Build A Canoe

If you can tie your shoelaces (thread a plastic cable tie), ice a cake (spread some glue), and hold a cordless drill, then you can build this canoe.

The 3.6m long by 750mm wide Marine plywood canoe we are building can be carried by one adult, fits on a standard car roof rack, is easy to paddle, and is very stable. No sawing of plywood or special woodworking skills are required.No experience needed! The canoe makes an excellent parent/child/grandparent project- builder’s ages have ranged from 7 (with a parent) to over 70, and all have had their canoes ready for the water on the last day. If looked after, this canoe will provide years of boating fun for the whole family.

Adults: $418.00
Under 18: $242.00

Prices include GST

Details

	Age	12+
	Skill Level	Everyone
	Time slot	Whole week - full days
	Status	2022 details coming soon.
	Location	Bellingen Public School

More about the course

The canoe comes as a complete kit with all marine plywood parts cut out ready to assemble- no sawing needed. We plane a bevel and drill 4mm holes along the edges of the sheets, glue pairs of panels together using a jig to hold them steady, and then sew them all together with plastic cable ties. When we have the shape correct we glue and fit the gunwales (strips of timber along the tops of the sides), glue the chines (joins) together with epoxy glue, then plane and sand everything smooth when the glue has cured. Sounds too easy? It is, although for a few days you will be kept very busy- we start at 8am after the first day. We will be working undercover in the COLA (Covered Outdoor Learning Area) at Bellingen Primary School so you won’t get sunburnt. And after all that effort ……. success is guaranteed!

Many of our students choose to give their completed craft a trial run on the Bellinger River on the last day, complete with champagne and serenading from the CC ukulele group! The canoe can be safely launched without painting, but will need painting or varnishing before being put into general use.

The 3.6m canoe will easily handle an 85kg adult and a very exuberant 25kg dog- I speak from experience!

The canoe is also available as a 4.2m (14ft) model for those wanting something larger. As this is not the standard size, anyone wanting a 4.2m version will need to let me know a month before Camp Creative. For further photos go to my Facebook page ‘Canoes on Amaroo’, or for any questions, problems with equipment, or further information, please email Brian at briantina@aapt.net.au

As Ratty said to Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s ‘The Wind in the Willows’… “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing… as messing about in boats.”

Tutor

Brian Jones

Brian is a retired primary school and TAFE teacher who is passionate about building boats and getting out on the water, be it sailing, steaming or paddling. He has built dinghies, canoes, kayaks and stand up paddleboards with men’s groups, youth at risk, indigenous girls, and TAFE, Primary and High School students. He has seen the tremendous sense of pride and self-worth that building their own craft has brought to them- for many students it has been their first success at school. He has built stitch and glue canoes with students in high schools, TAFE, the National Maritime Museum in Sydney, the Wooden Boat Festivals in Hobart and Rhyll (Phillip Island), and 73 at Camp Creative, bringing the total number of these canoes afloat to 185. He has also built boats for himself, including canoes and kayaks, sailing dinghies, a 7m steamboat, and a 1920’s design speedboat. His aim is to show as many people as possible how easy it is to get afloat in a craft they have built themselves.

Paul Fisher

Paul has done the Canoe course twice before at Camp Creative, building canoes with his two sons, who enjoyed the course immensely…and turned out a couple of very impressive canoes! Paul has recently retired and is trying his hand at farming in the local district. Paul has been doing woodwork and technical drawing for 40 years, and is bringing his skills to an enlarged course that will see both canoes and SUP’s being built in the one location at CC.

Course Requirements

MATERIAL COSTS

$260.00 for all materials to make one canoe (Does not include seat, paint or paddle.) This must be paid to the tutor on the first day

Build a Canoe Equipment needed, Course Requirements and Material costs

Essential

Cordless drill with 4mm drill bit and Phillips Head driver. Don’t forget the charger!
Pair of pliers for tightening cable ties.
Pair of saw horses or folding work benches.
Old clothes and closed in shoes- no thongs or sandals.
Plastic gloves to avoid glue on hands.
Hand Saw.

Helpful

Wood plane and several grades of sandpaper for smoothing timber.
Hammer, chisel, woodworking clamps, and any general woodworking tools.
Countersink drill bit.
Canoe seat- if you’re building a canoe! Plastic chair minus legs (Council clean-ups are good), check out ‘simple canoe/kayak seats’ on Google Images for ideas, or try eBay for around $50.00. Patio chairs with arm rests are usually too big.

If you wish to bring your own 1.8m x 30mm Tassie Oak dowel (about $20.00 from Bunnings), or 1.5m long broom handle from your local hardware store (even cheaper!), to the course, we will provide the ply paddle blades and glue for you to make your own paddle.

The 3.6m canoe (crimson painted canoe in photos) will easily handle an 85kg adult and a very exuberant 25kg dog- I speak from experience!

For further photos go to my Facebook page ‘Canoes on Amaroo’, or for any questions, problems with equipment, or further information, please email Brian at briantina@aapt.net.au

**Important** If you have booked for 2 people to do this great course, please email Michelle on info@campcreative.com.au with both participant's names so I can have name tags ready for you :)