How to Build a Lightweight Canoe

You can make a lightweight canoe with just a few supplies.

Canoeing can be an enjoyable pastime for kids of all ages and you can easily build your child a simple, lightweight canoe by following a few simple steps. With just three pieces of plywood, a few tools and some creativity and patience, you can finish the canoe in one weekend and be ready to be out on the water in no time.

Things You'll Need

• 3 pieces of 8-foot-long plywood
• Saw
• Drill
• Cable ties
• Polyester resin
• Glass fiber tape
• Edging strips
• Small stick
• Varnish

Instructions

1. Cut two strips of plywood approximately 10 inches wide and eight feet long. Create a slight slope on each end (optional). Place the strips on top of each other and drill four holes through both pieces at each end. Attach them at the ends by using small cable ties.

2. Ask your child to sit on the remaining piece of plywood. Pull open the two lightweight strips of plywood, lifting them over your child's head. Ask your child to push the sides out, the wider the better. This will decide the shape of the canoe.

3. Hold the sides carefully in place and have a third person draw around the shape on the bottom piece of plywood. Cut the bottom of the canoe out and attach it to the sides. You can do this by drilling a series of small holes into the sides and bottom and attaching them together with cable ties. The ends of the ties should be left on the outside of the boat.

4. Seal the seams of the canoe using polyester resin and 2-inch-wide glass fiber tape. After the resin dries, turn the boat over and cut off the extra ends of the cable ties. Apply edging strips along the top (gunwale) of the canoe. You can also attach a small stick between the gunwales to help keep the sides apart. When you are finished, apply a coat of exterior varnish to the entire boat and allow it to dry completely before taking it out on the water.

References

• Make a Canoe
• Flat Bottom Canoe: Why You Need this Shop Manual