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Strip Building Boat Plans

Strip building also known as cedar strip or plank building is a method of boat building where narrow strips of thin wood are glued together around a frame, the strips are then faired and fiberglassed and the form removed. The resulting boats are beautiful and light. This method is commonly used for canoes, kayaks and small dinghies. Several outriggers and rowboats have also been built this way.

Not only are the boat lovely, they are also light and strong. Strip building is one method of boat building which allows the builder to produce smooth complex curves.

Boat Plans in no Particular Order.

Let me know if you find a broken link. Things change quickly in the virtual world. More boat plans on the left.

• Lovely Strip Canoe plans from Ashes Still Water Boats. Models include solo, trip, extra stable for photographers and anglers. He also build Custom Boats.
• Stripper Canoes from Make a Canoe which is a Selway Fisher Company, Some nice canoes and kayaks. Offers outrigger, leeboard and sail plans also.
• Clark Craft have lovely cedar strip boats They offer kits and plans. Not particularly nice photos but lovely boats.
• Canadian Canoes offer cedar strip kits, supplies, classes in strip building.
• Glen L Whitehall strip built rowboat They have many other strip built boats as well.
• Green Valley Boat Works kits and plans for Canoes and Kayaks. Lovely strip construction canoes.
• Guillemot Kayaks, canoes and rowing boats, plans and kits. They also offer Custom build.
• Free Boat Plan for Strip Planking the EasyB 14 ft. solo strip canoe
• Several canoe designs from Northwest canoe They have supplies and lots of resources including free canoe plans. .
• Georgian bay Kayak They have a large selection of sea kayaks
• Siskiwit Kayak free plans from Paddling Light
• Newfound Woodworks has cedar strip kits for kayaks, canoes and row boats, including the Rangeley.
• Orca Boats has plans and kits for cedar strip canoes and Kayaks.
• Barracuda canoe from John Winters.
• Strip plans from Valley Woodworking, plans, boats and accessories

• One Ocean Kayaks Wood strip and stitch and glue kits.
• Plans for Selway Fisher Design yacht and Boats including several strip built designs.
• Redfish Custom Kayak and Canoe Co. Plans and custom built boats, Cedar strips
• Sandy Point Boatworks have lovely strip built boat plans. including canoes, kayaks and pulling boats.
• Shearwater Boats offer plans, classes, kits and boats. Strip and stitch & glue boats are offered.
• Many designs offered, some free. Interesting one man mini keelboats. Some concept boats. Not all have been built.
• Boat plan Directory from Wooden Boat Magazine . Many different types of boats plus kits. A goldmine of plans.
• White Salmon has cedar strip plans, and kits in various types of kayaks, canoes and rowboats
• Classic Wooden Boat Plans specializes in wooden motor boats. They have some lovely wood plank boats.
• Duckworks boatbuilding plans Many designers. Fabulous boat building resource. Lots of plans but also articles and information on boatbuilding, supplies and hardware.
• Noahs Marine has cedar strip boat kits and plans as well as supplies such as plywood, epoxy and fiberglass. They have long length of cedar bead and cove lumber.
• Tender Craft Boat Shop has kits, plans and traditional (and modern) building materials, They have supplies including epoxy and cedar strips.
• Boat Plans and Kits from Chesapeake Light Craft (home of my Skerry design) has plans and kits for many different types of boats. Eye candy.
• National Museum of American History boat plans from the Smithsonian. Not specifically strip plans but many traditional hulls that could be adapted.
• Bear Mountain Boats, Plans for stunning canoes and kayaks and small boats made by the wood strip building method.
• Wooden Boat Store has plans for many boats and also has hardware. Some of the plans can be adapted for strip building by more advanced builders.
• Paul Gartside offers plans, boats and custom boats. He offers several cedar strip designs. Water Craft magazine prints free complete sets of Paul Gartside plans in every issue.
• Carrying Place Canoe Works Has plans for many styles of cedar strip canoes as well as kits.

Youtube video on Milling Cedar Strips, very detailed.

Nick Shade's

I try to be accurate and check my information, but mistakes happen. IF you find a dead link please let me know and I'll update it.

Boat, Paddle and Oar Plans

Other interesting boatbuilding articles.

Although it is possible to build a nice boat from just the offsets, building a wood strip boat is somewhat complex. NOT impossibly difficult but not baby simple either. A good set of plans will have tested dimensions, often full size mold patterns, and many tips and instructions that will save time and money. In the end you get what you pay for.

Another great advantage of buying good plans is that the designer has a vested interest in your success and wants you to succeed. They are willing to answer questions and offer advice if you need it.

Small Print

This information is for general knowledge. If you plan to build a boat do your homework and check out the design before you build. I have not tested most of these boats so I can't recommend them. There are good and not so good plans.

STRIP PLANKING GUIDE

  Above: The plug for the Chincogan 40 catamaran, entirely planked in western red cedar, with the plug later becoming the first boat after molds had been made. 

IT'S NOT THAT HARD

Strip planking a boat hull is very straight forward process that doesn't take a great deal of skill or technical capability. But there's a few basic principles to follow. The most important one is the orientation of the planks which we've covered under "Planning the Planking".

PLANKING PROFILE

If you follow the techniques of the strip plank canoe and kayak builders (Pinterest is one good source) you'll notice a lot of them machine the strips to a concave/convex profile so they fit really snuggly on the mould frames and a minim of glue is used. 

I've seen this done on offshore sailing catamarans as well but unless you're fanatical about detail it's probably overkill for larger boats. There is more cost for the machining and more wastage in the lost timber. Rectangular planks work fine.

PLANKING WIDTHS

The wider the strips the less glue joins you have to make. However wider planks create wider flats and higher ridges on the joins creating more work to fair the hull. A good compromise is wider planks on the keel plank and on the flatter hull sides, and narrower planks on the bilge curve.

 For a hull bottom in the 40' to 50' size range I suggest a plank width of about 45mm for about two thirds of the area, and scale down to about 30mm for the bilge curve.

If you're going all the way up to the gunnel with the planks you could increase the planking widths to 70mm, 90mm or more if the topsides are flat enough.

GLUING TECHNIQUE

 One method I've seen used is dry planking - whereby all of the planks are simply laid up dry and then the glue is screeded into the gaps when the planking is all done. This method relies on getting the consistency of the glue just right. If it's too thin its going to run through the cracks onto the shop floor below. If it's too thick it's not going to fill all the voids. Keep in mind that the width of the gaps between the plans will vary as the curvature changes so no consistency is going to be absolutely perfect for every part of the hull.

My advice is not to use this technique unless you "know what you're doing".

Another way of speeding up the gluing process is to clamp several planks side by side and run a squeegee or a cartridge gun down the line covering them all at once. Be careful not to apply glue to more planks than you can carefully lay before the epoxy begins to set.

The strip planking work can proceed very quickly with an efficient team of two or three workers. If I remember correctly we were able to plank the hull side of a 40' catamaran in two days with three workers. But don't be tempted to rush the job. Keep the planking neat and tidy. Clean up as you go, especially on the inside as much as you can. A bit of extra clean up work can save a lot of sanding later.

SELECTING MATERIALS FOR THE STRIPS

 Western Red Cedar is forgiving and easy to work with. The main downside is that it's more expensive than it used to be in the 1980's and 90's when strip planking was probably the most popular method for building one off sailing boats.

Another relatively light timber that appears to be rot resistant is Pawlownia which is readily available in South East Asia and possibly in some western countries as well.

Strip planking with foam/glass strips has become a very popular method of creating round bilge hulls while retaining the light weight and durability of the PVC foam/fibreglass combination.

Typically full size foam sheets (1.2m x 2.4m) are joined up to the full length of the hull (the foam can be simply but joined with an epoxy glue)   and laid up with unidirectional glass in the x axis (along the hull) both sides of the core. . The panels are then ripped into strips of the required width.

