Quick, Easy 3-Man Canoe Plans

"Contact me by email, as I have several various length and capacity canoes that will fit the bill."

PAR,

I've emailed you twice.

What did you have in mind?

 

Thoughts;

Three guys times 4 hours equals 12 man-hours, plenty of time to build a decent boat. The trick is keeping them all busy and preventing them getting in each others way so as to maximize efficiency. This might suggest a twin hull, one guy working on each hull and one for the cross-bars, but that's not a good fit for three paddlers.

Question; do all the builders have to crew the boat? If so then it should be a mono. Assume yes.

Question: is glue setting time part of the 4 hours? If so then epoxy-free mono is indicated. Assume yes.

Design: flat-bottomed modified 6-hour canoe or freedom canoe indicated; additional rocker - with such a short race a good percentage of time is going to be around the turns, and they are going to get congested so agility is required. No seats, one thwart per paddler.

Construction: ply with dimensional lumber for chine logs and inwales, ring nails and caulk for speed, minimize screws.

Organization is key to keep everyone productive: a bit of time and motion is called for leading to something along these lines:

Guy 1 cuts sheer planks, guy 2 planes (external?) chine logs, guy 3 cuts frame(s).
Guy 1 cuts bottom roughly, guys 2 and 3 attach chine logs and stems to sheers.
Guys 1 & 2 assemble sheers and frame(s), guy 3 sets up supports.
With sheers on supports guys 1 and 2 plane chine logs, guy 3 cuts thwarts and seats.
All 3 attach bottom to sheers and trim edge.
Above assembly performed with sealant and ring nails for speed.
Flip hull: all 3 attach outwales, thwarts and seats using screws to avoid stressing hull.

I'm not saying this is the perfect division of labor but some optimizing and pre-organisation is required to do the job in the time alotted.

Note: during the race is not the best time to learn paddling. best paddler at on outside of turns in the stern steering, others one per side.

I estimate a 15-1/2 x 3 ft canoe can be obtained from 2 ply sheets (4 x 8), dimensional 1 x 2" lumber approx. 80 ft for logs, 'wales, stems and thwarts. I'd give it moderately flared sheers to provide a little secondary stability and maybe 3" rocker for agility, I'm guessing a bit more than 5" draft; freeboard may be limited. Should come out around 75# with cheap 1/4" ply, not sure what material costs are for you.

Good Luck!

 

I knocked out a quick FreeShip design. It is 15.5' x 40", draft 5.2", displacement 560# (3 x 160, hull 80). It is optimized for fast contruction.

The bottom plank comes out of a single ply sheet, the sheer planks are 12 wide cut from a second sheet, straight cuts only required until trimming bottom after fitting.

It may be possible to attach the chine logs and outwales to the sheer planks while they are flat, this will save time but the resultant sheer plank assemblies may be difficult to bend.

 

All very good, but I would substitute Gorilla glue for caulk because it will be stronger, fills gaps by expanding and is hard in less than half hour if the air is warm and damp.

 

Hoyte: you're quite right, GG would make for a more durable boat - so would paint - but there are cost and time limitations. Caulk is cheaper than GG and will do the job, in fact I would leave off the caulk for such a short race if I were sure there were no potential safety problems.

I forgot to attach the FreeShip file; it is only an approximation to the finished hull, the sheer developments aren't quite straight -

 

It probably doesn't matter much on this particular project, if there are going to be lots of ring nails. But when Gorilla glue expands, it loses a lot of its holding power.

I like the stuff though, and I've had good luck with it.

 

My thought was directed more at sealing than to its strength. In fact, it could be drizzled onto the seams after the boat is constructed to close any gaps.

 

Very thoughtful of you guys, thank you.

Some answers:

Yes, all three must be on board for the ~2:30 minute race.

Four hours build time, hand tools only, then you race, no drying time really.

I'd like to get it done in two or three so we can have a beer before the race so, simplicity is key.

Yes, organization will be critical. Nobody standing around.

I am looking for a local sponsor so we can do a trial run or two or three and have some sea time as well.

You can see in the video, it's not a terribly evolved group of competitors.

There is much to learn from the videos.

I will use Sikaflex below the waterline and white glue above. Sealing is an issue and will be addressed by joint design and Sika.

The big clincher here is budget.

It's got to be done on less than $100 Canadian which is the same as USA, BUT they are different currencies, SO you don't get as much for your money.

Here's the run down:

1/4 ply $28 (4'X 8' sheet)

3/8 ply $15 same

#6 screws $8/110

#8 screws $5/ 500

1 x 2 spruce $0.12/ foot

Big tube of Sika 291 $13

Etc, etc

So, 3/8 ply it is.

#8 screws it is, although they'll have to go in by hand and they are 1 1/4"!!

Ring nails are a good idea, I hadn't considered that approach. Not everywhere though.

I like the rocker combined with a keel, roll stable but still turnable.

Weight is not as big a factor as strategy and good seamanship.

What I was really looking for in my original post was a good design in the 16 - 18' range.

PAR seemed to get that but he's not delivering.

I have two self made designs I'm considering. One very traditional, the other not.

There is a lot to be said for a proven design as is often professed here on this forum but now that it's go time, the professors fall silent...

 

Put the frames(thwarts) leaning at 5 degrees and even with straight cut plywood rocker hull will naturally occur.

