This page is to give you an idea of what is involved in building a canoe on an ORCA Canoe Building Workshop. Our canoes are made form our own design, the canoes we build use 4 panels on each side, this is more than other canoe courses and does mean more stitching but you end up with a better rounded hull for the canoe.

(1)
First off we will give you sheets of ply and these need to be marked and then cut out into the panels that will make the hull of the canoe.

(2)
Once all your panels are cut out they need to be stuck together in the middle so that you now have 8 panels that are of the full length of the canoe.

( 3 )
Now the real fun begins as it is time to stitch the panels together to make the hull of the canoe starting at the bottom of the canoe first and working up, with every panel added, the canoe starts to take shape, at the same time we stitch the bow and stern together too. Where the panels join is called a chine line.

(4)
When all the panels have been stitched together you will have a floppy hull of a canoe and now the chine lines (joins of each plank) can be taped using fibreglass tape and epoxy resin. We glue the inside first then the outside, while removing the stitching as we go.

(5)
As soon as the epoxy resin has gone hard and the hull can hold its self together we can put on the gunnels. These give the canoe it strength.

(6)
Its now a good idea to fill any gaps that can be found in the chine lines, we mix epoxy resign with flower to make a paste, at this point the bow and sterns usually need filling too, once this is done the whole canoe can be painted in a coat of resin.

(7)
Now all is needed it to fit it out with seats, thwarts, bow and stern decks, and anything else you can think of, this process can also be done at home, although we have few good ideas for seating as seen in the pictures.

(8)
And now finally you can give your canoe its maiden voyage.

Click here to go to Canoe Building Workshop course page for dates and prices.