Construction Images for your viewing pleasure

Here is the MacGregor designed by Iain Oughtred, a glued lap sailing canoe designed with the old school look. I have a love hate relationship with this boat. There have been times I have swore up and down during it's construction. I have let it sit for years on end. Last year I started varnishing. That was about 5 years after I started construction.

 It's finally coming along. I think I have about 4 coats on so far. Each coat of varnish (in my estimation) deserves it's own sanding, so the sanding doesn't end yet.

Note the floor planks to keep your bottom dry, the adjustable backrest which I discovered in "Sensible Cruising Craft," and front mast thwart. Shown is a paper template for the leather mast guide.

Here I was in the process of fitting the portage yolk.
 

 

 

 

 

 

"Haste will not quicken success"

The shape is really interesting. Here it is compared with the Larkspur.

Here is a view of the floor, the back rest and fitting the adjustable mounts.

Another view of the above

A decent breast hook takes some effort

It starts with a template, the string serves as a dividing line

Check the template against available stock

Cut and glue to get that beautiful mirror effect. Note clamping rig.

Cut and paste and file. Repeat. Again and again and again.

Almost there. A classy breast hook rises slightly above the  gunwales.

Here you can still see some epoxy remnants at the plank edges. Removing the epoxy from the glued lap hull was perhaps the most challenging exercise inside and out.

Don't forget, there are two of these and they don't share the same shape.

Unlike most stitch and glue hulls which have fiberglass inside and out, the glued lap has just coatings of epoxy to protect the base wood from abuse. It can take many applications of epoxy and sandings to get a consistant smooth finish desirable for varnishing. This has to be done inside and out. More than 100 times I had decided it would be smarter to paint instead of varnish.

If you can do the above, you can handle anything!

Below are the "Bucket Seats" I designed and built for our 1965 Pipestone Princess fiberglass runabout we bought a few years back.

We discovered it is possible to buy an old runabout, trailer and motor for less than it cost to buy materials for a plywood canoe!

Unfortunately it didn't have seats, but no problem if you know how to play with wood.

These can also be used as a seat in your canoe. With a little more work you can make them adjustable.