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THE SWAMP YANKEE SOLO CANOE
Built By
BLACK CREEK SMALL BOAT
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Finally…. The start of the Swamp Yankee Solo Canoe! This design and plans come from Robert Sparks in Connecticut. Since I am from Connecticut and now living in Florida this canoe will actually be built by a Swamp Yankee! With no further ado, lets look at some pictures of the building process. |
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I laid out the pattern on construction paper this past winter and then transferred it to 5.2mm-merantii plywood (luaun). I have elected to use Harold Payson's fiberglass butt joint on this canoe instead of the called out scarf joint. I will join the panels after I have them all cut out. This type of plywood construction is referred to as a "tortured plywood" construction method. After hearing and reading about Payson's fiberglass joint, I believe it will hold up nicely on these canoe joints. |
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Here is the first panel cut. In hindsight, I would have cut both 4'x8' panels in half, stacked them up and cut them all at once. What do they say about hindsight? Anyway, I now have a plan for any additional canoes I build. Everyone always says that the second one is easier. You can see the 2' of excess panel in the background. Done another way, I would have ended up with a 4' piece. Had I been making 2 canoes I would have scarfed the panels and been able to make the two canoes with just 3 sheets. |
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I used the first panel to trace the second. Then I mated them up and planned the edges to match each other. In this picture I am using both panels as templates for the next two. Once traced, I cut them out also. |
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Here I stacked up all of the panels and planned the edges fair to match each other. I used a Surform plane for this. Once the edges were fair I used a pencil divider and scribed a line 1/4" in from the edge around the bow and bottom sides. Then I marked the line in 2" graduations and drilled through all of them with a 1/16th drill (for the wire ties). Next will be to fiberglass butt the panels together. More to come as I make headway. |
