For purchasing information, please see the bottom of this page.
Building Skin-on-Frame
Double Paddle Canoes
This 150-page book, with its 120 photographs and drawings, details how you can build light, beautiful skin-on-frame-boats.
Also check out our twenty-five minute YouTube video How to Build Skin-on-Frame Double Paddle Canoes, which has a table of contents so you can go right to the part you want to see, including chapters on lashing, steaming, skinning and more.
The perfect bound book $27,
and the popular, spiral bound $29
(plus $4 shipping)
Have a look inside
To enlarge, use >> at top right and select Current View.
For a new book by Hilary Russell, "Tugboats and Shipyards: The Russells of New York Harbor, 1844-1962,"
visit What's New or Tugboats and Shipyards site.
Books
Here is our new
25 lb. Solo 11 ½’ Plus
our 18 lb. Solo 10, and
our Kayak 14
For details, see the WHAT’S NEW page.
Boats for Sale
Because of the flexible nature of skin-on-frame boats, you can create more than 30 different boat designs from the 4 sets of plans below.
How to Make Elegant Variations: ways to adjust your boat’s length, width, and general shape by changing the positions of forms and/or adding forms.
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To produce a sleeker and/or an asymmetrical craft with a bit less volume, move both or one of the end forms inward up to 3½.”
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To gain some length and narrow ends, simply add up to 2 inches at both ends of the gunwales beyond the two outside forms.
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Make a 13½’ canoe or kayak 15½’ long by adding 3½” between forms; or use the same method to make a 11½’ solo boat two feet longer.
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Make an 11½’ canoe 13½', and also widen the boat about an inch by making a second center form, giving you six forms.
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Of course you can also shorten these boats by reversing the techniques above. For instance, you can have a wider, fuller 11½’ solo canoe by shortening the 13½’ tandem/solo canoe.
The below specifications are approximate figures, depending on the weight of the wood used and other variations in construction.
Boat Plans and Specifications
10½’ Solo Light Canoe Plans (new!) $45 (12 variations) – postage free
LOA 10 ½’
Width 27"
Depth 10”
Weight 18 lbs.
11½’ Solo Carry Canoe Plans $45 (12 variations) – postage free
LOA 11½’
Width 28”
Depth 10½”
Weight 21 lbs.
13½’ Kayak Plans $45 – postage free
LOA 13½’
Width 24"
Depth 7"
Narrow Passage Plans $45 – postage free
LOA 13½’
Width 25"
Depth 9½”
Weight 24 lbs.
13½’ Tandem Carry Canoe Plans (new!) $45 (8 variation) – postage free
LOA 13½’
Width 30"
Depth 11½”
Weight 27 lbs.
Tandem 15½' Plans (new!) $45 – postage free
LOA 15½’
Width 30"
Depth 11½”
Weight 30 lbs.
Double Ender Plans $60 – postage free
LOA 12’
Beam 42”
Depth at center 13¼"
Weight 53 lbs. approx.
Brass Stembands
3’ x 3/8”, tapped
$39 per pair – plus postage
Stemband Screws
Enough (with spares) 5/8" and 1/2" silicon bronze #4 screws to secure the stemband to the stem/knee and the keel stringer.
$4.50
¼ lb. Imitation Sinew
$15 – plus postage
Northern White Cedar Ribs
These 1 1/4" x 5/16" ribs should be installed 10" or less apart.
$2.50 each – plus postage
Parts
Partial Kit includes a set of plans, 20-26 ribs, sinew, stembands, and a skin.
Please call or email for details and pricing (cost depends on the boat that will be built)
Partial Kit
13’ of 12 oz. nylon
$81 – plus postage
15’ of 12 oz. nylon
$93 – plus postage
Skins
Standard Solo
Our larger-than-normal Caned Seats measure 12”x 14”, and like us, they are rounded in the back.
$48 – plus postage
Solo/Tandem – can be used as a solo seat or a bow seat
Our larger-than-normal Caned Seats measure 12”x 14”, and like us, they are rounded in the back.
$48 – plus postage
Nylon webbing – heavy duty
$48 – plus postage
Seats
To make a purchase, please either use PayPal or mail a check to
Berkshire Boat Building School
P.O. Box 578, Sheffield, MA 01257
Questions? Email us at hemlockgrange@earthlink.net or call 413-229-2549.
Thank You!