Free Canoe Plans: Beothuk Canoe
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The Beothuk Canoe appears as Figure 87 in the Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America. It differs from every other canoe in that book, and no actual physical model existed when Adney surveyed the canoes. He based the drawing on historic and sometime conflicting descriptions, and a birch-bark canoe toy found in the grave of a Beothuk boy. Chapelle notes that when turned upside down the canoe makes a shelter with a 3-foot head clearance. The canoe can also heel over on the water further than other canoes. Chapelle speculates that the canoes were designed for open-water navigation.
Although it may seem like an April Fools’ Day joke, it’s not. This also marks the end of my winter long Free Canoe and Kayak Plan project. Overall, I produced 25 plans based on historic designs found in several books — Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America
Specifications
Length: 15 feet
Width: 43.5 inches
Draft: 8 inches
Displacement: 625 lbs.
Linesplans
Recommended Canoe Building Books to Buy Before Building
The free canoe plans provided are the plan drawings of the canoe. If you want to build from the drawings, you will need instructions. The following books provide great instructions for building.
Canoecraft: An Illustrated Guide to Fine Woodstrip Construction The gold standard for cedar canoe builders. Use this book with the provided free plans and you’ll end up with a great canoe.
Building a Strip Canoe by Gil Gilpatrick A great cedar canoe building book that explains excellent shortcuts.
Strip Built Canoe: How to build a beautiful, lightweight, cedar strip canoe Well written and easy to follow. Every builder should own this.
Canoe Paddles: A Complete Guide to Making Your Own Paddle building techniques included with canoe and kayak building books are typically crude. Follow the directions in this book and end up with a beautiful and functional paddle to go along with your canoe or kayak.
Get the Drawing Package
The drawing package includes the full-sized study plan and each station and stem drawn separately on a PDF that prints full sized on ARCH D size paper (nestings). You can cut these out and glue them to plywood to cut full-sized forms. A pdf of the electronic drawing package. is available for this kayak. You can print the file on 24- by 36-inch paper on your own.
- Contact me to see if I have time to draw these for you.
Free Canoe Plans Downloads
This week’s plans come in three downloads. It’s a big boat!
- Free Canoe Plan: Beothuk canoe
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4 Comments
Lee Gilbert
Ive always seen it as having a much higher point in the center. it’s too bad a complete genocide was carried out on these people.
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/aboriginal/beosketch_a.html
Lee Gilbert
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/aboriginal/canoe_profile.html
heres a example made by one of the last known survivors of the Beothuk people.
Bryan Hansel
There’s an interesting difference between Adney’s drawings and the ones you posted. It looks like Adney’s version has more volume.
Lee Gilbert
Either way a very interesting design. I’d love to see someone build this one and test it out! Cheers for adding another wonderful boat plan to the paddling world!