of flat-bottomed canoes. I think it's rated for about 800 lbs.
     
  13. lewisboats
    Joined: Oct 2002
    Posts: 2,329
    Likes: 129, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 1603
    Location: Iowa

    lewisboats Obsessed Member

    I have one...works great. It is currently under that Thompson I mentioned so it is a bit overloaded but holding up fine. Only thing I did is put the higher flotation tires on it. You could also get larger wheels for it to put less stress on the bearings but I haven't had any problems with it or any of the other little trailers I have used. You just gotta keep em greased properly. One day I will build a cradle for the boat and liberate the trailer so I can use it again.

    It took me about 3 hours to assemble it if I recall...less time than my folding utility trailer actually. The electrics are a bit dodgy though...you might want to skip the clamp on taps and use wire nuts and tape instead.
     
  14. wardd
    Joined: Apr 2009
    Posts: 897
    Likes: 37, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 442
    Location: usa

    wardd Senior Member


    for only twice that amount you could build one yourself
     

  15. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
    Posts: 1,738
    Likes: 170, Points: 63, Legacy Rep: 2078
    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    Yep...actually, I have a couple of old trailers setting around that could be rebuilt into boat trailers, if I had that kind of time and ambition. But when you're gone from home at least half the time, you learn to pick your projects.
     
Loading...
Similar Threads
  1. johnnythefish
    Replies:
    7
    Views:
    1,407
  2. Boracay
    Replies:
    6
    Views:
    1,418
  3. John Perry
    Replies:
    5
    Views:
    1,496
  4. Rod Tait
    Replies:
    0
    Views:
    890
  5. Rick Goodwell
    Replies:
    10
    Views:
    1,872
  6. Joey Bergeron
    Replies:
    50
    Views:
    4,791
  7. Travis Grauel
    Replies:
    7
    Views:
    2,554
  8. Graham Tapper
    Replies:
    27
    Views:
    4,109
  9. Rod Tait
    Replies:
    0
    Views:
    1,592
  10. Dolfiman
    Replies:
    0
    Views:
    1,435
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.