The Classic Canoe

Several thousand years ago somebody dragged a Cedar tree out of the forest and proceeded to dig the wood out of it to make it hollow in the middle. That person created the first dug out canoe.

For the time it was a very convenient way to make a vessel to transport himself for long distances over the water.. He did not have the advantage of today's technology so he was not aware of and totally unconcerned about the hydrostatics and hydrodynamics of the hull he created.

Canoe hulls were manufactured in this fashion for many thousands of years and were improved upon as all things will be as time goes by. At some point in time a new method was found to make a much lighter and more manageable vessel...the birchbark canoe and it's derivatives were born.

The shape of the hull however stayed the same symmetrical shape of the hollowed out log, once again with no regard to hydrodynamics. The shape of a tree trunk became the traditional shape for even modern canoes of aluminum and plastic, simply because that shape had been used for eons. It is almost unbelievable that that with today's technology, canoes are still being manufactured with little regard for the hydrodynamics of modern hull shapes.

Compumarine's Classic Canoe hull has the shape that all displacement hulls should have. (Click on Lines Drawing to the right for specifications!) Displacement hulls are those hulls that are designed to move through the water, not on top of it like a power boat's planing hull form.

There are several key features to the modern shape of a displacement hull....a sharp angle of entry at the bow sections, the greatest depth of hull just forward of the midship section at approximately station four, the center of displacement just aft of the midship section at approximately station six, and the greatest width of the hull a little further aft at approximately station seven. As the hull moves through the water it parts the water gently, then after it has been displaced past the center of displacement the water flow past the hull then closes quickly creating the least amount of turbulence and the least possible amount of drag. This hull shape produces the least amount of friction to the flow of water around the hull of a displacement type boat.

Lots of dollars have been invested in the last few years on computer research and tank testing by Naval Architects to determine the proper shape of displacement hulls for America's Cup sailboat racing and for many other displacement type hulls. The basic features of the shape that has resulted from all this research, is the ultimate shape for any displacement hull from a two foot model to a hundred foot sailboat or any size in between. Obviously there are many differences in beam widths, drafts, displacements, waterline lengths bow and stern shapes for different types of displacement craft but the basic features of this asymmetrical shape should apply. This is the shape that is designed into all of Compumarine's displacement type hulls including the Classic Canoe.

The Classic Canoe plans package includes full size patterns for station molds, the stem and stern pieces and a very thorough construction manual that show you how to build the hull in both pictures and word descriptions step by step, from start to finish.  Specifications are provided to allow you to build the hull in your selected length from 12 to 21 feet. Cedar strip/epoxy construction is the ideal technique  for amateur boat builders with little or no wood working experience and a minimum supply of hand and power tools to build there very own "work of Art".

It is easy to glue 1/4" x 3/4" cedar strips together over a simple set of plywood or particle board molds that you have cut out with a hand held jigsaw. Give it a try! It is a lot of fun to build your own hull and the satisfaction you receive is priceless.

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