Hi, found this on craigslist, the seller says it’s homemade and is calling it a kayak, looks more like a canoe to me but what do I know. I’m not planning to buy it, but I’m curious if anyone’s made or used a plywood kayak or canoe like this and what it’s like?
You can find plans for many easy to make wood boats. I would call it a pack canoe, or maybe a pirogue. I think it is being called a kayak because of the paddles being used. A weight of 45 to 50 pounds is heavy for a pack canoe. I have paddled in a friends homemade pirogue before with a short single blade paddle. That boat looks like the height and width might make it a little awkward to paddle. However it might paddle just fine. Would have to paddle in it to really know.
A side note the British often call canoes and kayaks just canoes regardless of the type of paddle used.
LOL You’re takin’ me back. In High School a friend of mine built a plywood kayak with his dad from plans in a Popular Mechanic Magazine, I think it was. They were skeptical about the strength so they upped the plywood from 1/4 to 1/2". Looked great in the garage, super paint job, but when it hit the water it had a profile reminiscent of the USS Monitor. He paddled it on several trips we took together back then and it worked OK but, of course, couldn’t carry much and it was slow. Still, it paddled and didn’t leak. Fun was had in that boat.
Back when I was leading Wisconsin River Pnet trips there was a fellow, Arleah, who did the trip (~45mi) in a homemade piroque that looked a good deal like the one pictured. He did fine in it, kept up well, but he was a real water guy. Ex Coast Guard. Nothing wrong with such boats if well made. They have their place. Probably better not to try to circumnavigate Greenland, run the Grand Canyon, or do a BWCA trip in one, but perhaps that’s not what one wants to do anyhow.
Thanks for the info! I agree, I also thought from the pictures it looked like it would be awkward to paddle, especially with a kayak paddle, and especially without a higher, canoe-style seat.
Oh I don’t know … I am picturing the Instagram account now … “Follow me as I circumnavigate Greenland in a plywood canoe that I got on craigslist for $150!” Could be really popular…
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