Intro & Cross Sections

Here's a lightweight canoe. The frame was built from plans and instructions from Platt Monfort but skinned with a heavier fabric using ideas from Hilary Russell. Construction details follow:

The plan package received from Geodesic Airolite Boats.

A full-size cross-section plan taped to some thin poster board.

Lines were transferred to poster board with a pushpin.

Connecting the pin holes with a pencil and straightedge. The shape was cut out to create a traceable template.

I traced around the half-pattern onto Luan plywood, then flipped the pattern and traced the second half. Two sets of three unique station are used for this symmetrical canoe.

Full-size plans are provided for other components too, including these stem pieces. Mine are made from oak and marine-grade plywood scraps from a previous project.

The strong back from my Sea Tour build was too short for this project, so I lengthened it by attaching a longer board with some additional bracing.

A wire stretched along the length of the strongback served as a centerline/baseline reference.

Here is the complete strong back ready for the station forms to be attached.

The six forms are aligned with the center line, accurately positioned horizontally and vertically and screwed into place.

The project stalled at this point for several months as I waited for an available weekend to purchase the remaining wood and coordinate schedules with a friend who volunteered to rip the lumber.