Nymph - A New Double Paddle Strip Canoe Design

Plans Now Available

In July I finished up the prototype of a new canoe design. The Nymph is a 10' long by 28" wide solo double-paddle canoe. It is designed for paddlers under 150 lbs and the prototype weighs about 15 pounds. I am experimenting with building boats with domestic hardwoods to find alternatives for old-growth cedar. In this boat I used walnut and basswood cut into 1/8th inch thick strips. I then reinforced it with a carbon-Kevlar hybrid cloth on the inside and high-strength "S-Glass" on the outside. The gunwales are basswood under a layer of 4 ounce E-Glass and the stems are cherry.

Nymph - a light weight solo canoe
Using 1/8" thick basswood and walnut I was able to keep the weight down to about 15 pounds.

I brought the boat up to the 2006 Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Show in Rockland, where it generated a lot of interest. This is a great boat for a smaller paddler who just wants to paddle around sheltered ponds, small lakes and calm harbors, but don't want to carry around a big and heavy boat. It is an easy one-hand carry and most people should be able to put it on the roof of a car unassisted.

At this time I only offer the boat as a custom-built finished boat. I will offer plans in the future, but do not have them prepared yet.