Traditional Canoe Building Experience

Selecting a Cedar

I built this canoe during June and July of 1982. I chose the site because of the ample supply of all the materials in the surrounding area. A large, clean cedar was felled for making gunwale stock, main gunwales, outwales, caps and for the construction of the building frame.

Shaping the Cedar

With a crooked knife, cedar was split for ribs and canoe planking, then shaped and planed.

Bending the Ribs

The ribs were laid out along the building frame and marked at edges for bending. Hot water was poured over them and then they were bent over the knee at the building frame mark.

Forming Up the Bark

Then the bark was staked out around the building frame. Long wooden splints or battens are used between the stakes and the bark to help fold bark evenly and to keep the bark from cracking.

Sewing the Panels

Where the bark was not wide enough to reach full depth, extra panels were set in. These were held tightly in place by inner stakes tied to outer stakes with basswood bark, cedar bark or twine. The panels were sewn to the main hull with spruce roots.

Gunwale Assembly

The inner and outer gunwales were lashed together with spruce root.

Sewing the Stem

Sewing holes were drilled with a triangular awl and then the stem was sewn in place, using spruce root.

Final Assembly

Once trimmed, the rib ends were shaped to a wedge shape and fixed to the canoe by being forced under and between the outwale and the main gunwale, then driven forward.

Finished Canoe

After the ribs were in place, the canoe was left to set for five days, then the ribs were driven completely home. The canoe was finished with decorative gunwale caps and gum pitching.