Peace Canoe

Product Description

A great family boatbuilding project! Build it in a weekend from a kit.

There were over 30 young men between the ages of 13 and 15 years of age. The boat was built in 4 days and launched on the fifth day. At the same time they also built their own paddles and decorated them in various ways, so quite an achievement by all concerned and a brilliant project.

Steve, Essex

Whether you call it a canoe, a pirogue, or a bateau, the Peace Canoe is good basic transportation that you can build in a weekend but with its appealing shape, it won't look as though it was built in a weekend.

The Peace Canoe is aimed at first-time builders and those who do not want to commit to the hours that our stitch-and-glue kits will consume. The quick build was made possible by eliminating epoxy resins and their long curing times, utilising sturdy material that does not require glass fabric and engineering a construction process that is forgiving of imprecision.

The kit has an interesting history. Designer John C. Harris created the Peace Canoe specifically for family boat building events and corporate team-building exercises. “On the drawing board we called it the War Canoe,” says Harris recalling the big canoes that he remembered from summer camp. “I definitely wanted to conjure up the whimsy and versatility of those old camp canoes.”

And he wanted the construction process to be fun too. Harris adds. “And definitely no anxiety over dust and bubbles in your varnish – this is not that kind of project. It is designed to be fully hands-on for anyone who wants to join in, regardless of age. Definitely put the kids in charge of the paint job; they'll love it!”

The design has been a great fit for marathon boat building events.

Like many people, Harris had often been disappointed with the results of one-day boat building marathons. “The boats are either ugly or useless – frequently they're both. On the Peace Canoe I aimed for nice lines and some real utility.” With a payload of more than 600 pounds, it will easily absorb a family of five and a hearty picnic lunch.

The Peace Canoe has a detailed instruction manual to guide builders. The hull is reinforced with traditional stems, sheer clamps, and chine logs, fastened together with polyurethane adhesives and bronze ring nails.

The kit includes:

Pre-cut wooden panels with pre-cut joints
Adhesive (more forgiving than epoxy)
Bronze ring nails
Wooden stem
Wooden sheer clamps
Wooden chine logs
Comprehensive building manual
Free technical support from a competent builder

Study manual

This is intended for pre-build study or to help with the decision to purchase. This is the comprehensive manual that accompanies the kit; reading it will help you decide whether or not you can build the boat. It describes all of the techniques that will be used during the build and also a step by step guide to construction. Scale drawings are used throughout as well as photographs of critical jobs.

If, later, you decide to purchase the kit the cost of this will be deducted from the kit price.

The manual does not contain the cutting instructions so it is not possible to build the boat from scratch using only this.