A Knock-Down Canvas Boat 



A KNOCK-DOWN canvas boat, 10 ft. 

 in length, weighing complete less 

 than 20 lb., capable of carrying 300 

 lb. and which may be made easily by any 

 young man, is illustrated in the accompany- 

 ing drawings. The entire frame is made of 

 either spruce or birch, the latter preferred, 

 the material being in strips % in. thick and 

 I Y2 in. wide. The widest pieces are the 

 seats and keel boards, all of which are 5 in. 

 with a thickness of ^ in. 



The illustration does not show the canvas, 

 as the manner of constructing the frame is 

 the important thing to be considered. 

 When made according to directions it will 

 be found very rigid, even before the canvas 

 is applied. The bulging shape of the keel 

 and the midship section of the canoe have a 

 wonderful stabilizing action on the craft 

 when it is in motion. 



Two pieces of keel strips A are provided, 

 each 6 ft. long from the center of one hole to 

 the center of the other. To each end of the 

 two parallel keel strips thus described is 

 attached a keel extension strip B, each of 

 which is 26 in. from hole to hole. Each 

 hole in these strips is to be bored with a 

 %-in. bit, and bolts 2% in. long should be 

 used. Suitable washers should be used 

 behind each bolt-head or nut and properly 

 sunk into the surface of the wood so the 

 head and nut will fit evenly. 



Eleven keel boards, each 6^ in. long, are 

 ranged along the two parallel keel strips, the 

 keel strips being spread apart in the middle 

 so they measure 6 in. from outside to out- 

 side. The keel boards C are then laid on 

 evenly and nailed to the keel strips, thereby 

 providing a suitable runway for the 

 occupants of the canoe. 



The side, or gunwale strips D, are 6 ft. 

 long, each end being cut off square on a 

 vertical line, but on an angled line in a 

 horizontal direction. To each end is 

 fitted a side extension bar E, by means of a 

 hinge, the opposite end having a hole 24.3/2 

 in. from the angled end. These extension 

 bars are joined at their ends to the end of 

 the keel extension. The three lapped ends 

 are secured by a bolt. 



It is now necessary to join the keel 

 portion with the gunwale frame. A span 

 frame for each end of the canoe, and a pair 

 of span frames provided with seats are 

 placed midway between the end spans. 

 The frame for the ends is made of a top 

 cross-piece G, of material % in. thick and 2 

 in. wide, which indicates the dimensions of 

 all the parts of the span frames. Each cross- 

 piece of the two end frames is 22 in. long, 

 each end having a cut-out portion ij^ by 

 % in. in which the side pieces D rest. A 

 hole through the side piece and end of each 

 cross-piece permits a pin to be driven in to 

 hold the parts together until the canvas is 

 applied. The fabric will prevent the pin 

 from coming out. 



Two V-shaped pieces extend down from 

 the ends of the cross-piece, the lower ends 

 being held together by a short cross-piece. 

 The ends of the V-pieces are cut so they 

 span the keel strips, while the short cross- 

 piece rests on the keel strips and thus 

 serves as a support for the upper frame- 

 work. The seats F are each 30^ in. long, 

 and at each end is a cross-strip or cleat, 



