Free Plans – Old Model Ottawa River Algonkin Canoe
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The old model Algonkin canoe from the Ottawa River area represents a canoe built before contact with other tribes and the fur trade changed the types of canoes built by the Algonkin. It features high ends, a flat sheerline and resembles canoes used during the fur trade. In the Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America, Howard I. Chapelle writes that this style may have been the type of canoe that fur trade boats were based on. The canoe shown in these free plans has a surprisingly high carrying capacity. The flat bottom should make it stable.
Personally, I love the look of the stems. It’d be fun to paddle this canoe through the Boundary Waters or other canoe country destinations.
Specifications
Length: 15 feet 6 inches
Width: 35.5 inches
Depth: 12.5 inches
Capacity: 300 to 675 lbs.
Linesplans
Free Canoe Plan Downloads and Package Downloads
Description
- Free Linseplans: The free linesplans are station and stem drawings overlaid on each other. They are drawn at full size.
- Drawing Package: The drawing package includes linesplans and each station and stem drawn separately on a PDF that prints full sized on when printed on the right paper size, usually ARCH D. You can cut these out and glue them to plywood to cut full-sized forms.
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.
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4 Comments
Bill Aten
I am thinking about building a wooden kayak this winter. I am a woodworker, but have never built a boat/kayak before. I would like to look at some plans to see if this project would be a good one for me. Any assistance would be appreciated. Thank you.
Bryan Hansel
Hi, Bill, your best bet is to buy Nick Schade’s The Strip-Built Sea Kayak: Three Rugged, Beautiful Boats You Can Build. That book shows the entire process. After you get an overview of the process, then you can figure out what kind of kayak you want. Feel free to contact me and I’ll help you find the right boat. There are many free kayak plans available here. I ask for a $30 payment after you build the boat.
To see the free kayak plans, click Kayak and Canoe Plans. You’ll see an overview of all the plans that I offer on the website. I add new plans often.
Shas Cho
What a great and generous site, Bryan.
Well done.
I built a cedar strip canoe with my daughter when she was fourteen
(as well as small Bolger boats with my boys)
and it was a magical, gratifying experience.
She is thirty now, and still enjoys her canoe with her husband.
I encourage anyone who is thinking of such a project
to make the commitment and go for it.
You’ll never be sorry!
I have two questions, Bryan-
The presence of station moulds for your Old Model Ottawa River Algonkin Canoe
leads me to think the construction is strip-built,
am I correct?
And secondly, the term “nestings” is new to me-
what does it mean?
Thanks very much.
Shas
Bryan Hansel
Thanks, Shas.
The stations are set up for strip-built construction, but you could also use them to construct the mold for a cedar and canvas canoe if desired.
By nestings, I mean each station is shown individually, so you can print (or purchase prints) cut out the station, glue it to the plywood and build. You don’t need to loft anything.