Small Canoe
How to Select Your Canoe Building Plan
Perhaps you’ve decided to build a canoe because it is a great first boat to build and will result in you having enough boat building experience to build a larger boat. Perhaps you’ve decided to build a canoe because you are a sportsman and look forward to hunting or fishing from the canoe. Perhaps you look forward to the recreation and the workout you can get on the water. Regardless of the reason, the first step in building a canoe is selecting a great canoe building plan.
There are many different kinds of canoe, and knowing the differences between them will help you to select the best set of plans to build the ideal boat for you.
Fishing Canoe
Because of the need for stability while reeling in fish, fishing canoes have a greater width than a more traditional canoe. They can be modular giving the opportunity to move the seats within the canoe depending on the current needs and to support more or less occupants. While paddles are the most common form of propulsion, many of this type of canoe have a spot for small motors that are useful going to and from a remote fishing spot.
Touring Canoe
The larger touring canoe offers ample room for storage to accommodate for longer, possibly overnight, trips. Another common modification in a touring canoe building plan is the addition of a seat with a back instead of just a bench. In the state of Maine, where I am from, it is not uncommon to see several canoes travelling up the Saco or Allagash Rivers for camping trips. The touring canoe is ideal for this.
White Water Canoe
While the fishing canoe is good for the sportsman, and the touring canoe is good for the camper, the white water canoe is the perfect choice for the adventurer. Canoes built from these wooden canoe plans will result in a canoe that is made for maneuverability as it traverses the rapids. These canoes are built with strength in mind so they can withstand the inevitable beating from rocks and waves and are smaller than other canoes to give it a nimbleness not available in other types of canoes.
About the Author
Regardless of the type of canoeing you will be doing, there is a canoe building plan that is perfect for you. Before deciding on the type of wooden canoe plans to purchase, consider the purpose for the canoe and the type of activities you will be doing in them. While there are plans specifically designed for each of the purposes above, there are also wood canoe plans that are created with two or more purposes in mind.
Larry and Joey in a small canoe