Kayak and Canoe Plans

PaddlingLight offers many canoe and kayak plans for cedar-strip, skin-on-frame and Yost-style building methods. Homebuilders have built a number of the designs. The most popular designs include the Siskiwit LV, Siskiwit Bay, the Iggy and the Modern Malecite. Twenty-five of the plans are a part of the Winter 2010 to 11 Free Canoe and Kayak Plan Project and many have yet to see a builder. Some may not have been built in over a 100 years.

Free Kayak Plans, Free Canoe Plans, Paid Plans

Most plans are free for individual use. You can also buy electronic drawing packages for many of the designs. The electronic drawing packages show each station on its own, so you can build without any tracing. Just cut out the station, glue it to plywood, and you’re good to go.

If you build a kayak from these plans, please, send a picture so we can add it to the plan’s page.

Original Sea Kayak Designs

Siskiwit LV Sea Kayak

Length: 17 feet
Width: 21 inches
Learn more: Siskiwit LV sea kayak

An all-around, mid-sized British-style sea kayak suits a kayaker looking for a boat with good initial stability that is easy to edge and quick to turn.

Siskiwit Bay

Length: 17 feet
Width: 21 inches
Learn more: Siskiwit Bay

Great modern British-style sea kayak. Built many times. Designed by Bryan Hansel.

Siskiwit Bay Multi-Chined Kayak

Length: 17 ft
Width: 1.757 ft
Learn more: Siskiwit Bay Multi-Chined Kayak

A modern British-style kayak for plywood. Designed by Bryan Hansel.

Siskiwit Bay SOF

Length: 17 ft
Width: 1.757 ft
Learn more: Siskiwit Bay SOF

A Yost-style skin-on-frame version of the Siskiwit Bay sea kayak.

Popular Free Plans

The Iggy

Length: 16.543 ft
Width: 1.745 ft
Learn more: The Iggy

The kayak that the Anas Acuta was based off of. A well-rounded hard-chined kayak for lighter paddlers.

Modern Malecite

Length: 17 feet
Width: 36 inches
Learn more: Modern Malecite

At home in the wilderness on long trips or on the local pond. Rave reviews from builders.

Canoe Accessories

Solo Canoe Yoke Plans For Portaging

Portaging a solo canoe without a yoke feels awkward and uncomfortable.

This yoke plan uses pressure and the seat to stay in place.

Learn more: Solo Canoe Yoke Plans

Super Secret Prototypes

Code Name: Istaqa 15

Length: 15 feet
Width: 22 13/16 inches
Learn more: Kayak Plans

Offering this plan for free to select builders that want to build a prototype. Note I’ve sent out plenty of free plans. If you want a copy, you’ll need to show previous builds and present a building schedule.

Free Canoe Plans

Modern Malecite St. John River Canoe

Length over all: 17ft
Beam: 36in
Learn more: Modern Malecite St. John River Canoe

A tripping canoe with a little rocker. Popular build.

1898 Passamauoddy Ocean Canoe

Length over all: 17ft 4in
Beam: 36in
Learn more: 1898 Passamaquoddy Ocean Canoe

A wilderness tripping canoe with a good capacity and lots of rocker.

Coast Salish Style Canoe

Length: 27 feet 6 inches
Width: 3 feet 7 inches
Learn more: Coast Salish Style Canoe

An ocean going hunting-party canoe. Built for heavy loads and many people.

Têtes de Boule Hunter’s Canoe

Length: 9 feet 8 inches
Width: 26 1/2 inches
Learn more:  Têtes de Boule Hunter’s Canoe

A small pack canoe for one person and gear.

1865 St. Francis Canoe

Length: 14 feet 3 inches
Width: 31.2 inches
Learn more: 1865 St. Francis Canoe

A cabin canoe for the kid’s to play with or a traditional-style solo canoe for wilderness tripping.

Hudson’s Bay Company North Canoe

Length: 29 feet 11 inches
Width: 59 inches
Learn More: Hudson’s Bay Company North Canoe

Traditional voyager canoe used for inland fur trading in the northern North America.

Têtes de Boule Two-Fathom Canoe

Length: 14 feet 8 inches
Width: 33 1/2 inches
Learn more: Têtes de Boule Two-Fathom Canoe

A light tripping and cabin canoe for two people or a solo for Canadian-style soloing.

Têtes de Boule Hunting Canoe

Length: 11 feet 8 inches
Width: 29 inches
Learn more: Têtes de Boule Hunting Canoe

A small pack canoe for one person and gear.

