All three of these canoes were built on our standard Solo 11 1/2' forms. Each has the new stem/knee that allows the stringers to be installed inches back from the front edge. The result is a fine entry, allowing better tracking and more efficient paddling. The three boats also have our new self-adjusting backrest.
13 1/2' Canoe
This 13 1/2' canoe’s sheer, the upward curve of the hull, appears less than the other two boat's pictured above. In fact is a bit less, but the added length of the boat makes the sheer seem less than it is. Also, note how the set-back stringers allow the skin to curve a bit inward, creating the hollow "cheeks."
Here's a good upside-down look at the canoe's fine entry.
I was going to glue padding on the face of this white oak back support, but I liked the strong grain, which shows through three coats of paint.
12' Canoe
While the 13 1/2' boat was built from the solo molds set 26" apart, this 12' boat was built with most of the forms spaced the usual 24" apart. The exception is the form nearest the bow, which is set 23'5" from the nearest form. This small difference narrows the bow markedly, as this photo illustrates. It was easy to stretch the canoe from an 11 1/2' to 12' by just adding 3" at each end. The only down-side is that the boat then must be built with 14' stock, instead of 12'.
Note that as the gunwales near the stern, they maintain a nice curve. This canoe's white oak back support eventually was padded with 1/4" of foam (see the photo in the New Backrest section).
11 1/2' Canoe
Our new 11 ½' Solo, like the 12' Solo above, is asymmetrical. Note the straight lines of the gunwales as they near the bow and their curve as they near the stern.
The new 11 ½' Solo bow shape on right compared to the original.
The new solo is behind one built several years ago. They are the same length.
The new solo by West Lake in Sandisfield, MA on September 30, 2020