Got the tandem canoe on the water for the second time today. My friend Don and his son joined the mission, thus helping me get a visual on what the canoe loaded with gear would look and feel like. (All pics show a total weight of 400 lbs)
This canoe is 15’9” long, 36 inches wide, 13.5 inches deep in the middle and 22 inches high at the ends with 2 inches of rocker. It weighs 45lbs and is probably about as tough as a Kevlar canoe although mine would lose the battle with a knife sooner and the Kevlar would cave to a rock much easier.
I’m not an experienced canoeist so I don’t have much to compare it to but it seems reasonably stable and moves forward through the water. With two adults the maneuverability seemed ok, with 3 adults it started to feel pretty “stuck” at the ends, but keep in mind none of us have a clue how to maneuver a canoe. Regardless, I think on the next one I’ll fill in the hull shape a little more (like my solo canoe this one is also a bit slack amidships) to get the boat up on top of the water a bit more, and add another half inch of rocker to unstick the ends.
I think the seats are in the wrong place, I’ll move them both back 5 inches. Real canoeists: feel free to comment here. Planning to drop them from 10.5 to 9.5 inches off the floor, not for stability but just for a more comfortable kneeling thwart.
Can’t really say much more until we get actual canoe people in the boat. It’s pretty, easy to carry, and looks cool on my van. Won’t have a chance to build another for a while but looking forward to seeing what my students come up with in the coming months.
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