A possible compromise between the solid timber and the foam glass strips is to us ATL's Durakore with a PVC foam core and Hoop Pine veneers on each face. This is probably slightly more expensive but the panles dont need a glass laminate prior to planking and the timber faces are easier to fair than glass/epoxy.

PLANNING THE PLANKING

This is pretty basic, but it's important to a tidy job and if you don't get it right you can create a lot of hard work for yourself. Quite simply; Don't cross the bilge curve. Plan your planking operation so that your planks will run parallel with the tightest curve in the hull. Crossing the bilge curve at an angle will force the planks to twist and this can cause a lot of extra fairing work.

A great shot of the hull shoe planking on Raku 48 Mint. There are different ways you can approach the planking operation and I don't know exactly how it was approached on this hull; but here is one way it could have been done:

1. A marking plank was laid along the bilge curve, not glued in placed but used to mark the lay of the bilge planks. 

2. A second marking plank was laid parallel I guess about 300mm further down the hull side. This determined where the lower planks (on the mould) would be trimmed off.

3. A plank is then rebated into the mould frames on this line and covered in plastic to provide a solid backing for the saw when it comes time to trim these planks.

The same can be done on the keel line to assist with trimming the keel planks.

4. The bottom planking is completed and then trimmed off as planned. Note that it would have been reasonably easy to clean up excess glue on the inside face while this was being done. Not quite so easy for the upper planks when doing the second side.

The narrower planking on the bilge and hull bottom can now begin and proceed up to the keel where once again it is trimmed along the keel line.

It is recommend to partially plank each side concurrently to avoid putting a lot of twisting load on the mould frames and strongback.

5. When closing in the final planks on the second side it will be necessary to fit some of the planks by spiling the ends to meet the keel line.

Bottom planks on a Barefoot 40 hull, ready to be trimmed off where they meet the marking plank. No backing plank has been provided for the trimming operation in this example.

Barefoot 40 detail and the stem. The planking is 20mm thick and the final planks at the keel line have been cut down to about 25mm wide.

Biaxial Glass at ±45˚ has been laid across the hull over the finished planking. The joins in the glass do not need to be overlapped. The laminators are pulling excess resin from the laminate with squeegees.

Laminating of the external hull surface completed.

Two extra coats of epoxy have been applied to ensure the hull is well sealed.

Construction of R42 Trimaran Venom. Panels of PVC foam with unidirectional carbon skins are being joined up to the length of the boat using a heat press supplied by ATL Composites. The heat press greatly speeds up the joining operation but if you don't have access to the heat press you can also join the panels using screws and clamping boards. (see this link)

Strip planking the outriggers for R42 trimaran Venom.

Two shots of the first hull for the Raku 44 trimaran under construction in Brazil. You watch progress of the construction for this boat on this link.

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Strip Planking

A brief description, not a boatbuilding class.

Strip planking is a form of carvel planking. The hull is built over forms using strips of wood, edge-glued, and edge fastened together. The strips are kept narrow so that there is very little shaping required. Strips are usually a minimum of 1/2″ thick, with a maximum width of 1 1/2 times the thickness. With modern epoxy adhesives, it is the glue and not the fasteners that holds the hull together.

A related method (our Stripper) uses strips of wood, edge-glued, faired, then coated inside and out with epoxy and fiberglass cloth. In this method the glue joints are less critical as the hull ends as a composite; the wood serving as a core. The glue joints only need to be rigid enough so that the hull can be faired and glass cloth applied without the hull deflecting from shape. This method is used on canoes and other small boats and planking thicknesses may be as thin as 1/4″.

Strips can be cut from wider lumber and fitted to the previous plank as required by the curvature of the hull, or they can be “bead and cove”. Bead and cove is somewhat like a ball and socket. One edge of the wood is concave, the other convex. This method eliminates having to fit each plank to the previous plank.

Ideally, planks are long enough to put on in one piece, but it usually doesn’t happen that way. Longer planks can be made by scarfing two shorter planks. Scarfing involves cutting the ends of the planks on a long bevel, lapping them, and gluing together. The length of the scarf should be at least five times the thickness of the plank. Scarf joints should be glued on a flat surface and allowed to thoroughly cure before installing on the boat.

Making bead and cove/buying bead and cove

If a design calls for 1/2″ thick planks, the planks can be ripped from 3/4″ material. Bead and cove bits are available for shapers and routers, but if you intend to shape your own, it is best to rig up a long table on both sides of you shaper as the long thin pieces can be difficult to handle. Alternately you can purchase the lumber already milled. The lumber used in the project shown below is bead and cove Western red cedar, ordered from Flounder Bay in Anacortes, WA. (No longer in business)

To nail or not to nail

With epoxy, nails are redundant. If you are building a boat with 3/4″ thick or thicker planks, nails can be a great help in construction, allowing you to hold the planks in place without a lot of clamps. For thinner planks, you may find yourself abandoning fasteners as they are difficult to drive straight in the time allowed by the glue, and many of the nails will come out one side or the other. Galvanized finish nails are frequently used but may not hold if the wood is soft and there is a lot of twist in the plank. In such a case it is best to use ring shank boat nails or clamps. If using thickened epoxy, the purpose of the fastener is to hold the plank in place until glue sets.

All of our strip planked boats use temporary forms without permanent frames. If forms are meant to be temporary, the edges should be covered with polyehtylene to prevent the planking from sticking to forms. It is important that the planking strips be held tight against the form in order to eliminate a lot of unnecessary fairing. It is usually necessary to use temporary fasteners into the forms or clamps to keep the hull shape. If the forms are plywood (usually the case) it is best to glue strips of wood around the perimeter of the form and trim to the form contour. This allows you to fasten into wood or provide a place for clamps to grip. If there are to be permanent bulkheads in the hull, the planking can be glued and permanently fastened to them. Protect the surfaces of any permanent bulkheads with polyethylene film, as there is a lot of glue dripping.

Planking can begin at the keel and work toward the sheer or vice versa; or in the middle working toward the keel and the sheer. Any of these methods work, but some may have advantages on specific designs. If the hull is to be finished naturally, the planking procedure should be chosen for appearance. Natural planking looks best when run parrallel to the sheer. If natural, carefully select planks so that opposite sides match and keep joints tight.

When starting at the sheer it is easier to fit the first planks, which is an advantage for first time builders. The bottom planks become more difficult to fit, as longer and longer tapers are required at the keel. Luckily, with thickened epoxy, exact fits are not absolutely neccessary.

Planking from the keel toward the sheer almost insures that the planks will “run off”; that they will not run parallel at the sheer. If the hull is to be painted this may not matter, however, if the hull is not fiberglassed, the planking pattern will most likely become visible through the paint.

In the case of a strip planked hull, fairing is a process of smoothing out the hull to give it a smoother (fair) appearance. When the hull is viewed from either end, there should be no visible bumps or depressions. Be careful if using soft woods like cedar. Cedar is very easy to “fair” away, and it is difficult to judge how much you are removing. During the planking phase, it is therefore important to keep the planks tight against the form so that you won’t have to remove too much to make the hull fair. This is why clamping strips are installed on the forms; so that stubborn planks can be pulled into place.

A word about fiberglass

Traditionally planked boats cannot be successfully fiberglassed. The planks will move and something has to give. Strip planking avoids this by using narrow strips with rigid glue bonds. For fiberglassing to be successful, the inside of the hull must be well sealed.

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Refastening a Wooden Hull   - Season 4, Episode 1 Now Available!

An Introduction to Strip Planking

The original print version of this quide can be viewed as a PDF or purchased from the WoodenBoat Store.

Introduction

For some reason that may be hard to explain in rational terms, you think it is time to build a boat. It’s an excellent decision, of course, but if it is your first boat, you’ll be wondering where to start.

