Questions with website/books/DVD answers?

I'm attempting to get up to speed on what it really means to get into canoe/kayak building. There are two major questions I have about construction, and I'm looking for the best way to understand...

#1) I would like to see/understand how to do strip built without bead and cove.

#2) I really like the look of lapstrake/clinker and I understand most of the construction techniques, but I just can't figure out how the planks meet flush at the bow.

Any suggestions on good resources for answering either question?

(I'm very close to trying to make my first canoe/kayak this winter.)

-jamie

Hi Jamie,

I would recomend that you go to the Wooden Boat School website and have a glance at their courses that are available. Some of them I believe are exactly what you are looking for. I have never built a canoe or a kayak so I can't help you out in that area but I have built several lapstreak rowboats. I can't explain the method of how to "marry" the planks into the stem here but if you go to the Wooden Boat Store website which is part of the Wooden Boat School and the magazine Wooden Boat and look for a book called "Building Small Boats" by Gregg Rossel, the method of doing this is thoroughly explained in a way that you can easily understand.

As a side note, I attended the school several years ago and took their fundamentals of boat building course. It was a huge help to me when I built my first boat and it was one of the most rewarding two weeks that I ever had in wood working. Check it out. Hope this helps.:)

Lawrence

Ted Moore's 'Canoecraft' is pretty nearly the 'Bible' of canoe building. It may not answer all of your questions, but it it has both breadth and depth, and if you are at all serious about this endeavor, it is a book you will ultimately need anyway... -Sam

Perfect, two questions and two good books. Thanks!

-jamie