In this section of free plans, I have included pirogues and other canoe-like boats. There are some really dedicated boat designers who offer free plans and will support you in your build. Sometimes backyard boat designers provide their experimental boat plans for free. All of these free boat plans can be built by anyone with a modicum of common sense and some basic woodworking skills and tools.
Canoes are not easy to build, but here is a free blueprint for a boat that can be made from common materials for a fraction of the cost of regular canoes. This free boat plan combines plywood and fiberglass to produce a durable, scratch-resistant canoe that you can build in one tenth of the time it takes to build a regular canoe. This can be achieved with three sheets of plywood, creating a 15 to 16 foot long canoe.
They can be made from leftover plywood, using the canoe itself as a template for its shape. Plywood canoes are built using a method called "dispensing build", which is really only used to build plywood boats. Traditional boat building can also be used to build canoes, but it requires a certain skill and is very time consuming.
On the other hand, building a plywood canoe allows you to model each board to a minimum. The use of a single frame offsets the extra weight of the plywood, so this canoe is still light enough to be easily transported. There are two seats on the lower deck so this canoe design is suitable for tandem paddlers.
If you follow the plan, the canoe's convex bottom can also be used as a single unit, making assembly easier and minimizing the danger of leaky seams on the bottom of your canoe. This will not be a full size diagram, but rather a series of drawings showing how to arrange the canoe so the side panels and bottom can be cut out. In some designs, the top of the bottom is trimmed to fit the curve of the bottom of the canoe, rather than leaving it the same thickness as the entire length of the canoe.
In addition to being able to be used to create double-sided paddle models, some modifications allow the use of blueprints to create canoes that can accommodate outboard motors up to 6 hp. As you can see in the image above, the Little Chief Canoe Program actually includes building instructions for a reversible canoe, or a model that can support a small outboard or electric trolling motor. The Little Chief Canoe Program states that this canoe program is best for building a boat for kids ages 6 to 12, but you can also expand the design to make an adult canoe. The Cinderella Canoe Plan also includes some time-saving tips straight from the builder that will reduce your overall build time and help you build a redwood canoe on a minimal budget.
This canoe comes with one of the most detailed plans of any project we've tracked down for our list. You can find something else and all my free plans on my canoe and kayak website. Before choosing your favorite free PDF canoe plan from our list below, here are some quick tips that anyone looking to build their own canoe can use.
The proven Free Canoe and Kayak plans were available, especially the traditional forms. The twenty-five floors are part of the Free Canoe and Kayak Plan Winter 2010-11 and many have yet to see the builder. Development Program Builders Wanted Astute observers will note that some of our canoe building plans are only available upon special request.
If you are building a kayak from these blueprints, please send a photo so we can add it to the blueprint page. PaddlingLight offers many blueprints for canoes and kayaks for cedar, leather-on-frame, and Jost construction methods. Super kits include multiple canoe and kayak painting kits in one big collection.
The EasyB Free Canoe Program is a great winter canoe building program if you're retired (or semi-retired) and need something to keep yourself busy during the off-season. Canoes with cabins for children to play in or traditional style single canoes for backcountry excursions. Light cruising canoe with Canadian style cabin for two or one person.
Combining features of kayaking and canoeing, the Blue Bill is designed for those who hunt outdoors or the sports enthusiast who needs an ultra-light portable boat to use on any water. You can build this 74-pound 16-foot canoe using mahogany planks, an old boat building method. The "Blue Bill" is formed around plywood patterns using edge-to-edge mahogany strips. The blueprints can also be used to create a 13ft Blue Bill.
The hull shape of this canoe is computer generated, allowing much greater freedom of form than traditional manual methods. On some models, such as the Ken Taylors 1959 Greenland Kayak, the shape of the hull prevents me from using the auto fairing because the auto fairing changes dramatically from its original shape.
It's a good idea to buy a model canoe; there are even a few free ones available online. It's worth learning because some of the things offered in books like Canoecraft are the same very expensive plans you mentioned. The purchased plan entitles you to designer support, which is rarely the case with free plans. Free boat plans are usually less detailed than plans purchased from well-known boat designers.
Reports from the boat pictured below show that it is much easier to paddle than a conventional plywood canoe, and in fact much better than most stock glass hulls - this becomes important when distances are covered - greatly reducing the effort required by rowers .
