Before I share the specs on the pedal drive canoe prototype I just want to make it clear that this is not the size I would normally build for myself. (our building system will let you build any size canoe) I deliberately undersized this canoe to try to find the lower limit of canoe size the pedal drive would work for. Also, I framed a good portion of this with spruce which adds significant weight over my normal western red cedar so this canoe would normally be a bit lighter.
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Length: 14’8”, width 28.5” (after adding tumblehome) depth 12”. Normal canoe mode weight (with plug installed) 35lbs. Plug out, drive box installed 38lbs. Rudder 1.5lbs. Seat + seat back 5 lbs. Pedal drive 8lbs. I’m confident that I can shave 4 pounds off of this entire package.
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As someone with a back injury, I don’t love the extra weight, but carrying the boat with a friend the extra 5 pounds is barely noticeable, and all the pieces to have the dry come down to the water in a separate bag. The upside is that this allows me to get back on the water, even with my current spinal issues!
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Stability is almost not worth discussing because you can simply build the canoe for whatever stability you desire. This canoe is undersized for me, but I felt comfortable with the stability on flat water and I feel confident that I would feel OK in rougher water at the correct size for me. A fishing/hunting/sailing/photography version could go even wider for more stability.
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The speed is lovely. It’s effortless to push at 3 mph and still pretty easy at 4 mph. Definitely less effort than using a normal canoe paddle, and would be great for fighting the wind.
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Tomorrow I’ll talk about what’s next in the design development and when we will be releasing plans.
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