Any Cedar Strip Boat Builders?

[Oldragbaggers]

I am about 2 weeks away from completion of my teardrop (and my first camping trip) so of course my mind has turned already to my next project. I probably won't start it until next spring, but I am looking at building a cedar strip boat, either a dinghy type, about 10 feet, or a kayak (or 2, or a double).

I've got a lot of experience restoring old boats, but have never attempted one from the keel up. We're looking for something small/lightweight, that we can heave up onto the truck racks and take camping with us. The cedar strip method appeals because of the lightweight and pure beauty of it. It gives me an opportunity to work with wood, and hand tools, which is really enjoyable, almost therapeutic, for me. I have also read (repeatedly) that it is not difficult, just requires a lot of time and patience, and I possess both of those so I would like to give it a try.

For any of you that might have experience with this form of boat building, my question is, "how did you learn it?" Did you read about it? Watch someone else? Watch videos? Take a class? Buy a kit?

And, was it a good first effort, or did you have a project or two that ended up on the junk heap before you got it figured out?

[Fishingtomatoseed]

Have not built one yet. But it is my next goal. Have read a lot about it.
http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/
This website has a lot of info on boats, kayaks, canoes, paddles and paddle boards. I hope to start mine this fall. I have a book at home that was a good read and it had plans in it you could use. I will look for it when I get home.

Found it on linehttp://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0071475249/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

[jstrubberg]

I've done a lot of reading myself, but haven't taken the plunge yet.

Don't think I will go with cedear strip though, even if it's gorgeous. I'm thinking more stitch and glue, like this...




Here's a review with a lot more information...

http://www.storerboatplans.com/Eureka/E ... page2.html

[Oldragbaggers]

That's a gorgeous canoe!! I thought about stitch and glue also. I have been a big fan of Glen L for a long time and have purchased several of their plans. They have a lot of stitch and glue patterns. But after watching several videos on the stitch and glue and several on the cedar strip, the cedar strip actually looks easier to manage to me, although more time consuming. It seems that since you're working with much smaller parts there is less opportunity to make a BIG mistake.

[D.J.]

I have been eyeing this canoe since the 70s. The article has very clear instructions with many tips and full diagrams. You can modify the shape to whatever you want. The article is from Popular Science magazine, March 1967 the article starts on page171. I have the actual magazine if you would like me to send a scanned copy. ... D.J.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=4yADAAA ... CDIQ6AEwAA

[mary and bob]

We were just camping on Lake Ontario last weekend. One of our Canadian friends had a small stitch & glue boat, a pirogue maybe, about 6 feet long. He tried it out in the lake and it sunk, then tried again in a pond and flipped it, finally gave it to some kid there. But seriously, you should go to the wood boat show in Mystic CT and also take your camper to the Thousand Islands area of NY and go to the boat museum in Clayton. They do some small boat building there.

[Tom Kurth]

Have built a stripper and plywood skin-on-frame kayak covered outside with glass. Have also built a couple more stripper hulls that await glassing.

To answer your questions: I read several books--Ted Moores, Susan van Leuven, and Mac MacCarthy had the best books of those I read. I also learned a lot on the internet. Guillemot (sp) Kayaks has a great website but discontinued its forum quite some time back. The forum was a great place to learn. There are/were several good websites geared to helping DIYers (and usually trying to sell kits. I designed the canoe myself which was a mistake in terms of producing an ideal boat but was also a better learning experience for having to fair the hull.

I once was talking to our pastor and he asked if I thought he had the skills to build one. I asked him, "When you go out to your shop to work on a project, can you think of more than one way to do a particular task?" If you can do that along with being patient and having time, I am confident you can build a stripper, particularly since you have previously worked with boats.

The one thing I would caution you about is your presumption that a strip-built boat is light-weight and car-toppable. Mine is 12.5' long, about 30" beam and weighs about 70#. Yes, it could have been made lighter but not, I think, by a novice builder. I previously had a Coleman plastic canoe. I could car-top it by myself but it was a struggle. If you will always have help to load and unload, not a problem.