 

Tom: the ring nails will save a lot of time and also wear and tear on wrists that are probably more used to power tools. I wouldn't recommend a keel, agility will be a big factor in a short round-the-poles race, which is why I put so much rocker in the design. This is a boat for a specific purpose, it doesn't need the features found in a boat for general use. Hoyte's point about natural rocker is a trick I have used a lot, very few builders are as lazy as I am! With straight-cut sheers in a flat-bottomed boat, the relationship between rocker and sheer angle is -

rocker = 1/2beam x tan(sheer angle)

I set the angle to bring the stem feet up to waterline but it can certainly be reduced, but the value Hoyte gives would make for rock-solid tracking; not good for a short race with turns. Obviously changing sheer angle changes the sheer plank end angles.

The proper tools will be crucial especially for sawing the ply: will the rules allow you to get the sheet for the sheer planks cut by the store? The could do it in 10 minutes or less. If not try to borrow a couple of good panel saws.

Also try to get Robertson screws and drivers, they're better than Phillips.

For a quick and dirty job, yes you CAN hammer the screws in most of the way (ignore the retching sounds in the background)

 

AK et al. If you put some flare in the sides as you have done, rocker will occur naturally when used with a straight cut on the sides. That is dandy, but....... The chine logs will have to be planed fair. (hand tools only here) We/re talking about 30 feet of careful planing such that a decent fit for the bottom will be there.

Now consider plumb sides where little or no planing is involved. To get some rocker the sides at the chine/bottom intersection will need to be slightly curved. Consider the time for planing versus the time for sawing the sides into a curve near the ends. Consider the quality of the joint at the chine log. Sloppy joint = lots of sealant. (money limited)

Yes use ring nails but not the really good ones like monel or sil-bronze. Use drywall nails that are cheap and plentiful. Even cement coated box nails will do. They'll be less likely to split the logs or stem posts. Avoid screws everywhere possible. Time is too valuable to waste on screws, say nothing of the fatigue factor from turning them. If you must use screws then be sure to find a Yankee Screwdriver that is in good shape. Another valuable tool will be a bucking block weighing about 5 pounds. That'll make nailing a lot faster and easier.

Tom; yes, weight does matter Keep it as light as is practical. AKs canoe looks good but I think 40 inches is too much beam unless one or more of the paddlers are really big guys. That's another thing, don't choose overly big guys for paddlers.

 

Hoty is of course correct.

My cardbpard models have shown very nicely just how much and where.

Plenty of rocker combined with a small keel should offer a good marriage of roll resistance and good tracking without sacrificing yaw response.

All these variable must be weighed carefully, something the videos help with immensely.

We're going to build and test a few designs as we have plenty of time.

The correct tools are important.

Did you know the Robertson head is a Canadian invention?

I wonder if there is already a proven design out there...

 

gypsum wall board screws are cheaper than ring shank nails, but only if you can use a cordless drill to install them.

Also, do not go with the costly sitka flex, use the cheap construction adhesive, it is a thick camel like paste that also comes in caulk type tubes. It is strong, cheap and water proof and will dry enough to seal the seams in an hour. It only cost about $2 a tube and works great for these kinds of builds.

After viewing the video I realized something: the double ended kayak paddles give great power and fast forward thrust, however, unless you three guys are practiced at coordinating your strokes, you will not paddle as fast than with single paddes on opposite sides of the boat. For effective kayak paddle use you need to be far enough apart so you do not strike or interfere with each others paddling (notice BTW, native kayaks always have the seating positions far apart as the hull allows, only "white man" kayaks put the seats too close together). With single paddles you can not get as many strokes per min, but you will also not lose time and power by trying not to strike each other either. Something to consider.

Also, when you make the paddles, consider that they are your "power sourse" and make them strong enough for the job. Many times they are quickly made and made too flimsy, you loose speed if they are not strong enough for the job. But also do not make them any heavier than they need to be, a heavy paddle will also slow you down. I have found that you only 1x2 size shafts (if fairly good wood is used), and do not make the blades too large either, they too will slow you down. Consider the size of the blades on most perforance paddles and you will have it about right, too big a blade will not make you go faster.

These kind of contests are always a lot of fun, fast and cheap, they are all over in one weekend (unlike most of our other boat projects!).

 

Of course I know the Robertson screw is a Canadian invention Tom!. Back in the bad old days of the USSR it was the only thing that hadn't been invented in Russia Seriously though, the only proven design I know of specifically designed for a fast build is the 6-hour canoe, which is really a solo. My design is much fatter; if you have time to experiment, less beam will translate into more speed: I would have made it longer and narrower but more ply (and $$) would be required.

BTW I mentioned the Freedom Canoe some while back; memory blip, definitely not a fast build, I meant the Peace Canoe which "goes together in 6 hours from the precut kit" according to its designer. That one is 18' x 42" and uses 5 ply sheets.

The Wacky Lassy is smaller but similar and there is a good description at http://www.boats.backwater.org/Wacky_Lassie/Wacky_Lassie.htm.

Er . . you don't have to make the paddles as well, do you?

 

Yes, and I've got them figured already (the paddles).

What I'm looking for is plans already built and proven that would suit my needs.

Actual plans, pdf, jpeg, whatever.

Petros, no power tools allowed.

16 - 18' plans would be awesome.