Attaching the Outer Stems

Once all of the planking has been completed, the plank ends are cleaned up in preparation of fitting the African mahogany outer stems.

A belt sander is used on the upper plank ends where the outer stem fits flush with the inner stem and planks. Just past the turn of the stem, to where the outer stem will end, the planks must be cut away so that the outer stem can be inset and attached to the inner stem.

The stems are fitted and then epoxied into place.

After the thickened epoxy has cured, the screws are removed and the stem is planed and sanded so that it is close to its final shape.

Planking the Bottom (The Second Side)

As the second side of the bottom is planked, attention is paid to the numbers on the planks to keep the color scheme similar to the planks on the already completed side. Earlier, we divided the planks into three groups (light, medium, dark). The differences between planks within each group is subtle and, of course, there are never two planks identical. The shades vary and the grain is always different. This is what makes each canoe unique and beautiful. It's not until we apply the first coat of epoxy/fiberglass though that we will really know what the boat will look like.

On this canoe, we installed a longitudinal plank down the center of the bottom. This added step gives it the look of a keelson, but is just for aesthetics. The new planks are then carefully fitted to it.

Once the bottom has been completed, the bow and stern sections are filled in with partial planks. These planks will allow for the curvature of the sheer at each end of the canoe, which will give it the traditional look we desire.

Planking the Bottom (The First Side)

When the side planks have been completed, one side of the bottom will be completed before starting on the other side of the bottom. Each plank must extend past the centerline so that it can be trimmed to the centerline later.

Once the centerline is marked on the bottom, the planks are rough trimmed to the line using a sharp chisel. Because of the way the grain of the wood intersects the centerline, it is always best to start in the middle of the canoe and work towards the ends.

The trimming process is finished up with a couple of small planes. Small spacer blocks are put between the hull and the molds to raise the hull enough so the plane clears the molds.

Planking the Sides

When the forms are set up at the appropriate spacing to result in the desired length canoe, the sheerstrake is installed. Much care is taken to make sure this plank has a fair curve to it because this determines how all of the following planks will lay.

Planks are normally stapled to the forms, but we have added outer ribs to the forms so that they can be clamped using wedges. This adds to the aesthetics of the canoe by eliminating all of the small marks left on the finished canoe by the staple holes.

Small dowels are placed in the fragile cove edge to protect it from the bungee cord (which also clamps the planks together). Dowels are only used in the bow and stern areas where planks will be added later. Protection isn't needed in other areas because that edge will be sanded flat and will be part of the gunnels.

The planking progresses by adding planks to alternating sides. This is where the numbering on the planks is used to keep the color scheme similar on each side. This is most important when planking the bottom because both sides are seen next to each other.

On this canoe, the dark accent strips were taken from a very dark cedar board and the white strip is from a spruce/pine board.

More planks will be added where the blue tape is after the bottom has been completed. The added planks will make up the raised bow and stern section which will give it a traditional look befitting of this type of canoe.

The Cedar Strips

The cedar was ripped into 1/4" x 3/4" x 17' lengths. The strips were cut slightly thicker than 1/4" and then were planed down to exactly 1/4". Milling the planking to tight tolerances should pay off later in reduced sanding.

The planks were separated by color and then numbered accordingly. This will assist us in getting an even pattern from side to side and make the canoe more aesthetically pleasing.

Bead and cove edges are put on to the edges of the planks. This allows for tight seems in the curved sections of the hull.

The Stems

After the materials were ordered and received, the first step was to steam bend the stems. The inner stems are made up of pine. The outer stems are of African mahogany.

Once the stems were steamed and formed, the layers were epoxied together forming a very strong lamination. The planks will be glued to the inner stem and the outer stem will be attached later to protect the ends of the planks.

Once the stems were attached to the forms, they were shaped to allow a broad flat surface for the planks to be glued to.

16 Foot Cedar Strip Canoe

This project started when we received a call from Tom who said he and his wife Vicki had recently seen one of our canoes on display at the Eagle Nest Lodge on the Big Horn River in Hardin Montana. Tom said they would like to have a canoe built for use on the lake at their cottage. They wanted it to be about 16' long and have a traditional look to it.

The "Bob's Special" design was selected for the following reasons:

• Pleasant all around recreational boat
• Very light weight
• Good carrying capacity
• Width and flat bottom
• Low ends to minimize windage
• Good for both tandem and solo paddling
• Moderate rocker and soft bilges
• Stable to fish from
• Very steady

The plans were purchased from the very reputable Bear Mountain Boats (www.bearmountainboats.com).