How To Make A Ligjtweight Plywood Canoe?

A plywood canoe is a lightweight boat made from three sheets of waterproof plywood, held together with epoxy or polyester resin. The simplest canoes consist of just three pieces: the two sides and the base, which weigh only 15 kg. The Eureka 155 Canoe is a lightweight plywood canoe that weighs half the weight of an average fibreglass canoe with much better handling.

To build a plywood canoe, follow these steps:

1. Prepare the plywood: First, draw up a plan in 3D animation software. This will help you determine the dimensions of the canoe. The wooden hull is weak, but the two layers of fiberglass make it extremely strong, lightweight, and waterproof. No ribs are needed, and no canvas covering is needed.

2. Get the dimensions: Draw up a quarter of the plan and transfer it by measurements. The wooden hull is weak, but the two layers of fiberglass make the canoe extremely strong, lightweight, and waterproof. No ribs are needed, and no canvas covering is needed.

3. Build the Quick Canoe: This 16ft wooden canoe plan in three panels can be built quickly and looks like a classic canoe. A plywood canoe with good stability and excellent weight can be made from a 14″ plywood underlayment, which is usually a bad idea as it can consist of a thick core with only two paper-thin veneers on each side.

4. Use removable or woven seats for a lighter version. This canoe construction is a variation of the stitch and glue technique, which would normally require drilling many holes along the edges of the wood.

Building a plywood canoe may be easier than you think, and Ashes has prepared a complete primer for amateur builders considering their first cedar strip canoe.