DIY Birch Bark Canoe
Birch bark canoes are commonly thought to have been made by Native Americans in New England, but historically these handmade boats were prevalent wherever birch trees were large enough in diameter. These canoes could range from 10 to 45 feet, and hold up to 50 rowers. Simpler designs for canoes that hold one or two passengers are still easy to craft today, wherever birch trees thrive.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Choose a birch tree large enough in diameter to craft a canoe from one piece. The tree should be straight and tall. Using a razor knife, make two cuts around the entire circumference of the tree. Then slice up the middle, connecting the two horizontal cuts. Remove the birch bark from the tree.
-
2
Create the ribs of the canoe by cutting 30 to 40 long strips of cedar with a saw. The strips should be 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Cut six more long strips of cedar, 1 inch thick and 3 inches wide. These should run the whole length of the canoe as they will be the inwhale and outwhale top plates.
-
-
3
Make planks out of cedar with an axe to line the inside of the canoe. Each plank should be about 3/4 inch thick, 8 inches wide and 36 inches long. Hew five more planks, each 2 inches thick by 8 inches wide, to form the seats that hold the canoe open. Make two of these planks 12 inches long, two 24 inches long and two 36 inches long.
-
4
Cut cedar roots from a tree. Strip the roots and split them with a knife into thin sections to use for stitching the canoe together.
-
5
Set the birch bark on a flat surface, folding the short edges up. Form the ends of the canoe by bringing the ends of the bark together and trimming them with a knife. Use an awl to punch holes along the edges of the bark. Then thread the edges together using the cedar root prepared earlier.
-
6
Set the inwhale board on one side of the bark and the outwhale on the other, effectively sandwiching the bark. Punch holes in the bark below the inwhale and outwhale, and attach the boards to the edge of the canoe using the cedar root. Repeat this process on the other side. At the ends of the canoe tie the inwhale and outwhale boards together.
-
7
Cut into the inwhales to form six long notches, evenly spaced along the inside edge of the canoe. Repeat the process on the opposite side of the canoe. Then place each end of the six thwarts into the inwhale slots. The sides of the canoe may need to be bent outward to form a good fit.
-
8
Trim the cedar planks to fit evenly into the canoe to create the lining. Soak the ribs in boiling water until they are pliable, then bend them into a "U." Place each end of the rib between the bark and the inwhale. A rib should be placed every 4 inches or so for support.
-
9
Block any seams with a pine resin. The resin works to seal the canoe and make it waterproof.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Be aware that girdling and removing the bark from the birch tree will kill the tree.
Use caution when harvesting cedar roots or the tree's life may be endangered; never harvest more than 1/3 of a single root and never harvest the tap root.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
