Tim Buchanan's Strip Canoe Project
Construction Notes, page one
"This entire canoe website is actually Tim's fault. For nearly all my life, Tim has been dragging me into projects of various types because he is my brother, and brothers just do that to you. While I spent my youth on sports, outlandish Volkswagens and motorcycles, Tim became an avid outdoorsman and spent many days in pursuit of fish and fowl. Consequently, he acquired an attraction for boats that first manifested itself in the construction of a plywood canoe in the early 70's. The polyester resin in vogue at that time guaranteed that the boat wouldn't last very long, but it served to whet his appetite for more boat projects.
Here is Tim's most recent project, a dandy little stitch-and-glue boat. The Indian River Skiff is 15.5', flat bottomed, and the transom was cut down 5 inches to allow for the use of an outboard motor with a 15 inch foot. A 20hp Mercury outboard yielded performance as advertised.The plans are distributed by Mertens-Goossens in Vero Beach, FL.
So here is the latest project, a strip canoe, from the frugal workshop of my brother."
Sam Buchanan
Since the Gilpatrick book is serving as the nucleus for Tim's strip canoe project, he decided to build a Laker because this was his first strip boat and the Laker is a docile vessel well suited for casual use in quiet water. It didn't hurt that the plans were included in the book, and since Tim can squeeze a dollar 'til it screams, there was no way he was going to pay good money for canoe plans when he had several that were already purchased!
This Laker is going to be the standard 16' version as shown in Gilpatrick's book. The strongback is likewise standard construction with 2x6 beams connected with 18" 2x4's and braced with 1x6's on the bottom. The patterns are in place and taped, the floor is squeaky clean, the sharp tools have been safely hidden, and Tim is off to find some really cheap western red cedar.
Notice the wide, flat bottom, lack of rocker, and generous tumblehome of the Laker. While certainly not a very sporty canoe, it should be stable and well suited for fishing use on flat water.
But before that can happen................well................just try to maintain a wide berth if you see this particular canoe coming up the river at you.....
Rippin' strips......
An el cheapo hollow ground blade was installed on a benchtop table saw. Tim and son Wayne soon had enough little cedar planks for their canoe project.
Ear and eye protection is highly recommended.
(3/30/00; This email was received from Tim this evening........this is heartbreaking to read........a mind is a terrible thing to waste.....)
"Hello my name is Tim. It all started when my wife was on vacation with my daughter in Florida. I didn't know it would go this far. It's not like this is something I always wanted to do. It kind of slipped up on me. I built a stitch and glue skiff that turned out ok. I painted it white, put some carpet in it, put a motor on it and went to the river. The real problem started when I started looking at other boat building sites on the web besides the one from which I ordered the plans for the skiff. I started seeing pictures of some beautiful, natural, curvy, canoes that just, well they just didn't look like a skiff. All of a sudden I ordered a book about building canoes. It had some plans in it. I just thought it would be fun to loft the lines from the book. It started happening fast then. It was like I could not stop it. It had control of me. Then before I knew it I had done it. This is really hard for me to say. I know I should have known better. Well....I....ah....ah.....ah, I am a stripper. There I said it. I feel better. I did not know it was going to happen, but tonight, I became a stripper. I did it right there in my shop. In the saw dust. It just happened. There with the Elmers glue. It was everything I expected it to be. I tell you this to warn you. If you don't want this to happen to you, stay away from canoe building sites on the web. I had to get this off my chest. Thank you for listening."
I think this means that Tim has starting putting cedar strips on his canoe project. This whole despicable exhibition may be a reaction to his finding beautiful 1x12x12' western red cedar boards at a local lumber yard for the exorbitant price of $1.28 per foot! He purchased enough cedar for his canoe for a total of $60........sigh..........
I told you he was cheap....
And speaking of cheap, notice the roll-around work bench; Looks kinda like a discarded
barbeque grill cart....
(4/4/00)
Tim decided to slightly modify the sheerline of his Laker to provide a more graceful transition to the stems.
Detail of the first three strips terminating at the stem. The strips have to conform to a pretty radical bend and require screws to hold the first few strips in place. Tim is using the standard Laker stem pattern.
FAST FORWARD!!!!!
10/6/00
Since I never had the digital camera with me on the infrequent visits to Tim's shop, there are no more construction photos.
But................we have completion photos!
This is a beautiful boat that is going to see a lot of use on the back waters of the Tennessee and Elk rivers.
The seats are caned with a polypropylene twine.
Huh...........!?
Must either be a hood ornament.......or is it something crouched down in the front of the canoe??
Wonder what the next project will be?
Ah, yes........in the water at last!