Fishing Frenzy

Watching a man paddling a water vessel gracefully is always wonderful to see. However, when you are that paddler and you are propelling a boat which you built yourself, there is a special sense of fulfillment that is unmatched. Wooden canoe plans can be obtained from experienced boat builders easily and anyone can build one himself.

A canoe is usually propelled by human power. It is a small craft meant for a few persons. However it can have sails or motors. Paddles are used by the people in the boat and is quite different from a rowboat in which oars are used by rowers who drive the boat backwards. In a canoe, the paddlers face the front.

Nearly ten thousand years ago, the first paddling boats were floating tree trunks with their insides hollowed out. Over time they evolved and today the most popular ones are made by fixing strips of wood in a curved shape. Alternatively, one can fix canvas sheets to a frame. There are variations of these basic methods used around the world. The boats can be colorful pieces of art, too.

It is not an easy task to build a water vehicle. Furniture can be easily built from kits by bolting pieces together using screws or nails but the sleek shape of the canoe has to be created meticulously by hand. It is designed differently for different uses. If it is to be used in calm water like lakes the boat tends to be flatter. If used to navigate fast flowing rivers, the boat is narrow with a keel to allow it to change directions quickly.

Anyone wanting to build a water vessel can order suitable Wood Canoe Plans from a manufacturer. These plans are a collection of drawings and photos to create both the framework needed to build the vessel as well as the vessel itself. The user can also order the kit along with the plan and all the materials are sent. One needs to first build a frame called the 'form' which is the inside contour of the boat. There are drawings of various cross-sections of it at fixed intervals called 'stations'. Each station is a wood piece that needs to be carved accurately. Maximum care is taken in creating and fixing each of these stations as the final contour is determined by this.

The next step is 'strip building'. Wooden strips, usually a quarter inch thick are placed around these stations and fixed with glue. For better waterproofing, the edges will have a bead and cove to fit snugly. This is slow and time consuming work demanding great care. Once all the strips are in place, the wood will have to be sanded to create a smooth contour. All the glue used to stick the strips will need to be sanded carefully. In this stage, careful arrangement of strips of differing colors can create beautiful effects.

The boat surface is now given a layer of fiberglass. This is done by laying strips of fiberglass cloth and brushing epoxy resin on it. The fiberglass is transparent and the wood will be clearly visible. The boat is removed from the form and the inside is sanded and then given a layer of fiberglass. Other accessories like a keel or seats can now be added and the vehicle is ready for the water.

A professionally made boat can be purchased at a higher price. However, boating in a vessel that one has personally built will always generate a tremendous amount of pride and satisfaction. One must be always grateful that there are wooden canoe plans which make it possible to build such beautiful objects with one's own hands.