You're currently on the Canadian/International site. US customers visit bearmountainboats.com 🇺🇸

Advice from Ted to a builder in Greece

Photo of crystal clear waters of Greece
Today we have a question from a builder in Greece. Ted answers his questions below.
__________________________________________
My name is Stephen and I’m a Canadian now living in a small village in Greece near the northern border. We have mountains and rivers and lakes here which reminds of 50 years of canoe tripping in Algonquin Park (except for the mountains). I had the bible Canoecraft shipped from Canada and gawddangit I’m gonna build me a Bob’s Your Uncle. I may have found a source here for western red cedar at a ridiculous price but that’s ok…she’s gonna get built.
My challenge is this: I can only find 1 meter wide fiberglass here. I understand I need 60” wide. I’m not sure how to do this with 1 meter wide material. Do I just lay 2 sheets slightly overlapping over the middle? Do I tape or crazy glue 2 sheets together?
Any thoughts would be SO appreciated.
Your book and videos are truly amazing. I have no background in this type of project but am determined, patient with the learning curve and highly motivated.
I know you’re busy but would really appreciate your thoughts.
A huge fan, 
Stephen 
________________________________________________
Hello Stephen
Nice to hear about your canoe building plans - you sound very determined so I know you will end up with a canoe we will all be proud of.  The small village in northern Greece caught my attention. If I was able to travel I would entertain the fantasy of giving you a hand with the layup. We live in Westport ON, a small village on the Trent canal between Ottawa and Kingston. I have lived in the city but a village suits me just fine. 
Since this is your first canoe, something more than a 'yes' to the question of using 1 meter wide cloth could be helpful.
Choice of design. I gather that you are looking at building the 'Bob's Special'. It is a good model and was a fisherman's favorite because the low bow/stern made it easy to work their line around the ends of the canoe. That said, the tumblehome on the sides complicates planking (hard to keep the first few planks tight to the mold) and is tricky to get the glass to follow the recurve. If you are set on that model, I am sure you can do it but it would not be my first choice. Suggest looking at the 15' Ranger - similar size and displacement, easier to build and to my eye, a cleaner more Canadian look.
Planking material. Western red cedar is very Canadian and that might be important to you. On the other hand, something from Greece could be worth considering. Is there an attractive softwood available that comes in at about 25lbs/cubic foot? 
Using 1 meter wide cloth. No problem but not as convenient to use as 60". The 60" cloth is simply draped over the hull and will stay in place as you apply the epoxy resin. The 1 meter wide cloth will be overlapped about 1" down the centerline. The trick is to keep the edge of the cloth on the centerline without sliding off. My suggestion would be to apply some resin down the centerline as an anchor and stick the cloth into it. An extra pair of hands would be useful in getting the cloth lined up. Begin applying the resin in the middle of the hull and work out to the ends. If you begin applying the resin at the end, you will end up with extra cloth with no place to work it into. See Canoecraft for details on squeeging. When you squeegee the centerline, be careful not to tangle the fibers at the edge of the cloth. If they are bunched up, the cloth on the other side will not lay down and will trap air under it. 
Apply the cloth on the other side while the resin on the first side is still sticky and wet out and squeegee as you did the first side. That is all there is to it. When the epoxy has cured, carefully feather the overlapping glass and finish with two more coats of resin as described in Canoecraft. 
Note on buying epoxy and glass. Make sure they are compatible - all glass is not compatible with epoxy. 
I hope this will get you started. If you come up with other questions, feel free to get in touch. During 50 years of building, many problems have come up but there has always been a way of faking an appropriate solution.
Regards,
Ted

Related Posts

A Tribute to the Loyal Shop Dog
As of winter 2022, virtually everyone on earth can agree the past couple of years have been rough. At Bear Mountain w...
Read More
Up the Cric - A Redbird Canoe by Jack Diffily, Azle, TX, USA
Up the Cric - A Redbird Canoe by Jack Diffily, Azle, TX, USA
By J.A. Diffily My canoe project got started in 2007 when I was working at the US Embassy in Togo in West Africa. On...
Read More
The 12 Month Canoe Season by Jean Gregoire, Notre-Dame des Pins, Quebec, Canada
The 12 Month Canoe Season by Jean Gregoire, Notre-Dame des Pins, Quebec, Canada
By Jean Gregoire My canoe season starts at the end of spring when I clean and wax my skis to store them for the summ...
Read More