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BEARDMASTER

Member
Dec 4, 2017
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43
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Estonia
www.nahakamber.ee
Hei!

In the summer of 2017 I started to build my own dugout canoe. Here is a short (and picture-heavy) story of that process. It is still work-in-progress but the first half of the boat-building process is now done.

English is not my first language and the grammar is a bit rough, but hopefully you will find it a good reading.


How it all started


In the autumn of 2016 I was giving a leather workshop in a handcraft fair. Next to me was a guy, who was selling woodwork and also making a workshop for the kids.
We started to talk and turned out he was a master boat builder.
I have had my mind on buying a canoe for a long time and asked him, if he would be interested teaching me to build a dugout canoe.

About 6 months later I received a phone call from him.
"There is a huge aspen tree that was cut down near your area. If you can buy the log and transport it to the building site, I will help you build your boat."
Dozens of phone calls, logistic problems and one sold bagpipe later (to finance the logistics), I had the 6 meters long and over 2 tons heavy aspen log on a trailer and on the way across the other side of Estonia.

Haabjatüvi Oksal.jpg

It took another 4 months of waiting and gathering tools to start building the canoe.


Haabjas - The Finno-Ugric dugout canoe

haabjanaised.jpg
Haabjas ("haab"=aspen) is made, as the name suggest, from a log of the aspen tree.
As clearcutting has become a standard way of managing forests, there are less and less suitable trees for building dugout canoes. The aspen log has to be straight grained, without any knots and at least 30cm or more in diameter to be suitable for boat building.

It is one of the earliest types of boats. It has been used since the last ice-age and is being made and used to this day. The tools used are sometimes more modern, but the way the boat is is has not changed much in over 12 000 years.
Dugout canoes have been used by other tribes as well. This boat-type is known all over the world.
What sets Haabjas apart from the other types of dugouts is the laying out of the boat - heating the carved out log with fire and water, forcing it bend and take shape. This opens up the center of the canoe, allowing a builder to make much wider boat from a smaller log.
vepsa0901.jpg


Building an ancient boat in modern times

Measuring 68 cm wide, 6 meters long and 2,2 tons in weight. A true giant!
20597249_10209872186541560_1147811308468693340_n.jpg

First order of business is to give a rough outer shape to the log. This starts with cutting out the stern and bow sides.
20526359_10209872183221477_5869472793044427990_n.jpg

Followed by cutting out the bottom of the boat.
20597497_10209872183741490_6030322600827810148_n.jpg

Getting into cutting out the shape of the gunwales and hollowing out the inside. No axes needed! Believe it or not but a shovel is an amazing tool for that.. as well as taking off the bark.
20597388_10209872187261578_2085765689999713625_n.jpg

Now comes the real work- axes are taken out, sharpened and the hollowing out can begin. There is over 1,5 tons of wood to be removed, one axe-swing at a time.
20621840_10209872184221502_4342267948445448662_n.jpg
20597114_10209872185061523_6559303815132164386_n.jpg


This dugout canoe will be 5 meters long and little over 1 meter wide.
When finished, it will weigh about 70 kg and have a thickness of 1,5 cm.
It can carry up to 6 people but can easily be operated by 2 people, leaving more than plenty of room for gear.

There will be other projects that this canoe will help to build. This space will be used to transport building materials for a small log-building.
20620779_10209872185821542_7498421747399868667_n.jpg


At the moment, the axe-work and rough carving is finished. The dugout is prepared for the winter and in the autumn, it will be ready for spreading out, applying spruce tar and building the seats.

Where we go from there, is yet to be seen. The rivers of Estonia and Latvia, the endless lakes of Finland.. the journeys await!
 
Last edited:

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Oh excellent to see :D
My Dad built boats, he would have loved to have seen this.
Your write up is clear and detailed, and very interesting too. Thank you for posting, and I'm looking forward to seeing how things go with your efforts.
cheers,
M
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Looks familiar. Thank you. Even the Haida people use the heat spreading method for their western red cedar canoes.
How do you judge the thickness of the canoe?
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Looks familiar. Thank you. Even the Haida people use the heat spreading method for their western red cedar canoes.
How do you judge the thickness of the canoe?
I can answer that!
The pegs he makes are of a predetermined length. Holes are drilled into the hull, from outside, and pegs ( coloured) are inserted (and glued?). into the holes.
Hull needs to be finished on the outside.
Then he reduces the hull thickness from the inside, until he reached the pegs.
I hope nobody minds me dipping my nose in.....

I am a huge fan of people like the OP. Virtuosos. Artists.
 

BEARDMASTER

Member
Dec 4, 2017
47
43
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Estonia
www.nahakamber.ee
Thank you everyone!

