Building begins!

After buying 1/8" bendable Poplar plywood, I decided that I didn't have to make a flat bottomed canoe. So, I changed my plans to something a little more elegant and challenging. The new boat plans should make an ultralight 30 lb canoe with a curved hull.

Here is a picture of the setup. Its pretty klugy, but I am working with what I have. All I did this weekend was finish procuring the tools I need, cut the plywood in half the long way, and mark up the plywood for cutting the rest of the hull. The second photo is a close up of the two sheets of plywood. Working with such thin pieces makes me nervous. I will be surprised if I get through this without having to buy an extra piece.

Planning and materials

After extensive research I decided that for my first attempt to make a boat, I would make a simple one. Plywood canoes are faster, easier, and cheaper to make then cedar strip canoes. They can be made in as little as a weekend with simple hand tools. There are several websites out there that sell boat plans, however I only found two sets of free plans. One set was for an 18ft touring canoe from JEM Watercraft, the other for the a simpler version of the boat I plan to build from Bateau. I wanted a boat that could carry two people comfortably, yet was very light weight, hopefully under 40lbs.

The canoe I plan to make is a simple flat bottom, single side panel design. I am aiming for 15' 4". The boat will be constructed out of two pieces of 4mm plywood and coated in epoxy. I chose thin plywood to cut down on weight. However, I am fiber-glassing the outside of the hull to strengthen the thin plywood. Some designs glass the whole boat, while others just glass tape the seams. I decided to use slightly thinner tape on all the seams and then use a fairly thin glass for the outside hull. I went with six ounce fiberglass tape and cloth.

The fiberglass and epoxy are going to be the most expensive materials. Today I ordered them from USComposites, which was the cheapest supplier I could find. I also arranged to borrow the tools I don't have. Hopefully next weekend I can start building. Here is a material and tool list with projected costs for the boat. The whole thing should wind up costing around $200.

Canoe material list and cost
(covers the portage yoke and rub rails, but not seats.)

plywood - 1/8" or 3/16" best plywood, 2 sheets - $30
rub rail - 2 (1x2") batens, 19' long - $8
portage yoke - 1x6" hardwood, 1 yard - $4
fiberglass tape - 4", 6 ounce, 50 yards - $26
fiberglass cloth - 6 ounce, 6 yardds - $37
epoxy - 1.5 gallons - $65
sawdust - 1/2 gallon (make my own!)
paint - quart? ~ $20
probably some extra scrap wood?
pcv pipe (for C clamps) - 3", 6 feet - $4


Tools:

skill saw
hand saw
saw horses
drill
wood screws
sanders
scrapers/planes
dust mask
putty knives
disposable foam brushes