Wicker Canoe?

[Taffy63]

I've been trying to find information on making a canoe with a totally wicker frame, but I have been unable to find anything. There is plenty of information on coracles with wicker frames and birch bark canoes with cedar frames on the interweb, but nothing on wicker. I was thinking it would be ideal with a skin of treated canvas, both light and strong and flexible. Afterall you can get wicker coffins and balloon baskets, why not canoes? Or am I just not looking hard enough.
I thought if there is anywhere to ask this would be the place.
Cheers
Nigel

 

[John Fenna]

I have never heard of a wicker framed canoe - but why not?
Try it out and write THE book on it

 

[Tiley]

Initial thoughts ran along the lines of: "They went to sea in a sieve, they did,//In a sieve they went to sea" but then I thought why not? I suppose the slight problem might be in the slightly greater flex in your frame material might compromise the canoe's performance and run; but then again, when coated with canvas, as you suggest you might, it could work well. Give it a go - but keep us all informed: this sounds really, really interesting!

 

[JohnC]

IIRC PatrickM had a post where he had made a frame canoe covered with a blue tarp...

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16937&highlight=
its here but the pics are away....

 

[Adze]

Weren't coracles skin over wicker? Couldn't the same construction techniques be used?

 

[John Fenna]

Weren't coracles skin over wicker? Couldn't the same construction techniques be used?

Corracles have been made the world over from all soerts of materials (the Corracle Centre is just down the road from me and has corracles from everywhere from Wales to Iraq, Vietnam and even the USA) but on the Teifi the frame is made from split wood (usually hazel) or in one instance alkathene piping!