Building your own boat.
There are many designers of self build canoes out there. Most are of stitch and ply (tape and glue) or clinker ply construction which is usually best for home builds. Building your own boat may not necessarily be cheaper than buying a ready built boat but there are some advantages, ease of repair being one and there's also a far greater range of choice.
Check out www.duckworksbbs.com for canoe plans. we have picked out for home building are included here. Another adgantage of a self build is that if you use quality light ply like gaboon you can build a ply boat that is considerably lighter than a GRP boat.
The Prices for self builds below are very rough. To calculate an 8ftx4ft sheet of 4mm Gaboon Ply costs about £55 inc VAT in the UK. The epoxy and fibreglass matt will cost about £300. Then you have to factor in costs for fittings, seats, timber - about another £150-200. Most boats are built from 3-4 sheets of ply. So you are looking at at least £500. Yes, you could build with a cheaper ply but the trade off is weight and lifespan of the boat. A quality ply like gaboon will last for decades if looked after.
Eureka Canoe
Length: 15’ 6”
Bean 34”
Weight – 20 kilos with Gboon ply the boat has been built down to 15.5kilos
Plans - $75 cost of boat – 2.5 sheets of 8x4 ply + epoxy. Estimate build at £600-£1000 depending on quality of ply/amount of epoxy used. Plans from Duckworks where you can also see a Eureka under a sail (looks like a typical Storer balanced lugsail)
The Eureka is a Mik Storer designed canoe and like many of Mik’s boats there is great emphasis on keeping the weight down. This boat is typically half the weight of a ply boat. This is important with a canoe because it makes it easier to paddle for longer distances. It also means it is easier to put onto the roof of the car after a long day on the water – I wouldn’t underestimate that! The Eureka can be rigged and sails well, it can also be fitted with outriggers, Mik will supply plans if asked.
This Eureka Canoe was built weighing in at under 16kg.
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