Selecting a building method that is appropriate to your skill level, expectations, and situation should be one of your first decisions. The first edition of Getting Started in Boats covered the construction of a skiff built with time-honored procedures and materials: it employed solid-wood planks fastened with screws. The next installment detailed how to make a canoe of readily available plywood. Now we turn to strip-epoxy construction, a method that economizes on the use of solid lumber—there’s very little wasted wood—and combines it with the strength and resilience of epoxy and fiberglass. It yields a beautiful and lightweight hull with maintenance concerns similar to those of a fiberglass hull. A variety of boats can be built using the basic techniques outlined in this booklet.

This edition of Getting Started explains the major operations involved in building a strip-planked boat, in hopes that you’ll discover just how straightforward the process is. Numerous books cover the nuances and details of strip-planking; likewise, several companies offer kits and plans for this technique.

What is Strip-Planking?

Strip-planking is simply joining the edges of narrow, uniform-width planks to form the shape of a boat hull. Many boat shapes—from canoes to kayaks to heavy cruisers—can be built with strip planks and fiberglass, as the accompanying photographs suggest.

In general, strip-planking requires fewer tools and skills than traditional building. The hulls have a high strength-to-weight ratio and, because the wood is sealed with epoxy, its moisture content does not change. The boats therefore remain light, and maintenance is minimal. Wood-strip-epoxy boats have a core of softwood planks sandwiched between layers of fiberglass cloth set in epoxy resin. One big advantage of this construction is the large number of full-sized plans and precut kits for strip-planked boats available to the home builder. This eliminates a number of complicated steps and the need for stationary power tools for the milling of strips.

Choose a good design that is right for you. Do some research; a poorly designed boat that does not meet your needs will consume the same materials and time as the perfect boat.

Getting Started in Boats (ISNN 1932-1511) is published bimonthly, in Brooklin, Maine, by WoodenBoat Publications, Inc. Jonathan A. Wilson, Chairman. Copyright 2007 by WoodenBoat Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

What Can I Build With Strip-Planking?

A kayak built to plans from Bear Mountain Boat Shop.

The edge of practicality and the edge of speed: A racing canoe, or “high kneeler”.

RIFF, a 12’3″ daysailer designed by Paul Gartside.

NIKI (see cover story, WB No. 198), a lobsterboat-inspired yacht built by Thomas Townsend.

A canoe built to plans from Bear Mountain Boat Shop, with detailed accent strip running along the topsides.

Basic Steps of Strip-Epoxy Construction

The building jig for a canoe consists of a series of forms, or molds, carefully aligned and fastened to a strongback.

Making Molds

Strip-planked boats are built on a construction jig. A jig is a series of perfectly aligned station molds set up on a strongback. Each mold represents the shape of a slice through the boat at a given interval. When planks are edge-glued to each other over these molds, the shape of the boat is revealed. The molds can be made by drawing their shapes full-size from a set of dimensions—the so-called table of offsets—or they can be traced from full-sized drawings. Full-sized plans and precut molds may be purchased from a variety of suppliers (see list, page 8).

The first of many steps that will lead to your boat is to accurately transfer the plans to the mold material. Molds are generally made from 1⁄2″ or 3⁄4″ particle board or low-grade plywood. Keep in mind that small errors have a tendency to accumulate and become complications later. The shortest route to the best results will be to do each step as preparation for the next step. Take whatever time you need to draw, cut out, and set up the station molds to the best of your ability. If you do this, and assuming you began with accurate plans, no reshaping of the station molds will be necessary before planking.

A strongback is the foundation upon which the station molds sit. It is important that it be straight from end to end, level from side to side, and reasonably level from end to end. It should be sturdy enough to remain level while the boat is being planked, sanded, and fiberglassed. It can be cobbled up using such things as an extension ladder with a plywood top, but it could be simpler to start from scratch. A plywood box beam and legs will take two sheets of 3⁄4″ plywood and less than a day to build and set up.

Setting Up Station Molds

The top of the strongback is prepared with a full-length centerline and perpendicular lines representing the positions of the station molds. Blocks are attached on the station lines for mounting the station molds. For a canoe or a kayak, the end station molds and stem molds are set up first. They become anchor points for stretching a string line directly over the centerline, creating an upper centerline. From there on it is a simple matter of lining up each mold between the strongback’s centerline and the elevated string line, and screwing the mold to the block.

The stem is the piece of wood that ties the sides of a boat together at the bow—and at the stern, in the case of a double-ended boat such as a canoe or kayak. Strip-planked boats typically have stems comprising an “inner” and an “outer” stem, the inner one doing the structural work, and the outer one protecting the plank ends—and providing eye-pleasing trim. It is possible to build a strip-planked boat without a stem, but molding something from thickened epoxy to take its place will be messy and frustrating, and it will surely identify you as an amateur.

Stems are generally laminated from 1⁄4″-thick pieces that have been steamed for about 15 minutes. Steam-bending these pieces is very low-tech and rather fun. The only equipment needed is a kettle from the kitchen and a cardboard mailing tube with a rag in the top. The thermostat on an electric kettle will have to be bypassed to keep a continuous boil; watch the water level, as boiling it dry will destroy the heating element. Inside and outside stems are bent at the same time over the stem mold. They are initially bent without glue. Once they’ve cooled and dried, they are disassembled and glued together permanently. Outside stems are usually made of hardwood for maximum durability, while softwood inside stems will do the job and are easier to shape than a hardwood.

A mold is developed by drawing the sectional shape of the boat on plywood or similar material, and carefully cutting this out and attaching it to an extension. The extension, in turn, is fastened to a cleat on the strongback’s top.

Planking Stock

The boat’s (in this case a kayak) stems are laminated from thin strips of wood. This one will eventually be beveled to accept the planking.

The light weight and high strength of a strip-planked epoxy hull comes from a combination of the high tensile strength of the two layers of fiberglass and the space that is maintained between them by the strip-planked core. A structural I beam is a good example of how the space in the middle contributes to the stiffness of the beam. The reinforcing layers carry most of the load in tension or compression while the function of the core is to maintain this space without caving in. What this means for us is that there are few limits on what the core is made of, within a few parameters. Planking is generally made from softwood; it keeps the weight down, is easy to work, and absorbs enough epoxy to make a good bond with the fiberglass. Look for a species such as cedar or pine that weighs about 25 to 30 lbs per cubic foot. Because the wood core is sealed both sides with epoxy, choosing a rot-resistant wood is not necessary. Western red cedar is the first choice for most builders. It has the advantage of being available in long lengths, and the colors range between light-colored sapwood and chocolate-brown heartwood.

Long lengths of clear Western red cedar are becoming scarce, so expect to pay a premium price. Raw lumber will cost between $6.50 and $9.00 per board foot, but considering how long it took the tree to grow, we should appreciate it at any price. It will take about 50 to 60 board feet of rough lumber to build a 16′ canoe or kayak. If the price of premium lumber is not in your budget or you can’t find it, look for an available lightweight species and give some thought to making it work for you.

Some builders bevel the edges of each individual strip in order to attain a tight fit. This, however, requires a high level of skill, and can be daunting to the first-time builder. There is, however, another way to achieve tight fits between planks: It is standard practice to cut a bead profile on one edge of each plank, and a cove on the other. The bead nests in the cove, and the joint can articulate, to some degree, around the curved surface of a mold while still remaining tight.

To make up the full length with short planks, cut the ends square and butt-glue them together on the mold as the boat is being planked. If bead-and-cove planking is being used, the planks above and below will keep the joint aligned, allowing it to land between station molds.

When a hull is planked with random colors of short planking, it will look busy, similar to a parquet floor. If more control over the color is important to you, begin by keeping the planks in order as they are being ripped— or sort them, as best you can, according to color if you’ve ordered already-milled stock. To make the plank full length, take two planks in order and turn one around so that the ends that grew side by side are now butted together. The color, tone, and texture will match and not draw attention to the joint.

