Books on Canoe Building
I often get requests from first time canoe builders for information. The
following list of books are in my library, and I could not have begun my
first projects without the information gleaned from them.
The books that I recommend are available at Amazon.com along with reviews.
I have provided links below to Amazon.com for your convenience.
My favorite Boat building Books (Stripper Construction)
Building a Strip Canoe by Gil Gilpatrick, Publisher DeLorme
Gil is a Maine guide who builds his own guide boats. Good solid information
on building boats that are made to be used. Half-scale patterns included
for eight canoes which includes plans for the E.M.White guide canoe.
Pricing & Reviews by Amazon.com
CanoeCraft by Ted Moores and Merilyn Mohr, Publisher Camden House
Lots of information for the beginner with offsets for several classic Canoes such
as the Redbird, Hiawatha, Chestnut Prospector, and Peterborough.
Pricing & Reviews by Amazon.com
Featherweight Boatbuilding by "Mac" McCarthy, Publisher A WoodenBoat Book
Step-by-step information on building the "Wee Lassie" canoe. I built my first
canoe using his article published in WoodenBoat magazine.
Patterns may be produced for two canoes from the information given in book.
Chapters on building hand caned seats, paddles, and canoe sail rigs included.
Pricing & Reviews by Amazon.com
Information on 23 Traditional Boats in John Gardner's book.
Another great resource is the book by the late John Gardner-Building Classic Small Craft
It has a Chapter on four Canoes with much historical information on turn of the century designs
along with design details and offset tables. No strippers in this book.
Traditional boat building construction with some plywood adaptations on a few
designs where appropriate.
Lapstrake Canoes & Skiff
ultralight BOATBUILDING by Thomas Hill, publisher International Marine.
Building a lapstrake canoe appears to take a little more skill than the stripper,
but produces a great looking canoe or skiff. This is a very detailed book on
using this method, but offsets and patterns are not included. You will need
to purchase plans. Several plan descriptions are included in the appendix.
I make my canoe breasthooks using information obtained from this book.
The WoodenBoat Series
10 Wooden Boats You Can Build compiled by Peter Spectre, WoodenBoat Publications, Inc.
Articles taken from The WoodenBoat Magazine that will explain the construction of
of the following:
The Caddo Lake Bateau, a flat-bottom pirogue
A Norwegian lapstrake pram
A flat-bottomed skiff
The Cartopper a lightweight rowing-sailing skiff (plywood const.)
The Cape Charles sea kayak, stitch and tape const.
The Wee Lassie, small canoe built using cedar strips
The Gull, a round-bottom rowboat that is built using Constant Camber method
Piccolo, sailing-paddling canoe built using traditional construction
The Biscayne Bay 14, sporty sailboat built using plywood
The Downeastern 18, outboard-powered runabout
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