Check out this sweet little canoe and paddle set built by Gabe from Tufts & Batson using our system.
Dimensions are 14’ x 30” x 12”, weight in pine is 34lbs, in cedar that would be more like 31.
A professional bamboo fly rod craftsman, Gabe Batson discovered our building system last year and tore into skin boat building with a ferocity that I haven’t seen since I started building. For a while there I was getting pictures of a new canoe every couple weeks!
More than just building them, Gabe has been innovating, pushing the system in directions that I haven’t even tried yet. I’m very appreciative for this work because even though my formula-based system can potentially produce a wide variety of canoe shapes, I can only build and test a handful of them each year.
Gabe is building his boats much fuller bodied than mine, so for people familiar with my building system what that means is that on this .40 d/b he went 1.44 on the ribs. He also started with 2 3/4 inches of rocker (so it probably ended up with about one and three-quarter), which is more than I would do but he says it tracks fine. The shape is a symmetrical both in plan and profile view.
I haven’t tested these parameters in my own canoes yet but once I’m done with these next two canoes I might build myself one of these just to see how it feels on the water.
I personally believe that a solo canoe works best around 15 feet long, but if there’s some version of a GOOD 14ft solo that would be great because it’s a lovely size for portability, maneuverability, weight, and lumber availability.
For people familiar with my course I think what I’m going to do is give Gabe his own section in the “various canoe examples” chapter. I’ll put a spec sheet up for this boat in the plans in a couple days. No promises on performance because I haven’t actually tried this version, but Gabe says he really likes it!
FYI, for anyone looking to purchase something like this, or an exquisite bamboo fly rod, Gabe does a brisk business in both in the St Louis, Missouri area.
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