The lightweight open canoe I've designed and built is ready for testing, although I'm not sure if I am but I'll probably feel less nervous once I get it to the water.
The design is simplicity, a basic three plank design scaled to be made from a single sheet of plywood stiched and taped topgether then given an all over coating of epoxy and a layer of green paint on the outside of the hull.
My requirements were:
1) It should be able to carry me and some lightweight camping gear ie basha, sleeping bag and a cooking set etc.
2) It needed to be light enough to be carried a mile as I havn't got a car.
3) It needs to be simple and cheap, and relatively quick to make.
4) It needs to be able to get into out of the way places that hire cruisers can't get so I can escape the main tourist traps.
5) It has to be both safe and fun.
I think that the design I've come up with meets those requirements and also is moderately aesthetically pleasing and sufficently 'boat like' to not cause me any embarrassment while I'm using it.
OK it's not a coracle but the way it was built is a direct development of the use of roots and resin to stitch together a birch bark canoe.
The design is simplicity, a basic three plank design scaled to be made from a single sheet of plywood stiched and taped topgether then given an all over coating of epoxy and a layer of green paint on the outside of the hull.
My requirements were:
1) It should be able to carry me and some lightweight camping gear ie basha, sleeping bag and a cooking set etc.
2) It needed to be light enough to be carried a mile as I havn't got a car.
3) It needs to be simple and cheap, and relatively quick to make.
4) It needs to be able to get into out of the way places that hire cruisers can't get so I can escape the main tourist traps.
5) It has to be both safe and fun.
I think that the design I've come up with meets those requirements and also is moderately aesthetically pleasing and sufficently 'boat like' to not cause me any embarrassment while I'm using it.
OK it's not a coracle but the way it was built is a direct development of the use of roots and resin to stitch together a birch bark canoe.