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> I am planning to build a small S&G canoe. I am about to order a book
> titled "Building Sweat Dream, An Ultra-lite Solo Canoe" by Marc
> Pettinggill. The add says the canoe is built by using the
> "folded" plywood technique. Is this the same as S&G? Also...has
> anyone ever built this canoe or know someone who has? I would like some
> input on how it handles and how stable it is.
I have the book and it is a very nice one. You'll like it. I have not yet built the boats described in it. Actually, there is one boat, but it can be built to various lengths, and the differences are in how the parts are cut from the plywood.
4mm thick okume plywood is specified, and the author strongly suggests that you not substitute. Apparently other varieties are not flexible enough to be folded into shape. If I build one of these, I'll make one from 3 mm meranti, which is cheap near me, and see what kind of a beating it takes before it falls apart.
The construction method consists of cutting pieces from your plywood panels so that the remainder can be bent into shape. There are only two main parts for the hull, and these are the front and rear of the boat -- basically an entire panel of plywood for each -- which are joined in the middle of the boat with a scarph joint.
There are only three scarf joints to worry about, and they are pretty simple. As you bend the panels, you use the same techniques as in stitch and glue to hold the seams shut (twisted copper wires) and then you cover them with fiberglass tape and resin -- just as in stitch and glue.
The big difference in this, as opposed to more conventional stitch and glue construction is that you don't have long, skinny, loose pieces to wire together.
Construction of these appears to be simple and straightforward. 1 day laying out the materials and cutting them, finishing up with the first scarph joint to create the full length of the boat. The next day you fold the boat into shape, wire up the seams, and do the last two scarph joints, which connect the sides. Later that day, or the next you add in the floor reinforcement. If you are a glutton for punishment, you could add the gunwales this day, too. Otherwise, do them and the breasthooks on the third day, fourth day you sand and paint. Seems like a two weekend project, with a bit of additional midweek effort. Since your workday ends when you get to the point where you have to wait for the epoxy to set, this seems like a project where you could build two or three at one time. Get a friend and you can both build simultaneously -- helping each other out where 4 hands are needed.
Have fun with this.
Paul G. Jacobson
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Guillemot Kayak - High
Performance Wooden Sea Kayak Designs
