Very nice birch ply canoes

[jojo]

For me, the best of canoes have to be the birchbark canoes. Can't afford one of course The next best things might be those:

These are made of birch ply! Mind you, can't afford one either...arrgh...

These are made in the uk. I found their address in the Watercraft magazine. And I am not on commission, just an admirer of their canoes.

Northern Sounds Birch Canoes.

There is a short video and a nice photo gallery to drool over! I particularly like the darker one.

 

[jojo]

aarrrgghhhhhh Prices of our canoes currently range between £2,750 - £3,750 depending on size and bespoke specifications.

Yep!! But they are good looking...

 

[Kerne]

I met the chap who makes these at a show and they are really beautiful craft. When you see the care and craftsmanship that goes into them you realise why they are so pricey. Very nice though...

 

[Tor helge]

Those are realy nice canoes.
But for that amount of money I rather buy a kevlar canoe.

Tor

 

[jon r]

you could make one of those though jojo... im sure thats well within your limits

 

[The Cumbrian]

If it's good enough for the Jedi Knight in the paler canoe, then it's good enough for me.

Must start saving.

 

[jojo]

you could make one of those though jojo... im sure thats well within your limits

Hi JonR. Long time, no see!! Hope you well. How's college? And what's your next project?

 

[Minotaur]

you could make one of those though jojo... im sure thats well within your limits

That was what I was going to type.

Ray Mears has a program making one.

The plywood version would be easier to get the materials for. No idea were to get birch bark like that.

Those are realy nice canoes.
But for that amount of money I rather buy a kevlar canoe.

Tor

A car, a land rover, or tickets to Canada. For that sort of money the canoe would have to come with someone to paddle it.

 

[jojo]

You can get birch bark from a place in the States. Can't remember the name at the minute. Mind you, they import it from Siberia! And it's ruinously expensive!!

 

[Harmony]

Here is the site you are thinking of jojo.

http://www.barkcanoe.com/

The shop is here in my home town. I get bark from them to build my tine' boxes.

John also teaches a birch bark canoe building course and supplies all the material. Good chance for you guys to see a beautiful part of the US.

You keep the canoe or sell it to John. One chap sent one home to Switzerland.

Harmony

 

[jojo]

That's the one. Thanks Harmony. I should say I meant it's ruinously expensive in the size and quality you need for a canoe!

 

[Minotaur]

Here is the site you are thinking of jojo.

http://www.barkcanoe.com/

The shop is here in my home town. I get bark from them to build my tine' boxes.

John also teaches a birch bark canoe building course and supplies all the material. Good chance for you guys to see a beautiful part of the US.

You keep the canoe or sell it to John. One chap sent one home to Switzerland.

Harmony

For the cost of one of their canoes, you could go, learn how, and come back with the materials to make your own

Have a look over a song of the paddle if you have the space, and time. It does not look very hard to make your own plywood one. Lots of free plans etc.

I admit this is where me and bushcraft part ways. I would love one, but would never use it. They are a little to close to art for bashing down a weir. Look really nice in my mansion, come Friday(come on seven numbers!).

 

[Harmony]

I have to agree with you Minotaur. Birch bark canoes are works of art.

I think that is why John developed the fiberglass replica canoe for serious paddlers that want the birch bark look.

http://www.barkcanoe.com/replicas.htm

Harmony

 

[jojo]

Works of art? Yes. But are they really that fragile? I am not convinced. I have never seen one let alone paddled one! So can only go on what other who have say. This is the link to Erik Simula's Arrowhead's Journey blog, about his 1000 miles journey in a 45lbs 14 foot Birchbark canoe with his dog Kitigan. Can't be that fragile surely?

A few pics from Eric's blog.

 

[Nonsuch]

Just wondering - what happens when you get a scratch / gouge and the outer-layer of the ply is penetrated and water gets into the layers of the birch ply. You know what happens to plywood when that happens. Sounds like rot could be a major problem.

If this happens on a stitch n glue plywood panel design then it's easy to fix but these look like they are made differently

Anyway for that money I reckon you could find someone in the US or Canada to make you a real birch bark canoe and ship it over !

NS

 

[jojo]

You can see how the birch ply canoes are made here. It's in German, but the pics do all the talking needed.

 

[helixpteron]

I was quite inspired by the book, Voyageur, written by Robert Twigger.

Inspired, astonished and educated!

The birchbark canoes can withstand wear and damage which would compromise those made of molded plastic, fibreglass, carbon fibre, kevlar or aluminium.

To be honest, this is what astonished me!

 

[Bravo4]

Anyway for that money I reckon you could find someone in the US or Canada to make you a real birch bark canoe and ship it over !

NS

Looks like they go for about $700 per foot.
http://www.birchbarkcanoe.net/

Here's a short article on birch bark canoe construction:
http://www.acbs.org/rudder/oldrudder/Rudder/Spring2000/Birchbark.htm

 

[kram245]

I was quite inspired by the book, Voyageur, written by Robert Twigger.

Inspired, astonished and educated!

The birchbark canoes can withstand wear and damage which would compromise those made of molded plastic, fibreglass, carbon fibre, kevlar or aluminium.

To be honest, this is what astonished me!

What he said! Great read, as well.