Bark for canoe building

[Richard Best]

Hi All.

Does anyone have any experience of bark canoe building? I'm thinking of attempting to do this with the materials immediately available, and to try to keep away from manufactured plywood, lorry tarps and such. I have some woodland, but with only a very few small birches. But I do have sweet chestnut, and I wondered if anyone has used its bark for making anything. Other than that, ANY advice gratefully received.

Richard

 

[robin wood]

UK birch you stand no chance, far too thin and small, personally I doubt chestnut would have the long term flexibility though it does make decent small baskets and vessels as does western red cedar. Also once chestnut gets to the size you need for canoe building the bark goes past the smooth flexible stage. In the UK folk that made curraghs and coracles used hide and later callico waterproofed with pitch.

 

[Richard Best]

Thanks for your thoughts, Robin.

I have a fair bit of experience building skin-on-frame kayaks and I could always build a canoe frame and then skin it with soft canvas. As you say, there's a history of skin boats here too, which is a strong clue of what materials to use...
The thing is, I wanted to experience the birchbark canoe building process, ie with stiff hull material and from the ground up. But I don't imagine canvas would be stiff enough for that, unless maybe I "starched it" (whatever that means!) first?

Richard