Wooden Canoe, Kayak and Small Boat Kits and Plans
About Bear Mountain Boats
Joan Barrett and Ted Moores have been helping people build their own canoes, kayaks and small boats for 45 years. Lessons learned in the Bear Mountain workshop have been passed on to hobby builders through their how-to books, including the classic resource Canoecraft, as well as in classes and online forums.
From high quality cedar strips and building materials, to complete canoe kits and canoe plans, Bear Mountain Boats can provide you with everything necessary to build your own beautiful wooden craft using the woodstrip epoxy method.
Bear Mountain Boats also produces 30' Canadian sprint racing canoes, builds one-off custom boats including the electric fantail launch Sparks, and has restored historically significant watercraft.
Read Our Latest Blog Posts
Letter to Ted: Notes on the Joy of Making Things by Jon Belton
It must have been twenty-five years ago I sat on a park bench in Argyll, Scotland, staring in wonder at a woodstrip canoe, upside down on top of a Volvo roof rack. Every bloke that walked passed ran his hands along it – it was a visual and tactile sight to behold. I vowed to make one someday.
Choosing the Right Kayak (Kayaks You Can Build Excerpt)
Regardless of what you know about kayaks at the moment, the kayak you build should be the right one for you. It will be your mental image of pointing that beautiful varnished deck out into the waters of your favourite place that will keep the project going.
Anatomy of a Canoe: Essentials of Good Design (Canoecraft Excerpt)
One does not have to be a naval architect to understand the basic principles of canoe design. They are relatively simple, yet vitally important – especially to the builder. The curves of a well-designed canoe are its calling card – a proclamation of the kind of paddling it does best.