Description
The Hiwassee Wanderer is a simple, easy-to-build canoe that is designed for the amateur boatbuilder to construct at home. It is made from 3 sheets of plywood and a minimal amount of lumber, using the simple “Stitch and Glue” method.
It is a solo canoe, meaning that it is designed for one person. Overall length of the finished boat is 12’6″, making it easy to transport in the back of a pickup truck.
It’s generous 33″ beam (width) and 6-1/2′ keel give the Hiwassee Wanderer plenty of stability, making it as easy to use as it is to build.
Construction plans include 2 plan sheets and thorough, well-illustrated instructions with plenty of pictures.
The Hiwassee Wanderer is designed to combine the classic aesthetics of vintage wooden canoes with the simplest possible construction. While these concepts may seem mutually exclusive, we believe the Hiwassee Wanderer is a well-balanced compromise between the two. It is well within the ability of a first-time, inexperienced boatbuilder to build this canoe.
So, if you have ever wanted to build a boat, this is a great place to start. Not only will you treat yourself to the rewarding experience of building your own canoe, you’ll know the great feeling that few people ever experience: enjoying time on the water in a boat made with your own hands.
Find out why we say, “the adventure isn’t just on the water!”
Plans include detailed instructions for both simple wooden seats and seats made from woven nylon webbing.
Just HOW easy is it to build a Hiwassee Wanderer canoe? This short video gives an overview of the basic steps and stages involved.
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1 Review
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Hiwassee Build
Thank you for the very thorough design, plans, and instructions. I was able to complete my wanderer by myself in roughly three weeks (1 week of intensive work, 2 additional weeks of working nights and weekends). I pretty much followed the directions in order (omitting the keel) and all in all it was pretty straight forward. - used 4mm okoume which worked well enough and saved me some $ verses 3mm. - I used system three epoxy because I had roughly a gal. around from a past project. - My biggest challenge was getting clean fillets, I should have used more thickener to prevent sagging, but some sanding and paint seems to hide the worst of my shoddy early work. I should have used the plastic bag "icing" method to get it in the seams before evening. Looking forward to getting it out on the water after the winter thaw. thank you for the great plans, I feel like as a first time boat builder I was able to produce something solid that I will enjoy for years.
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