First Canoe

[WoodsNWaters]

Really. I've paddled many canoes but never owned one.

Chesapeake Light Craft makes cedar-strip kits for several canoe and kayak designs by Nick Schade. CLC is known for plywood boat kits: kayaks, rowing craft, sailing, other.

This kit is the "Mystic River Tandem".

Length	17' 2"
WL length	17'
Beam	34"
WL beam	33"
Weight	42 Lbs
Max payload	450 Lbs
Draft	4.5"
Surface area	60 sq ft
Wetted area	31.7 sq ft

Not a lot of rocker; about 2.25" difference between center and the last form.

Weight was one big reason for choosing this design. Many designs and kits for 16' and longer canoes are heavier by 10 or 15 pounds. This kit uses 1/4" strips and 6-oz cloth so the weight savings aren't ultralight materials.

I opted for the "complete" kit. CNC-cut forms, CNC-cut strongback, strips, glass, epoxy, decks, seats and a piece of ash for a yoke.

I see zero mentions of this design on canoetripping.net. Zero mentions of cedar-strip kits from CLC. Of course CLC could look around and see zero mentions of me or my abilities so we could be even.




To the basement!

 

[Sedges]

An interesting hull. It has a shallow-vee bottom, much like a Mad River Malecite. I think it has more rocker than a Malecite and I like that. The shallow-vee will give a little twitchy feel that you will get used to in the first few minutes of paddling. It gives it excellent secondary stability. It will track well, too.

I would be absolutely amazed if you end up with a 42# boat. Maybe 52# would be more realistic. I can't believe that CLC advertises that at 42#. I think it is misleading.