Accurately machined planking is a joy to use, but planks that don’t fit together or with broken edges take unproductive time to deal with. Missing edges must be filled and sanded. A step between planks requires shaping one plank down to meet the other. When this is done on both sides, there is a danger of thinning the planking to a point where the boat would make a better lamp-shade. Whether you are machining your own planking or buying it, pay attention to the quality of the machining. Good planking will be a consistent width and thickness. Width is important especially if short planks are being joined end to end. For bead-and-cove planking, the thickness is critical if a clean cove and centered bead are expected. To check the fit, put two planks together and run your fingers over the joint on both sides. If the shaped profile is off, you will feel the step.

Planking edges are milled with corresponding bead and cove profiles; these allow the planks to be laid over curved sectional shapes without surface gaps.

Basic Steps, Continued

The first strip is often laid along the hull’s top edge, or sheerline. Subsequent planks become shorter and shorter.

Planking The Hull

Planking your boat is the reward for the careful preparation of the building jig. The biggest danger with this step is that as the skeleton quickly becomes a boat, builders naturally pick up the pace of adding more planks faster. It’s fun, but getting ahead of yourself could mean missing details or leaving out steps.

The position of the first plank is extremely important; take as much time as you need to get this one right. Using parallel-width planks simplifies planking the hull, but it also means that the plank line established with the first plank will be repeated on every plank.

One of the details that will identify an amateur-built boat is the amount of filler between the planks. The filler is evidence of damaged or poorly machined planking or by loose joints between the planks. Loose joints are most often a problem around the turn of the bilge and around the stem as it makes the transition from vertical into the bottom. It is hard to check visually as the joint will overlap enough to look tight on the surface, but it will open up when wood is sanded away as the hull is shaped.

To make sure that the joint is tight, there are several things you can do. While there are good reasons for planking with the cove side up, it is hard to squeeze the planks together without damaging the fragile cove edges. Planking with the bead edge up will allow you to apply more pressure without damaging the edge.

Take the time to check each plank before moving to the next. You will look like a professional and save a lot of time sanding unhealthy filler. After the plank has been fastened to the mold, take the time to check it over. You’ll be using carpenter’s glue, which is quite thick, and the bead that has been applied with a syringe needs some time to spread out. As you work down the plank wiping up the glue, get into the habit of giving the plank another squeeze. Put pressure on the plank, hold it, and watch for something to happen. If nothing happens or there is no movement in the excess glue, the joint is tight. No glue squeezing out could indicate the perfect amount of glue applied; it could also mean no glue. If you see movement in the glue as more is squeezed out, hold it until it stops moving, then watch as the pressure is released. With the staple and the sticky vacuum of the glue, it should stay in place. If it opens up, use something such as plastic shipping tape to hold it until the glue grabs.

Shaping and Sanding

Shaping and sanding are rewarding tasks if approached methodically.

When the hull planking has been completed, the next step is to shape the flat surface of each plank into a fluid boat shape. A common way to do this is to attack the boat with an orbital sander and coarse-grit sandpaper followed by several more passes with finer grits to clean up the scratches. This will remove the ridges where the plank edges join, and it will smooth the surface, but the sander will provide very little control over the shape. In short, you’ll make a lot of dust and noise for a second-rate job. Consider using a sharp block plane and spokeshave to shape the planks and using the sander to smooth out the plane marks. The ridged base of the plane does a very good job of finding the high spots first and creating a fair surface without removing more wood than necessary. About 80% of this step can be done with the plane, leaving one pass with 120-grit sandpaper to prepare the surface for the fiberglass. A big pile of clean shavings will make you feel more like a boatbuilder than a thick layer of dust everywhere will.

Shaping inside is not quite as easy because the plane won’t fit the inside curve of the hull. A paint scraper sharpened to fit the inside profile will remove a lot of wood fast and leave very little to be cleaned up with the sander. The skill is not hard to learn, and the speed and control are impressive.

Sanding seldom becomes the new builder’s favorite job, but if you don’t try to use the sander as a shaping tool, use good sandpaper, and know when to stop, it can be a positive experience. If most of the shaping is done with a cutting tool, sanding should not begin with any grit coarser than 80. Choose a sandpaper grit that strikes a balance between leaving the smallest scratch and achieving a reasonable sanding speed. High-quality sandpaper is a good investment; the cut is aggressive, and it continues to cut longer than cheap paper. In most cases, you can begin with a finer grit than you would using a cheap paper. This means getting to the desired surface with no scratches and the least amount of sanding.

Fiberglassing the Hull

Sanding is followed by fiberglassing, which adds great stiffness and strength to the otherwise delicate hull.

The last step before removing the hull from the mold is to cover it with fiberglass cloth saturated with epoxy resin. Your first thought when working with epoxy resins and solvents should be safety. Exposure by contact or breathing fumes from these chemicals is known to be bad for your health. Protective gloves and good cross-ventilation are enough to keep most people healthy, but there is a small percent of the population that has a natural sensitivity to some of the chemicals in epoxy resin and hardener. If you have allergies, it would be wise to learn more about overexposure to epoxy and solvents.

How you apply the epoxy resin can mean the difference between a quick sand to prepare the epoxied surface for varnish and a discouraging and unhealthy fight with the sander to remove excess resin. The trick is to control the amount of resin that is applied with each coat.

The function of the first coat is to saturate the surface of the wood and the fiberglass cloth. Runs on the first coat are almost impossible to sand off without damaging the fiberglass reinforcement. If the run becomes buried under the next two coats of resin, it could leave cloudy patches in the finish. Controlling the amount of resin is complicated by the fact that each softwood plank will absorb a different amount of resin. Applying what appears to be the optimum amount of resin to the cloth will look good initially, but as the wood continues to absorb resin, it will steal it from the cloth, leaving it starved. The only way to control the amount of resin on the first coat is to apply enough resin to saturate the cloth and feed all the planks. After about 30 minutes the wood will have accepted all it can handle, and the excess can then be removed with a squeegee.

The function of the second coat is to fill the weave of the cloth. Use a squeegee to force the resin in and the air out of the coarse surface. Scrape off the excess, as buildup on this coat is hard to control and it could compromise the finish.

The third coat will bury the fiberglass with enough resin to allow sanding without hitting the glass. The trick here is to apply the resin generously with a brush using horizontal strokes. To work the resin into an even film, draw the brush along working both diagonals. When you feel even resistance through the brush, complete by working in a horizontal direction. Take care to blend each section you work into the previous one.

You can move on to the next building step when the surface feels hard, but for safety reasons wait until it has reached a full cure before sanding. During the curing stage, up to 12 days, the epoxy dust will be a chemical as well as a dust hazard. Begin sanding by leveling any runs in the epoxy with a cabinet scraper. Trying to level the surface with the sander will cut the surface around the run almost as fast as it does the run; there is a good chance that the sander will cut down to the ’glass before the run is sanded out. Remember that the ’glass is what holds your boat together. With the surface level, begin sand- ing with 120-grit until the gloss disappears, then stop sanding. If you are fussy, finish with a quick pass using 180-grit paper.

Basic Steps, Final

The final step in the building process is varnishing, which makes the hull both beautiful and enduring.

This is one step that will often leave the builder less than satisfied. Remember that the closer you get to the perfect finish, the more elusive it will be. All you can do is clean the workspace, sand the boat, clean and tack the boat, organize all the materials you will need, and do your best to work the varnish into an even film. There will be details that may bother you in the shop, but they have a way of disappearing after the boat has been launched. Wooden boats look better after they have been revarnished. So use your boat. You know how to fix the scratches.

Ted Moores is proprietor of Bear Mountain Boatshop <www.bearmountainboats.com>, a purveyor of kits, plans, and finished strip-planked boats. Widely acknowledged as one of the leading builders of strip-planked small craft in North America, he also teaches at WoodenBoat School. He is author of two books on strip planked construction: CanoeCraft (Firefly Press, 2000), and KayakCraft (WoodenBoat Books, 1999). These books include fine details not covered in this short article, and comprehensive lists of materials suppliers.