Malecite Racing Canoe of 1888

Length: 19 feet 6 1/2 inches
Width: 30 1/2 inches
Learn more: Malecite Racing Canoe of 1888

A traditional canoe designed for racing.

Long Nose Ojibway Canoe

Length: 16 feet
Width: 34 inches
Learn more: Long Nose Ojibway Canoe

A tripping and rice harvesting canoe with interesting stems.

1910 St. Francis Canoe

Length: 15 feet 2 inches
Width: 36 inches
Learn more: 1910 St. Francis Canoe

A short tripping canoe or all-around day tripping canoe.

Old Model Ottawa River Algonkin Canoe

Length: 15 feet 6 inches
Width: 35.5 inches
Learn more: Old Model Ottawa River Algonkin Canoe

A shorter canoe with a surprisingly high capacity. Flat bottomed.

Beothuk Canoe

Length: 15 feet
Width: 43.5 inches
Learn more: Beothuk Canoe

An unusual historic canoe.

For finding the seat placement, see How to Calculate Canoe Seat Positions.

Free Kayak Plans

Belcher Island Kayak

Length: 22 feet 9 inches
Width: 29-1/2 inches
Learn more: Belcher Island Kayak

U.S. Coast Guard Museum Greenland Kayak

Length: 16 feet 4 inches
Width: 20-3/4 inches
Learn more: U.S. Coast Guard Museum Greenland Kayak

A multi-chined Greenland kayak.

1883 Southwestern Greenland Kayak

Length: 16 feet, 6 inches
Beam: 20 inches
Learn more: 1883 Southwestern Greenland Kayak

A hard-chined Greenland kayak with plenty of rocker.

Walrus Kayak

Length: 17 feet
Beam: 22 inches
Learn more: Walrus Kayak

A westernized Greenland-style kayak. Popular in the 1920s.

MacMillan Kayak

Length: 17 feet 3/8 inch
Width: 19-5/8 inches
Learn more: MacMillan Kayak

Sweeping lines, a short secondary chine, good amount of rocker.

1921 Southwest Greenland Kayak

Length: 17 feet, 1 inch
Beam: 19-1/4 inches
Learn more: 1921 Southwest Greenland Kayak

The “skinny walrus” is stable, tracks well and turns easily when on edge.

Fram Museum 1888 West Greenland Kayak

Length: 17 feet 10 inches
Width: 20-7/16 inches
Learn more: Fram Museum 1888 West Greenland Kayak

A nice-looking Greenland kayak currently housed in the Fram Museum, Norway.

Peabody Essex Museum Labrador Kayak 1867

Length: 18 feet 4-1/2 inches
Width: 19 5/8 inches
Learn more: Peabody Essex Museum Labrador Kayak 1867

A simple design that shows off three pure sweeping curves.

North Greenland Kayak

Length: 19 feet
Width: 21-3/4 inches
Learn more: North Greenland Kayak

Flat bottom, clipper bow and an interesting cockpit give a unique look.

South Greenland Kayak

Length: 19 feet 6 inches
Width: 20-1/4 inches
Learn more: South Greenland Kayak, Fig. 208

The design used as the basis for Björn Thomasson’s Black Pearl.

Southern Alaskan Baidarka

Length: 19 feet 7 inches
Width: 29 inches
Learn more: Southern Alaskan Baidarka

A fantastic-looking two-person sea kayak.

Koryak Kayak

Length: 8 feet 10 3/8 inches
Width: 25 1/4 inches
Learn more: Koryak Kayak

Highly-maneuverable retrieval kayak. Surf boat? Rec boat?

1889 Nunivak Island Kayak

Length: 14 feet 11.5 inches
Beam: 30 inches
Learn more: 1889 Nunivak Island Kayak

An unusual kayak propelled with a canoe paddle.

1894 Unalaska Baidarka Kayak

Length: 17 feet 8.5 inches
Width: 20 inches
Learn more: 1894 Unalaska Baidarka Kayak

A sleek and fast baidarka built for the rough seas of Aleutian Islands.

1888 King Island Kayak

Length: 15 feet 4 inches
Beam: 25.5 inches
Learn more: 1888 King Island Kayak

A beamy, unusual-looking kayak.

Goodnow Kayak

Length: 16.679 ft
Width: 1.478 ft
Learn more: Goodnow Kayak

One of the prettiest sea kayaks around. Built a couple of times.

Copyright notice: These drawings are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission. Permission is granted for an individual to use these drawings to build boats for personal use, but any commercial use, including but not limited to building for commercial gain, including plans in a compilation, such as but not limited to compilations on a book, DVD, pdf, zip file or website, must be approved prior to the use and requires written permission.