Plywood canoe

Discussion in 'Wooden Boat Building and Restoration' started by latestarter, Oct 2, 2012.

  1. latestarter
    Joined: Jul 2010
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    Location: N.W. England

    latestarter Senior Member

    I have started building a plywood canoe.
    I began sailing as a teenager and continued until about 40 years old.
    I have now retired and was thinking how I could get back into boating.
    Dinghy sailing was out as I am not confident I could always get back into the boat after a capsize.
    I did think of buying a small sailing cabin cruiser which can be bought quite cheaply and sail in the Lake District, however the cost of moorings, launching fees, maintenance and storage put me off. The amount of times I might use it would not justify the hassle.

    Last year I hired a motor boat on the Lancaster Canal. It was quite pleasant travelling through the countryside apart from the noise of the diesel engine, and thought it would be great on an electric powered boat.
    I followed the efficient electric boat thread on this site with interest.
    The problem was access to the canal with a trailer launched boat is limited and expensive.
    You can launch canoes free at many more places but the word ‘canoe’ meant unstable and wet to me.
    While browsing Selway Fisher’s site I came across their 12’ 6” motor canoe see http://www.makeacanoe.com/motorcanoes.htm#OUTBOARD

    It is more like a light dinghy and I could manage car-topping it. Rowing would suit me as kneeling is out of the question and twisting my back while paddling not good.
    A battery and trolling motor would work on the canal which has a 4 MPH speed limit, I am looking for relaxation rather than an adrenaline rush.
    Having an immersed transom is not good for this purpose and I was thinking of bolting on an extension to the stern to increase water line length and give a smooth run aft.

    I bought the plans and one of the notes said “ by using the panel shapes on the left ply panel you can produce a 15’ 10” by 44” doubled ended canoe” which is what I am now building. In effect a wide bodied Waterman 16. http://www.makeacanoe.com/opencanoes15to17.htm#WATER

    If it proves difficult to car top I can fit a transom and cut the end off to get back to the motor canoe shape. The end could be carried in the back of the car and made to bolt on the transom before launching.

    I shall add photos and comments on the build later.
     
    Beav222 likes this.
  2. troy2000
    Joined: Nov 2009
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    Location: California

    troy2000 Senior Member

    Good luck, and we'll be waiting for those pic's. :)
     
  3. Petros
    Joined: Oct 2007
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    Petros Senior Member

    If you make a couple of light weight sponson that attach to beams across a canoue, you can than carry sails and do away with a motor all together. these can be fairly simple and light items that attach with bungee cords, easy to remove and place on the roof top with the center hull.

    There is a thread on this forum about a guy building just such a craft, easy to car top, rig and launch.
     
    Beav222 likes this.
  4. latestarter
    Joined: Jul 2010
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    Location: N.W. England

    latestarter Senior Member

    Thanks Troy and Petros.
    It is my eventual plan to sail.

    Another surprise was the motor canoe plans included a drawing for sails, rudder and leeboard.

    I live near this company who supply everything I would need to go sailing if I decide not to build those parts myself. http://www.solwaydory.co.uk/

    This organisation's website is helpful as well. http://www.ocsg.org.uk/
     
  5. hoytedow
    Joined: Sep 2009
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    Please post photos here as your build progresses. Good luck!
     
  6. latestarter
    Joined: Jul 2010
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    Location: N.W. England

    latestarter Senior Member

    I have almost finished glueing the panels end to end but rather than put it all up in one go I shall post it in stages.

    I decided to use marine ply. In the UK quite a few use exterior grade ply as thin as 3.6mm but they usually use epoxy and cloth outside and inside. As I do not want to rub down large areas of epoxy and as there is less risk of voids and fewer repairs to the veneer I decided on marine ply.

    The sources for 4mm marine are limited however I found a firm selling sheets for about £29, 50miles away. I made a platform to go on my car roof to collect the plywood and made sure the leading edge of the ply was well secured.

    By popular request ;) a couple of photos
     

    Attached Files:

  7. hoytedow
    Joined: Sep 2009
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    Nice. Be sure to run a line fore and aft over the cargo firmly attached to the car in order to protect the windscreen of the car following you.
     
  8. pistnbroke
    Joined: Jan 2009
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    Location: Noosa.Australia where god kissed the earth.

    pistnbroke I try

    I have had exactly the same problem with british canals....no access because they dont want cars dumped in them to obstruct the hire boats...I have solved it by making a 13ft boat in 5mm ply which is under 40 kg .wife and I can sit side by side with room to pass between the seats...Its modeled on a 1930s slipper craft....easy to slide across the grass and a bit of carpet on the side of the cut and in it goes ...put in battery and seats after launch to keep launch weight down and away you go 24v ..84lb thrust minkota on 12v with model aero prop and off we go 4 mph @20 amps
     
  9. Frosty

    Frosty Previous Member


    Bloody speechless. you need some spychological help.
     
  10. Frosty

    Frosty Previous Member


    Bloody speechless. you need some psychological help.
     
  11. pistnbroke
    Joined: Jan 2009
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    Location: Noosa.Australia where god kissed the earth.

    pistnbroke I try

    Frosty you are getting more stupid every day .....all access to the canal is blocked with posts etc to stop cars being dumped which block the hire boats which must do the trip in 7 days...so pi$$ off and look after your ladyboys at the 7/11 and leave us all in peace ...moves right hand in vertical oscillating movement not quite clenched.
     
  12. latestarter
    Joined: Jul 2010
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    Location: N.W. England

    latestarter Senior Member

    Frosty, your post is logically flawed.
    Having stated you are speechless, adding a sentence proves that not to be the case. In view of the difference between your 2 posts you are taking the P as usual. :D

    Hoyt, there were 12 bolts attaching the platform to the roof bars. I avoided the motorways, went by the country roads driving at about 50 mph.
     
  13. pistnbroke
    Joined: Jan 2009
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    Location: Noosa.Australia where god kissed the earth.

    pistnbroke I try

    nice one latestarter you got Frosty pinned 100%./.......
     
  14. hoytedow
    Joined: Sep 2009
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    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

    I am glad you had a successful trip. I once lost a load of cypress fencing from the roof of my car because I had not properly secured it(the rack came loose). Live and learn. I am glad the road was empty that day. :eek:
     

  15. latestarter
    Joined: Jul 2010
    Posts: 402
    Likes: 51, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 233
    Location: N.W. England

    latestarter Senior Member

    I would like to say how much I appreciate this site and its members. I have learnt lots since joining (even more still to learn).
    The breadth of knowledge and willingness to help others is commendable.

    I got the ply home and with help from a neighbour got it into the garage which was a bit hairy as there was a gusty breeze and the ply is very floppy.

    When laying the ply down on my own I found the easiest way was to put the edge on the floor and then let it fall over. It starts dropping at a worrying speed but when a couple inches to go the air being forced out cushions it and you get a soft landing.

    I took the 5 sheets of ply into the backyard and spent a considerable time choosing which 4 to use and trying to match up adjacent sheets. The sides with the BS 1088 stamps on them were pretty flawless but areas of the wood had a bluey grey tinge (see second photo). The other sides were very good with shades of brown throughout (see first photo). The good sides will be the inside and will be varnished, the outside will be painted.

    Previously I had contacted a firm with a CNC routing machine and another who had a CNC laser cutter, to cut out the panels using the DXF file provided by Selway Fisher. For various reasons this did not work out and I cut the panels myself.
     

    Attached Files:

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