You can also consult the following businesses for materials, plans, and kits for strip-planked small craft: • THE NEWFOUND WOODWORKS , <www.newfound.com> •REDFISH KAYAKS , <www.redfishkayak.com> • CANADIAN CANOES , <www.canadiancanoes.com> •GUILLEMOT KAYAKS , <www.guillemot-kayaks.com> • CHESAPEAKE LIGHT CRAFT , <www.clcboats.com>

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Launching of my cedar strip planked row boat. It is a 15′ Rangeley lake boat. The plans are from Newfound Woodworks. Made out of eastern cedar, western cedar, black ash and spanish cedar. The oars are made of ash.

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Boat Profile Whitehall Tender

Whitehall 17

A classic form, strip-built, from Glen-L

From Issue   March 2019

I n 2011, in anticipation of retiring after a career as a research engineer, I decided I’d build wooden rowing skiff. I wanted a boat with traditional lines—particularly one with a vertical stem and a wineglass transom—and an easily driven hull, so the waterline would have to be longer than 12′. The 17′ Whitehall I found in the catalog of designs from Glen-L was just what I wanted.

I ordered the plans, and the package I received included full-sized patterns for the molds, transom, stem, breasthook, and knees for the transom and thwarts. A table of offsets is provided, but the full-sized patterns make the offsets and lofting unnecessary. The 1/8-scale drawings show the plan and overall profile, keel profile, construction details, and lines.

For transferring the drawings to the wooden stock, I ordered carbon transfer paper from Glen L. I recommend asking Glen-L for rolled drawings, otherwise you’ll receive folded drawings. The creases in the patterns made it difficult for me to obtain precise sectional shapes. The carbon paper came with a good tip: Coat the inside of the station forms with white paint before transferring the section drawings. This way the builder always knows what controls the complex curves of the Whitehall design.

Glen-L advises against lengthening the Whitehall from its designed 16′ 11″, but approves shortening it 10 percent to 15′ 3″ by reducing the mold spacing.

The Whitehall is composed of 120 planking strips bent cold over molds. The instructions suggest the hull can be stripped with hardwoods (Honduras or Philippine mahogany) or softwoods (western red cedar or Sitka spruce). The plans estimate a mahogany Whitehall will weigh about 350 lbs. My boat, STELLA, has a cedar hull with spruce trim and weighs slightly over 200 lbs. A light skiff has many advantages. It can accelerate more quickly, go faster, and be more responsive—all of that adds to the fun. At launch sites it is easy getting the Whitehall on and off the trailer, and two can easily carry it.

The instructions note that the builder can choose to use traditional glues, such as resorcinol or marine epoxy. This is just an indication of the bygone era when the instructions were written. Marine epoxies are today’s obvious choice.

I cut my planking stock from 24′-long 2×14 cedar boards. The strip construction for the Whitehall differs from the method widely used for canoes and kayaks. The strips are thicker and glued together with epoxy rather than carpenter’s glue, giving the hull greater strength, resistance to water, and durability. I put a resaw blade on my bandsaw and made 1/2″ x 3/4″ strips. The Glen-L instructions briefly discuss the option of milling bead-and-cove planking strips. Based on my experience, this is an essential step. Unlike flat-edged strips, the mated beads and coves almost snap into place, aligning themselves and closing the gaps. While you can buy bead-and-cove strips ready-made, the cost of the size of strips required for the Whitehall was prohibitive. I used a shaper to mill 5/16″-radius bead and cove profiles.

The Whitehall was designed for fixed-thwart rowing, but its long waterline and easily driven hull make a sliding seat a fitting addition.

The instructions mention the option of covering the completed planked hull with fiberglass cloth; I found additional advice in The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction . I applied 4-oz cloth with five coats of epoxy inside and out, resulting in a composite structure with a bending strength that is many times that of the cedar alone and abrasion resistance for trailering and landing on gravel beaches. The Glen-L plans recommend painting the hull, and while marine enamels will do the job, the beauty of the wood is lost. I finished my Whitehall bright, protecting the epoxy with a high-grade marine varnish.

During construction I did some things differently than called for in the plans, but I do not see these changes as fixes for shortcomings in design. I believe the aim was to keep things simple to encourage amateur boatbuilders to take on the project. Here are the refinements I made, none of them essential, and all mean more work.

Even when lightly loaded, the Whitehall gives up very little waterline length.

I chose to do the strip-planking according to what the Gougeon company calls the “Master Plank Method.” It starts with the first strip laid on the midpoint between the sheer and the centerline of most of the molds (running fair across those nearest the bow) and results in a hull with the run and grain of the planks emphasizing the sheerline, which is only important with a bright-finished hull. It looks great, particularly in the bow and stern areas.

The planking strips near the keel have to run straight, so I did a “Gougeon Double Run,” which meant switching to strips applied parallel to the keel and making the transition between the two areas along a fair curve. [Editor’s note: The strips closest to the keel take quite a twist from ’midships out to each end. While the author worked all of the strips cold, steaming the ends, or wrapping them with rags and pouring boiling water over them, would help the ends come home with less strain.]

The Whitehall’s long straight keel is about 3″ deep and assures straight tracking. At speed here, very little wake is showing at the bow, an indication of the boat’s fine entry.

The Glen-L design shows eight laminated thwart knees 3/4″ thick. I made several knees to this design and while they were strong enough, they looked undersized on a 17′ skiff. I ultimately made the thwart knees, transom knees, and breasthook all 1″ thick, a small refinement, perhaps, but one that looks right aboard the Whitehall.

The instructions mention foot stretchers; while they’re important to a powerful stroke, I had in mind from the beginning adding a sliding seat. To support the tracks, I installed two parallel beams, secured under the three rowing-station thwarts and notched to sit flush with their tops. The beams also support the tracks for the racing-shell stretchers. This enhancement with the foot stretchers is essential for getting the maximum performance with the sliding seat.

As with most rowing boats with wineglass transoms, the stern is depressed with a passenger in the stern sheets and the rower amidships and coming up to the catch. Even so, the bow remains low and the hull is not badly out of trim.

I launched STELLA in August 2015. Between receipt of the Glen-L plans and first launch, I spent 1,500 hours on the project, more than half of that fairing, ’glassing, sanding, and varnishing. I spent $10,448 on the materials to build the boat.

When I pulled on the oars the first time, I was amazed and delighted with the performance of the Glen-L design. The Whitehall is easily driven, runs straight, and is stable, although initially tender. A solo rower (or sculler, more properly) can easily sustain 4 knots. The Whitehall has a beam of 4′ 6″, appropriate for oars 8′ to 9′ long. Mine are 8′ 6″. For tandem fixed-thwart rowing the stretchers are removed and then two rowers can sit on the thwarts between the tracks. It’s lots of fun with two pulling, and there’s plenty of distance between the fore and aft rowing stations to avoid a clash of blades. I have seen pictures of other 17′ Whitehalls rowed with three at the oars, so it’s possible, though we haven’t tried it. It comes down to a question of elbows and knees.

Glen-L notes that the Whitehall can carry six; we’ve only had four adults aboard in reasonable comfort and safety, but there is room for two more.

Now that we have the Whitehall, members of my family would rather row than walk on the beach, a sure sign of a good design. The boat is not too big to use as a dinghy for a larger vessel, or too small to provide a workable platform for scuba diving and snorkeling.

Joe Titlow is a retired research engineer, working primarily in the aerospace industry. Besides building small boats, he constructs small buildings and furniture for his wife, two daughters, and grandchildren. Joe has owned and raced a 27′ Soling sailboat for many years, and he has been a member of the San Francisco Yacht Club for 40 years. Throughout his career he has maintained a professional interest in the dynamics of sailing vessels.

