June, 1918 
FOREST AND STREAM 
355 
a canoe was my last cruiser. She only 
weighed ten and one-half pounds when 
first launched, and after an all-summer 
rattling by land and water had only gained 
half a pound. I do not therefore advise 
any one to buy a ten and a half pound 
canoe; although she would prove compe¬ 
tent for a skillful lightweight. She was 
built to order, as a test of lightness, and 
was the third experiment in that line. 
W ILDERNESS cruising can only be 
made in a very light canoe, and 
with a very light outfit. It is often 
necessary to make several carries in one 
day, aggregating as much as ten miles, be¬ 
sides from fifteen to twenty miles under 
paddle. No heavy, decked, paddling or sail¬ 
ing canoe would be available for such a 
trip with a man of ordinary muscle. 
Many years ago, I became convinced that 
we were all, as canoeists, carrying and pad¬ 
dling just twice as much wood as was at 
all needful, and something more than a 
year since, I advanced the opinion in For¬ 
est and Stream, that ten pounds of well 
made cedar ought to carry one hundred 
pounds of man. The past season has more 
than proved it. 
Of my last and lightest venture, the Sairy 
Gamp, little more need be said. Her di¬ 
mensions are: Length, ioj/2 feet; beam, 26 
inches; rise at center, 9 inches; at stems, 
15 inches; oval red elm ribs, 1 inch apart; 
an inch home tumble; stems, plumb and 
sharp; oak keel and keelson; clinker-built, 
of white cedar. 
Such a canoe will weigh about 22 pounds, 
and will do just as well for the man of 
140 or 170 pounds, while even a lightweight 
of no pounds ought to take her over a 
portage with a light, elastic carrying frame, 
without distress. She will trim best, how¬ 
ever, at about 160 pounds. For a welter, 
say of some 200 pounds, add 6 inches to 
her length, 2 inches to her beam, and 1 
inch rise at center. 
And now I will give my reasons for pre¬ 
ferring the clinker-built cedar boat, or 
:anoe, to any other. First, as to material. 
Cedar is stronger, more elastic, more en¬ 
during, and shrinks less than pine or any 
3ther light wood used as boat siding. As 
)ne of the best builders in the country 
says, “It has been thoroughly demonstrated 
hat a cedar canoe will stand more hard 
tnocks than an oak one; for where it only 
Receives bruises, the oak streaks will split.” 
• suppose it is settled beyond dispute that 
white cedar stands at 
he head for boat 
streaks. I prefer it, 
hen, because it is the 
)est. And I prefer 
he clinker, because it 
; the strongest, sim- 
ilest, most enduring, 
md most easily re¬ 
tired in case of ac- 
ident. To prove the 
trength theory, take 
cedar (or pine) 
trip eight feet long 
nd six inches wide, 
lend it to a certain 
oint by an equal 
train on each end, 
nd carefully note 
te result. Next 
:rip it lengthwise 
'ith the rip saw, lap 
Showing the clinker construction 
the two halves an inch, and nail the lap as 
in boat building. Test it again, and you 
will find it has gained in strength about 
twenty per cent. That is the clinker of it. 
Now work the laps down until the strip 
is of uniform thickness its entire length, 
and test it once more; you will find it 
much weaker than on first trial. That is 
the smooth skin, sometimes called lap- 
streak. They, the clinker canoes, are easi¬ 
ly tightened when they spring a leak 
through being rattled over stones in rap¬ 
ids. It is only to hunt a smooth pebble for 
a clinch head, and settle the nails that have 
started with the hatchet, putting in a few 
new ones if needed. And they are put to¬ 
gether, at least by the best builders, with¬ 
out any cement or white lead, naked wood 
to wood, and depending only on close 
work for water-proofing. And each pair 
of strips is cut to fit and lie in its proper 
place without strain, no two pairs being 
alike, but each pair, from garboards to 
upper streak, having easy, natural form 
for its destined position. 
There is only one objection to the 
clinker-built canoe that occurs to me as at 
all plausible. This is, that the ridge-like 
projections of her clinker laps offer resist¬ 
ance to the water, and retard her speed. 
Theoretically, this is correct. Practically, 
it is not proven. Her streaks are so near¬ 
ly on her water line that the resistance, if 
any, must be infinitesimal. It is possible, 
however, that this element might lessen 
her speed one or two minutes in a mile 
race. I am not racing, but taking leisurely 
recreation. I can wait two or three min¬ 
utes as well as not. Three or four knots 
an hour will take me through to the last 
carry quite as soon as I care to make the 
landing. 
Veneered canoes are very fine, for deep 
water; but a few cuts on sharp stones will 
be found ruinous; and if exposed much to 
weather they are liable to warp. The 
builders understand this, and plainly say 
that they prefer not to build fine boats for 
those who will neglect their proper care. 
The paper boat, also, will not stand 
much cutting on sharp stones, and is not 
buoyant when swamped, unless fitted with 
water-tight compartments. 
The canvas is rather a logy, limp sort 
of craft, to my thinking, and liable to 
drown her crew if swamped. 
But each and all have their admirers, 
and purchasers as well, while each is good 
in its way, and I only mention a few rea¬ 
sons for my preference of the cedar. 
When running an ugly rapid or crossing 
a stormy lake, I like to feel that I have 
enough light, seasoned wood under me to 
keep my mouth and nose above water all 
day, besides saving the rifle and knapsack, 
which, when running into danger, I al¬ 
ways tie to the ribbing with strong linen 
line, as I do the paddle also, giving it about 
line enough to just allow free play. 
Provide your canoe with a flooring of 
oilcloth 3 y 2 feet long by 15 inches wide; 
punch holes in it and tie it neatly to the 
ribbing, just where it will best protect the 
bottom from wear and danger. Use only 
a cushion for seat, and do not buy a fancy 
one with permanent stuffing, but get six¬ 
pence worth of good, unbleached cotton 
cloth, and have it sewed into bag shape. 
Stuff the bag with fine browse, dry grass 
or leaves, settle it well together, and fasten 
the open end by turning it flatly back and 
using two or three pins. You can empty 
it if you like when going over a carry, and 
it makes a good pillow at night, better 
than a bootleg. 
Select a canoe that 
fils you, just as you 
would a coat or hat. 
A 16-pound canoe 
may fit me exactly, 
but would be a bad 
misfit for a man of 
180 pounds. And 
don’t neglect the aux¬ 
iliary paddle, or 
“pudding stick,” as 
my friends call it. 
The notion may be 
new to most canoe¬ 
ists, but will be found 
exceedingly handy 
and useful. It is sim¬ 
ply a little one-hand¬ 
ed paddle weighing 5 
to 7 ounces, 20 to 22 
(see page 367) 
The canoe looks a mere toy, but she is safe and seaworthy 