Good luck,
Tom

[Oldragbaggers]

DJ, that's a lovely canoe and I would really appreciate a scanned copy of the article. When I become interested in something I am like a sponge for information and want to absorb as much of it as I possibly can. I will PM you my email address.

Tom, thank you so much for all that good information and source references. I had seen the books you referenced and now that I know they are good I will probably order one and get started. Yes, I will always have help loading and unloading. It sounds like you took to the craft if you've built several and still going.

Currently we have a little 8' El Toro sailing/rowing dinghy (fiberglass) that we will use as our water toy when camping. It needs a little fixing up, but we should have it ready to go in short order. It weighs 80#, and while I don't claim to love hoisting it around, it is quite manageable and worth the effort to us to be able to have a boat with us if spending any amount of time in an area where there is water to play on. I actually had thought about just buying a nice inflatable to take camping with us, but then that wouldn't give me an opportunity to learn a new skill or to build anything.

[prohandyman]

Yes built this one 10 years ago. 17 1/2' long, 62 #, cedar and redwood strips, pecan gunnels, ash and purple heart decks. Called a Redbird, a fast tripper style.

I would highly suggest a project like this. Very rewarding, not very difficult. Several books out and online assistance. You can buy the strips already cut and routered to make the process faster.
It is also on top my truck in the avatar!

[Oldragbaggers]

Beautiful canoe, Prohandyman. Congratulations on your build. 60# doesn't sound bad to me!! I am fortunate to have easy access to all the supplies from Chesapeake Light Craft which is close to me in Annapolis, MD. Another check mark in the "do I want to do this" plus column.

[pohukai]

I built one of Nick Schade's design in the 90's. He had a booklet at the time and now has a fantastic book on building. He is very clever and uses great techniques.

I'd build another one of his boats again.

http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/guillemot/

[wagondude]

I read a book and even thought I had a design picked out. I may still build one some day, but I have a plastic Old Town for now.

http://bearmountainboats.com/

The book I have is Canoecraft: http://bearmountainboats.com/shop/#!/~/ ... id=8254843 It is very informative and includes all the information to build the designs in the book. There is also a companion book with kayak plans called Kayakcraft.

[mezmo]

Not exactly a strip canoe/kayak, but related.

Here is an interesting French website I came across the other day.

http://www.roulottes.org/index1.php
http://www.roulottes.org/conception.php

It is for a Roulotte builder that uses the strip method in his
construction.

"Les roulottes de l'Atelier d'Archimède sont construites en
bois moulé époxy stratifié."

Auto Google Chrome Translate: [I use Chrome as a browser
set up to auto translate.]

"The trailer of the Workshop Archimedes are built molded
wood epoxy laminate".

A Roulotte is more or less a French style Vardo - a nice
larger variation on the theme.

Light and strong and different...

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

FYI :
https://www.google.com/search?q=Roulott ... 37#imgrc=_

[pchast]

I just finished a year long class building a 16ft strip canoe It was given by the local Woodworking group.
http://www.woodworker.org/

[Corwin C]

My Dad, Brother, and I have built three. Mine was proof of concept (still going strong 15 years later), Dad's was a significant improvement (we developed clamps to hold the strips while the glue dries instead of staples), but my Brother's is the showpiece (here's a picture of the three of us in his) ...



We used Gil Gilpatrick's Building a Strip Canoe - first edition. It was out of print for quite a few years, but apparently it is back (2nd edition). To us, his book was the "generic benroy plans" for a strip canoe. Everything that we needed to know was included in it's pages including several different plans, instructions for hand-caning seats, fiberglass techniques, plans for handmade paddles, and so on. We spent so much time in this book that we completely wore out the binding and it is held together with binder clips and some key rings. (Perhaps it's time for me to invest in a replacement.)