Whitehall Particulars

Length/16′ 11″

Hull depth forward/2′ 6″

Hull depth amidships/1′ 10″

Hull depth aft/2′ 2″

Weight/ about 350 lbs

Displacement at 9″ waterline, four aboard with average weight of 150 lbs/945 lbs

Oars/8′ to 9′ long, 1 to 3 rowers

Passengers/2 to 6

Plans and patterns for the Whitehall 17 are available from Glen-L .

Is there a boat you’d like to know more about? Have you built one that you think other Small Boats Monthly readers would enjoy? Please email us!

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Comments (18)

When I first saw this article my first reaction was “Wow, another trailer queen!” Don’t get me wrong, the builder did what looks to be a very nice job, but he ended up with a boat that is likely to be towed around to shows for a few years, where it will probably win some awards for beauty and construction. It will never win any races against anything other than equally inappropriate obsolete 19th century workboats. In time it will likely be retired to a garage for a number of years before it is offered for sale for far less than what it cost to build. Hopefully, some school or rowing club will take it off the owner’s hands for a fair price. The general shape of this boat is nice, but this boat is WAY too long, deep, beamy, and heavy to be rowed safely or efficiently by a single oarsman. Most of the time open-water rowboats have one to three people in them. Yet, this boat is almost too heavy to be carried any distance by even four people. Take my word for it, this boat probably turns like a battleship and will scare any rower smaller than Lou Ferrigno in his prime when rowed off a rough coast in high winds. That people get duped into taking on projects like this is the fault of marine publishers who haven’t offered anything new or updated on open water rowing in four or five decades. The only way to salvage this boat is to fit it with a small outboard motor. I apologize to the builder and owner of this craft for my sharp criticism. Eventually, he will come to know that every statement I’ve made is true.

“Eventually” is quite a long time, so you may “eventually” be proven right, but four years on and it hasn’t happened.

I agree, eventually is rather indeterminate. When it happens probably will have a lot to do with the builder’s professional, or lack of, professional status. If you are not forced to compete against other builders, I suppose it could be postponed indefinitely. There were so many things in this article that I found troubling that were not explained – not the least of which were the extravagant 1500 hours of labor and the stunning $10,000 in materials costs. For reasons explained elsewhere, I didn’t want to jump on an amateur builder. Fortunately, the author has responded to another’s question about the expenses and at least partially explained those astronomical numbers. Anyone who’s built a number of boats knows that it takes a while gain confidence and build speed. It also takes a while to build connections that lead to better deals on materials and milling services. I want to be clear on this, an experienced professional builder could have bought all the necessary tools, including a table saw, band saw, shaper, planer, sanders and all the materials for a boat this size for less than $10,000.00. As a designer I found it amusing that someone thought it OK that, with a sliding seat, a rower could only squeeze 4 knots out of a 17′ hull, which theoretically should be capable of better than five. Please understand this, this is not a terrible boat per se. It is a terrible boat for anyone who wants to enjoy it alone or with one other person. Again, I mainly fault the marine publishers for not updating their offerings. With access to better information, people will make better design choices.

The builder built what he wanted. He was not building to your expectations.

You are correct. That doesn’t change the facts. Presumably, some people subscribe to magazines like this to be informed. Anyone considering taking on a project like this would do well to compare this boat to all the other rowboats covered in past issues. Had this been a story about an amateur who spent a few hundred dollars and a few weekends building a clunky plywood dory I would have made no comment. This was far removed from that. Kudos to the staff at Small Boats Monthly for publishing the full range of honest and responsible comments from their readers.

Were the material costs really $10 K ?

Yes, the total cost for the boat (no oars, rowing gear, trailer, etc.) was over $10 K. The boat lumber (including delivery) was 50 percent of the cost. Varnish, epoxy, fillers, fasteners, sandpaper and all the other things that go with using epoxy came to 45% of the total. The remaining 5 percent went for plans, Meade Gougeon’s book, building and station forms, etc. Since I wanted to do a natural finished hull, I purchased top-quality western-red-cedar and Sitka-spruce boards. Included in the boat-lumber cost was a trial run at having a shop mill the bead-and-cove planking strips. That did not work out, which led me to buy my own shaper. Milling the planking strips took time, but I was very pleased with the results. The cost of the shaper (and all other tools) is not included in the $10 K.

A fine looking craft for a messabout, she looks right. Nice work! Kent

Looks like a stretched version of the Cosine Wherry. The lines suggest that your boat should slide quite easily through the water.

Very nice looking boat, to say the least .Well done. As for “equally inappropriate obsolete 19th century workboats,” seems to me to come from someone who is very firm in his views of “he knows what he knows”…but does not own your boat, your experience, or your satisfaction.

From what you have written, you are happy with it in your environment and usage and I’m glad that your inputs have been rewarded by your experience. Enjoy it!

I hope no one took my earlier comments as an attack on Mr. Titlow as either a craftsman or as a human being. My praise of his efforts was genuine. Like most of my colleagues in the professional boat design and building community I tend to give amateurs, and especially first-time boatbuilders plenty of slack and encouragement. We all remember that our first attempts were not as nice as our tenth, or one hundredth. I am, however, firm in my criticism of coastal workboat replicas and their purported suitability for recreational rowing (not sailing) and the marine publishing houses for their reluctance to print books that reflect what we’ve learned about open water rowing in the last three decades. During the 1990s on several occasions I participated in the Oarmaster Trials* an annual attempt to determine scientifically which rowboat designs are best suited for use in the coastal marine environment. During the run of the experiment (1990-1998) dozens of designs were tested. Often as many as 15 or 20 designs would show up at an event to be tested off the beaches of Cape Cod. No boats that weighed over 150 lbs. ever did well, and all those over 200 lbs. always did very poorly. The lightest boat to ever win weighed about 70 pounds. Much to the surprise of many, none of the coastal workboat replicas did well after the sub-100 lbs. boats started to appear. Perhaps an even bigger surprise is that four of the seven boats that ever won were designed by persons who are still alive! No matter what their weight or when they were designed, the most difficult boats to handle (read dangerous) in high winds were the long (15’+), high-sided ones. The notion that coastal workboat replicas are well suited to rowing for fun seems to be a mid-20th century fabrication and, indeed, is almost never backed up in the historical record. It was mostly the poor who rowed whatever boats they could get their hands on. I’m not the first to say these things. In The Common Sense of Yacht Design , L. Francis Herreshoff stated plainly that in the Golden Age of Rowing (the Victorian Era) the well-heeled regularly rowed long, narrow, low-sided, lightweight boats. The idea that most recreational rowers need boats capable of carrying a half ton of passengers and cargo is belied by the fact that couples regularly take canoe trips of two weeks or longer with no more than 80-100 lbs of gear and food. Certainly having a craft that the two of them can easily carry over a portage is a plus. That said, properly reinforced (with more than 4-oz fiberglass cloth) the Glen-L Whitehall 17 would make a fine craft for a group of energetic scouts out for a day of adventure.

* I had nothing to do with organizing, planning, selecting the sites for, or running the Oarmaster Trials events.

Would like to see author’s comments re oar selection. Really enjoyed the article!

I purchased two sets of oars from Shaw & Tenney. They are called wide blade spoon oars, 8′ 6″ in length, and made from spruce. I think S & T calls it New England Spruce, and it is about the same density as Sitka Spruce, so the oars are very light for their size. I had S & T do the sewn oar leathers and add the cherry-inlaid spoon tips. The oars are perfect for STELLA. They are long enough so that I can easily row at 4 knots, but they are also short enough that my wife and daughters can handle them. They have held up very well with almost five years of use. I treat the leathers with Oarsman Marine Tallow every few months. S & T’s varnish has held up very well, but one day they will need to be re-varnished. We visited S & T two summers ago in Orono, Maine. Well worth the trip to see oars and paddles being made.