Janne is spot on!
The holes are drilled and painted wooden pegs are inserted. Some use glue, some don't. They do not really want to get out once they are inserted but having some glue does not hurt really.
Other than that, Janne already said how it is done! ;)

This exact method is indeed used in central Siberian tribes. The only big difference is the shape of the stern and bow.
Needless to say, these guys don't usually use chainsaws. It is all axe-work. Some old-time makers have claimed that they were able to make 30 dugout canoes in one summer (3 months).
That is insane!!
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
For many years he built a new one every year. Everything from dorys and sailing dinghies to small yachts. He liked detail, he liked clinker built, he loved the swooping curve of the bow, a good line, he built a couple of 35 footers, but would have loved to have built a schooner.
They say smell is an incredible memory trigger. My Dad smelled of wood and resin :)
 
I like that boat. Like RobsonValley says there are dug outs on the west coast. But not here in central/northern Canada as trees to small, and our canoes need to be light to carry around obstructions/big rapids. I think you may have trouble portaging with that fella.!!
 
Last edited:

BEARDMASTER

Member
Dec 4, 2017
47
43
38
Estonia
www.nahakamber.ee
I like that boat. Unlike RobsonValley says there are dug outs on the west coast. But not here in central/northern Canada as trees to small, and our canoes need to be light to carry around obstructions/big rapids. I think you may have trouble portaging with that fella.!!

You are spot on! This is a heavy one and portaging it will be interesting. One idea is to make a small cart and put one end on it. But that doesn't work well with thick bush, blown down trees etc.
Historically it was simply dragged on the ground. Should be plenty strong enough to take a beating but I am not too excited about that.
Having two people to carry it is a no problem, can be done with ease and in the end of the day, nobody will feel bad for eating that extra pieces of bacon!
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
This is an amazing project. Please keep us informed with progress when your have news.

A mate of mine got into canoe building, strip built ones I think he said. Think a whole load of thin strips of wood joined together to make the boat. He was an artist because he colour and grain matched the boat on either side. He built open canoes and even a sea kayak like that. All were quality work which he did whilst doing his day job and a volunteer fireman.

He ended up taking on commissions as he wanted to do it for a living. If you wanted one you had to wait years due to his waiting list and the fact he took so long to make each one. We're talking one or two a year!

I'm certain your canoe will be a work of art and function too. Craftsmen both. Skills learnt on the job and what an experience too. Have fun!
 
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BEARDMASTER

Member
Dec 4, 2017
47
43
38
Estonia
www.nahakamber.ee
This is an amazing project. Please keep us informed with progress when your have news.

A mate of mine got into canoe building, strip built ones I think he said. Think a whole load of thin strips of wood joined together to make the boat. He was an artist because he colour and grain matched the boat on either side. He built open canoes and even a sea kayak like that. All were quality work which he did whilst doing his day job and a volunteer fireman.

He ended up taking on commissions as he wanted to do it for a living. If you wanted one you had to wait years due to his waiting list and the fact he took so long to make each one. We're talking one or two a year!

I'm certain your canoe will be a work of art and function too. Craftsmen both. Skills learnt on the job and what an experience too. Have fun!
Thank you!

I have no experience with strip built canoes but I am pretty sure same things apply there when it comes to getting things right - taking time to get everything as you want it to be.
I wish there were more suitable trees and a suitable working space. I would totally do these dugouts for a living as well. It is by no means an easy job and chopping out little slivers of wood for days and even weeks (if done alone) can be frustraiting. But there is something about it.. Some sort of extreme satisfaction of your work. In the end of a long day, with blisters and back pain, I simply have a cup of strong coffee and look at the boat. Call me crazy but the boat speaks to me in those moments.

More news will come probably after the winter. And then there will be more pictures and maybe even a video. I guess it would make an interesting youtube channel/vlog.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,154
1,546
Cumbria
Oh yes, forgot you have proper winters there. I bet I'm the UK you'd be able to carry on.

The kind of thing my mate built (lost contact a few years back). This image is not of his but from memory he made one like this in shape but the stripe of it was actually better. As I recall it had a beautiful shape to it and the colour of the wood too.

https://kayakkev.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/dscf2051.jpg
 

BEARDMASTER

Member
Dec 4, 2017
47
43
38
Estonia
www.nahakamber.ee
Oh yes, forgot you have proper winters there. I bet I'm the UK you'd be able to carry on.

The kind of thing my mate built (lost contact a few years back). This image is not of his but from memory he made one like this in shape but the stripe of it was actually better. As I recall it had a beautiful shape to it and the colour of the wood too.

https://kayakkev.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/dscf2051.jpg
That is a beautiful kayak! Because it is from wood, how does it handle differently from the modern plastic ones?

And you are right about the weather. It was extremely wet autumn here so a lot of valuable time was lost.
And right now, it is like this (4 hours ago):
 

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