Wayne Kuykendall's Strip Canoe Project
"This canoe building business is getting out'a hand. Once the word got out that a canoe was going to be taking shape in my shop, canoe builder wannabes started coming out of the woodwork. It seems that building a canoe is something that a lot of folks have had on the to-do list; all that is necessary is for somebody to get the ball rolling, and a canoe fleet begins to form.
Wayne Kuykendall is a master woodworker. His specialty is fine cabinetry and custom millwork. When he found out that I had purchased the Gilpatrick book, he perked up because a strip canoe project dovetailed (!) nicely with his field of expertise and love of the outdoors. So........this page is devoted to documenting Wayne's strip canoe as it takes shape.
And I have a sneakin' suspicion that it will be a fantastic example of the strip canoe craft."
Sam Buchanan
3/15/00
Wayne constructed a strongback pretty much as detailed in Gilpatrick's book. A couple of 16' 2x6's are connected with 18" 2x4's with some 1x6 bracing on the bottom to keep everything square. You can see part of the well equipped wood shop that Wayne uses in his custom cabinet business. I couldn't help but notice some extra sticks of mahogany and other pricey wood laying around, and more than likely some of it will become "canoe wood".
Yep, that thing is pretty sturdy! The legs were cut so the bottom (top) of the canoe would be about 48" above the floor which will allow comfortable access for sanding and fiberglassing.
3/20/00
Patterns are in place on the strongback. Wayne is building a 17.5' Laker from Gil Gilpatrick's plans.
Wayne modified the the stem design slightly. It's time to find some cedar!
Detail of stem attachment to the strongback. It is critical that screws aren't installed that will be impossible to remove once the hull is stripped.