In full disclosure, Andre seems to be selling a competing ~$6000 custom fiberglass boat of a similar design out of his company, Middle Path Boats . In fairness to Mr. Titlow and those reading this article, he should have made this commercial affiliation clear in his first reply so that all readers could take his multiple lengthy negative workboat comments in context and perhaps with a grain of salt. After careful review of both Andre’s website and this article, Mr. Titlow clearly built the right boat for himself and his family. Well done, sir.

Andre: Respectfully, you are clearly passionate about your design skills and your rowing boat. Perhaps it would be better to submit a descriptive article about it for all readers to see and let it stand on its own merits, rather than bury your personal design positions in these replies? I suspect many potential owners of future rowing craft would be interested in reading it. And it may generate the public interest you seek here for your designs.

I read all of this with some amusement as I’ve been involved in these things more than a little over the years. Andre is certainly positive and correct about his thoughts about single-seat weight, length, and rowing speed, and indeed nothing has beaten traditional Adirondack Guideboats in the Blackburn . But Andre could make his case without dissing other designs. Negative advertising seems to have become the norm in politics but isn’t really appropriate here.

Models like the Whitehall were never intended, except casually, to be rowed solo, something that you can see when you look at the rowing positions. Traditionally these boats carried passengers and were rowed by a pair. Adding a slide helps a solo rower in boat optimized for a pair. At Mystic there is the epitome of the recreational Whitehall; it has a slide, has a daggerboard, more sophisticated oar locks than anything on today’s market, etc. Under 4′ beam, over a couple of hundred pounds. She’s not intended to win races, but to take a boating party out for a fine day. Since Andre did his Skua , there are numbers of sub-100 lb. solo rowing boats out there, lots of choices, if that is what the builder wants. Main reason to go light, IMHO, is to be able to roof-rack them. And we should run an Oarmaster again, certainly doing one with pair boats. When I was doing this we found that two of us could take and hold a 17-footer easily at hull speed and we figured we could have another foot or two. My guess is something like a Thames-skiff-based design would be pretty good.

This is kind of a response to both Misters Barrett and Fuller. I do no advertising in this magazine, and hardly any anywhere else. I consider myself to be semi-retired. If someone wants one of my boats I will build them one, otherwise I’ll be happy to catch up on all the fishing I’ve missed over the years while I was in the shop. Having designed dozens of boats and built hundreds (not to mention winning a ton of races), hardly disqualifies me from offering advice. I never mentioned my company, or any success that I might have had because I just wanted to freely dispense helpful advice to amateurs the way I always have, not from on high. Now that everyone knows who I am, they are free to take my statements for what they feel they are worth. I made my professional status plain in my comments. Anybody could have Googled me! Please know that it has always been true that any potential boat builder could call my shop and ask for help whether they were a candidate to buy a boat or not. I have submitted many articles and letters to many boating magazines over the last three decades that have been printed. I challenge anyone to find one in which I’ve been seriously critical of any specific design. It has always been my policy to never publicly criticize any design or boat unless I believe that design poses a danger to the user. Reread my comments and determine for yourselves if that might have been the case here. I have also been accused of a blanket badmouthing of this design when what I said is that it has a nice shape, and that it would be nice for a club or school, but is a poor choice for the way most rowboats are used. The most consistent target of my criticism has not been either the builder or the designer, but rather the marine publishers who refuse to update their offerings on this subject. I feel I need to correct a few mistakes made by one of my critics. Adirondack Guideboats have been beaten in the Blackburn Challenge. In 1998 they were beaten by a St. Lawrence Skiff variant, and in 2014 they were beaten by a new design from the board of Ben Booth. I should also mention that at least one Adk. Gboat was brought to the Oarmaster Trials where it was competitive, but did not come close to winning. Any good lightweight, round-bottomed boat of similar size can challenge them. Since you mentioned the Skua, I’ll say that she dramatically set a new BC course record in 1995, the same year she was withdrawn from serious competition (see my company site if you want to learn why). Though she never defended her record she held onto it for several years. To that person who suggested that I write an article on Skua’s contribution to recent open water rowing history, I’ll say that I have tried to do that several times, only to be refused because I’m in the business. Now that I’m withdrawing from it, maybe some publication will be interested?

Hi Joseph Titlow,

I just happened to stumble across this review. My fiancée and I met you at Port Townsend. You gave us a little piece of wood that you milled and we took a picture with STELLA. I wanted a water-taxi like boat that can take passengers and and run with two rowers I now have a Glen-L Whitehall 17 as well! Glad to have met you and peeked at your beautiful boat at PT!

I enjoyed reading about the Whitehall and the builders’ thoughts and processes. I also enjoyed reading all the comments and my sense is that everyone would like builders to have a boat they can enjoy. Articles like this help inform us to that end.

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Lighthouse Tender Peapod

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Cedar Strip Boat Plans – You Can Build At Home!

Cedar strip boat plans, the plans are really detailed with clear instructions and step-by-step illustrations..

A dinghy is really a small boat which is frequently towed by a bigger vessel. You will find a number of varieties, including recreational open up sailing boats and small racing yachts. These boats are usually rowboats, but some are rigged for sailing. Dinghies are used for off-ship excursions from larger boats, outdoors of docking at marinas and ports of the proper dimension. Sailing dinghies are very best for beginner coaching in sailing, instead than larger sloops, because they've a faster reaction to each correct and incorrect maneuvers.

• Full Color Pictures.

I appreciated the amount of full color pictures and diagrams that are included in the manuals. I am a very visual person, so it is easier for me to follow a picture or diagram instead of reading paragraphs.

• A Huge Range of Plans To Choose From.

They provide you with detailed plans and diagrams, complete with color pictures and examples on many types of boats. Sailboats, skiffs, canoes, kayaks, houseboats, paddle boats, yachts, catamarans, flat-bottom boats, dinghys and dories, to name a few. There are multiple plans available for each kind of boat, so you have some variety to choose from.

• The Video Section Is Comprehensive.

The 45+ videos on boat building leaves no stone unturned. It consists of the entire boat building process from conception to the final product. It is great for beginners who want an easy to follow video guide on boat construction. There are also videos on boat repair and boat design calculations which are great for professional builders.

• Great Bonuses.
• Less Than 20 Mega Yacht Designs.

I would like to see more mega yacht designs and plans. This would be great for professional boat builders like me who are interested in mega yacht designs.

• It Takes A While To Download.

Cedar Strip Boat Plans

Boat plans ought to pay no less attention to depth, someone's life could literally be dependent on them becoming correct. Read any wood-boat magazine and you'll find scores of examples of beautiful wood boats that have been designed and crafted to perfection. You will also find ideas that have been designed by an expert from the trade. Take my advice and thoroughly research any totally free boat plans you discover before you decide to begin construction. You will wish to insure the designer cares as much concerning the finished product as you will the first time you slip that graceful piece of handcrafted romance in to the drinking water. Crafting a wooden-boat is a project which will consider a substantial quantity of your time when done properly, consider an extra bit at the beginning to insure your future shipmates safety.

Other aluminum boat ideas can be seen as completed goods; for example, numerous yachts on the market and other boats for sale are created mainly from this material, however the smaller sized flat base boats tend to be more inexpensive and simpler to construct. Flat bottom aluminum boats are best suited to calmer waters such as lakes or ponds concerning exactly where “choppier” circumstances may cause instability. The Jon style boat is commonly used for searching as its aspect panels are lower compared to the Dory style that is utilized mainly for fishing. Each of these designs are configured to reduce any extra added noise that can startle the fish or any other intended prey. These two sets of aluminum boat ideas can be accessed or downloaded for little or no cost whatsoever, yet it is also essential to notice that step-by-step ideas with diagrams are known to become more reliable.

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Can a Boat Tell a Story

Canoe and kayak plans for amateur builders, canoe plans.

A Pleasure to Build a Joy to Paddle

Paddle Plans

Build Your Own

Kayak Plans

Build an Instant Classic

Canoe Plans Kayak Plans Paddle Plans

 —- Article —-

Know What Your Canoe Will Weigh

An easy to use weight calculator with a large number of inputs and variables.

CANOE WEIGHT CALCULATOR

 —- How To —-

Materials Calculator

Four easy to use calculators to help amateur builders determine the amount of wood strips, board feet, epoxy, and fiberglass cloth needed to build a wood strip built canoe or kayak..

Strip Calculator | Board Feet | Epoxy | Fiberglass

Building a Cedar Strip Canoe

It’s probably easier than you think. a series of articles that discuss the essentials of a cedar strip build..

Building a Strip Canoe

Build a Canoe with Plans from Ashes Still Water Boats

Featured plans.

The Solo Pack

A LIGHT & VERSATILE CANOE

 13 feet x 28 inches 25 pounds

VIEW detailS

The Tandem Trip

MORE FLARE & GREATER CAPACITY

17 feet by 33 inches 45 pounds

View details

The Angler’s Day

A STABLE CANOE FOR ONE or TWO

 15 feet x 34 inches 40 pounds

VIEW DETAILS

Choosing Which Boat to Build | Why Choose a Design from Ashes | What Your Plans Include 

• The Best Cedar Strip Canoe Kits and Plans

Cedar strip canoe kits are some of the easiest crafts to make that anyone can do! They are some of the most popular types of boats to build. These kits come with all the parts needed to create a canoe in one package, so you don’t have to go out looking for each piece.

Canoes are lightweight and come in various sizes to choose from, making them great for both lakes and rivers. Cedar also makes for an affordable boat that’s simple to build, making it a favorite among beginners. These kits are often less expensive than other types of boats that are very inexpensive.

Best Ways to Build a Canoe

Cedar canoe kits are the best way to make a lightweight boat with minimal tools. Cedar strip boats are also very affordable because they don’t require expensive materials like plywood or fiberglass.

The cedar strip canoe is ideal for anyone who wants to take on a new project that doesn’t need to look perfect. Kits come complete with everything you need, including epoxy resin, brushes, and clamps.

The best part is that you don’t even need a garage full of tools to build your canoe. Can find all the materials at your local hardware store.

1, If you want to make one, here are seven ways to go about it:

Cedar is lightweight, durable, and provides an easy-to-stripe surface that will make your canoe building a breeze. Here are some reasons why cedar strip canoeing is excellent for both the environment and wallet.

First , cedar strip canoeing is environmentally friendly. It’s made of natural and renewable materials that won’t deplete our forests or harm our waterways like plastic does.

Secondly , it’s cheaper! Even though you’re buying more expensive wood strips than other materials, you can still build a canoe for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought one.

Third , it’s both fun and educational! Turn any outing into an educational experience by teaching kids about nature while building a canoe.

2, These kits are available online, but you’ll need a few tools

Cedar strip canoe comes with all of the materials needed to build your boat. Cedar strip kits are available online, so you don’t need to make a trip to the store. You’ll need a few tools, though, including a planer, sandpaper, an electric drill, and clamps for gluing strips together. A clamping jig can also help keep the strips lined up while they’re being glued.

3, Cedar canoes come in different widths and lengths – choose the right size for your project

If you’re not sure what size you need, use this guide to find the perfect canoe. Before starting a project, measure your paddling strength and arm span so that you choose the correct size of boat.

The published canoe plans are for a 10-foot (305 cm) long craft with a beam of 25 inches (64 cm). It is considered a standard size in North America, but it’s not too long and not too short. If you are exceptionally tall or short, adjust the length of the canoe accordingly.

4, Why Cedar has natural oils that make them resistant to rot and decay, which is why they’re perfect for building with outdoor projects like cedar canoes

Cedar strips are a popular choice among boat-builders and outdoor enthusiasts because they offer many benefits. Cedar has natural oils that prevent it from rotting, and those same oils also repel insects, which means your boat will stay in excellent condition outdoors for years to come. It also means you’ll spend more time using your boat and less time-making repairs.

Cedar strip boats are easy to build at home, but you must know what you’re doing before picking up a saw. So here are some tips for how to make a cedar strip canoe :

Before purchasing any materials or starting to build your cedar strip canoe, you’ll need a materials list. Get familiar with the different kinds of canoe building plans available so that you can choose the one that’s right for your needs. Look up the canoe design you’re interested in and read reviews from other people who have tried to build it. If possible, speak directly with someone who has made that same canoe design to get their input and advice.

5, Cedar provides a beautiful natural look when finished

The various natural knots and imperfections of cedarwood add character to your finished project. Cedar is like any other raw material; it has its own “flaws” or imperfections that provide an authentic look for years to come! These knots are often filled with black creosote, which helps deter bugs from attaching their eggs.

6, Why strip canoe building is easy to cut with a sharp saw

Cedar is also less flammable than other types of wood, such as pine or spruce, which makes it safe for use in outdoor kitchens. Cedar is naturally resistant to insect damage better than other woods making it more durable for long-term use outdoors. When used in patio furniture, cedar resists rot and warping due to the natural oils that act as a wood preservative.

7, Make sure you’re using the right kind of waterproof construction adhesive.

Make sure that you’re using the right kind depending on what type of wood you’re working on. For example,  3M Marine adhesive  should be used when gluing up your canoe. You’ll need a water-resistant adhesive for this project.

Don’t use a construction adhesive that’s not waterproof. You’ll want to make sure the glue can withstand changes in temperature and humidity when deciding on which kind of glue to use. Waterproof construction adhesives need time to cure, so make sure you allow enough time for your canoe to set properly before using it.

You’ll need to use waterproof construction adhesive because you’re working with cedar strips that will be constantly exposed to water and humidity. You can find all the supplies you need at your local hardware store.

Once you’ve got everything for your canoe, it’s time to start gluing up the pieces of wood that will become your finished product. Make sure that you’re precise when gluing up your canoe; the pieces of wood should fit together perfectly before continuing to glue more strips down.

After you’ve glued all of the individual cedar strips down, clamp them in place and allow enough time for your canoe to dry completely. It would help if you never used a wet canoe because it will break apart in no time.

With the right supplies and proper drying time, you’ll have your very own handmade canoe in no time!

Cedar canoes are easy to make at home, but you must know what you’re doing before picking up a saw.

Cedar is naturally resistant to insect damage better than other woods making it more durable for long-term use outdoors. Cedar resists rot and warping due to the natural oils it contains that act as a wood preservative. Cedar strips make excellent building material because they are easy to cut.

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Cedar Strip Canoe Plans

Build your own beautiful cedar strip canoe with one of our high-quality cedar strip canoe plans. Choose from a variety of designs to craft the exact canoe you've always dreamed of, from lightweight day trippers perfect for fishing local ponds and lakes to rugged expedition models ready to tackle multi-day trips deep into the backcountry.

Our plans are supplied by top designers with decades of experience creating award-winning designs. The plans feature detailed instructions, diagrams, cutting lists, and material recommendations to help guide you through every step of the build process. You'll have the option of choosing from plans by renowned designers including:

• Laughing Loon   -  Their cedar strip canoe plans feature timeless designs inspired by traditional wood and canvas canoes. Perfect for solo paddlers or multi-person families.
• Green Valley Boat Works   -  Their plans feature durable and efficient designs for paddlers seeking performance and function. From day trippers to expedition models.
• Bear Mountain Boats   -  Their plans feature innovative designs focused on comfort, stability, and maneuverability. Also it is perfect for when you're paddling flatwater or whitewater.
• Otto Vallinga Yacht Design   - Offers excellent designs known for their sleek, seaworthy designs. Their canoes feature long, narrow hulls and fine entry line for efficient paddling and tracking in open water.

With high-quality cedar strip canoe plans from trusted designers, you'll have everything you need to build your dream canoe, from framing the hull to bending the ribs to applying the strips and finish. Start your next woodworking adventure and get the cedar strip canoe plans you've been searching for.

Not sure where to begin? See our   Choosing a Design   page to help you find the perfect vessel to suit your nautical needs!

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