Coracles

[Freds Dad]

I've been looking for plans for the construction of a coracle so my troop can have a go at making one. there are Scout rules regarding safety on canoes, kayaks, sailing and powered watercraft but I'm unable to find anything on coracle. Thus if my troop owned one they can use it without lots of silly certificates, just a good life jacket and sense of adventure. Anyone able to help?

[Cap'n Badger]

Try these chaps.....ifin they can't tells ye....no one can.....good luck sah!
http://www.coracle-fishing.net/society/index.htm

[OutBackP]

As I remember using something like hazel you build it upside down pushing the sticks into the ground and form the basic shape. Then tie it together. Turn it the right way up bend a branch around the top and tie that off. Then get a tarp or cow hide, and stich that to the top off the frame. Carve a paddle and bobs your uncle go catch dinner.

Try this website or google "coracle"

http://www.coracle-fishing.net/

Hope it helps.

[QDanT]

Brings back memories of as a kid getting a large innertubes ( tractor back wheel if possible ) then eyeletting a circle of tarp with hammer together brass eyes with a rope through blowing tube up and tying in centre. Then it was x2 ping pong bats and off to the local flooded quarry never even thought of life jackets !!!

[richardnhunt]

Sounds a great idea, but just be careful. if it all goes belly up at some point they would probably catch you under canoeing or raft building. Have a look at C class waters - most of these are exempt anyway - there is a water classification factsheet on scoutbase which is helpful,

Rich
oh - and as a sea scout leader and canoe/kayak coach I'd say that the courses and rules do make sense and keep kids safe. - having seen kids out on the thames today with what appeared to be no understanding of their environment, It does scare me.

[Wayne]

I think you would need the same level of Risk Assessments for a coracle as any other water based activity. Do you really want the be famous for the wrong reasons?

That said I am sure your scouts would have great fun building a coracle. You could try a hazel and tarp kayak as well.

[Labrador]

I'm sure they had basic plans in the old "Scout Handbook"

[Zodiak]

We build rafts made from barrels and poles so I would have thought that coracles would require a smiliar risk assement and kit was going to be OK. You DC is the final authority on such things but a call to teh infor center 0845 300 1818 alwasy seems to work for me

We made coracles many, many years ago using garden canes an bundles of sticks. You make a 10' long sausage about 12" in dameter, bend it round into a donut shape, tie it off a 6" intervals with sisal.

We then put a sheet of polythene underneath and folded it into the coracle and trimmed it off so that it just about covered the sausage.

We then had a ring of rope of a slightly smaler diameter than teh sausge under neath it and lashed it on with long lengths of sisal going from the rope and into the coracle, tie them to the bindings round teh sausage.

I don't know if this is the "official" way of doing it but it worked for us and lasted a week.

[KIMBOKO]

Got plans. I'll try to photo copy them at work and drop them off to you. Do you want to PM me with your address. I live in Felixstowe

[Freds Dad]

Thanks to thoses who have added info. As for rules I've no intention of taking them out in estuaries or on dangerous waters.(Did anyone see the programme on Sunday evening about the two twerps canoeing in the sea, one had never canoed before. They got in a right pickle) As for rafts, I built a 2.5m wide X 6m long steel raft made of steel, wood and 12 big barrels. It all comes to pieces and fits in a bullock trailer. It will hold all 30 of my troop and we paddle it up and down the R Stour between Cattawade and Dedham. It will split in two 3m sections. We call it the mega raft. As long as they can swim 50m and have a lifejacket on we can go on any non tidal water without any bits of paper, I've checked P,R,O. 2.5m will just get through a lock gate with about 6" spare on each side. A few coricles whizzing about should add to the picture. Most of the tourists photograph us when we are out and many tell us whistful stories of when they were Scouts.

[Freds Dad]

KIMBOKO has kindly fixed me up with plans for three types of coricle. I will keep you informed of my troops adventures (next year).

[sharp88]

A few years back I made a coracle on a course. It was with the green wood working centre, or somthing similar in name to that. It was basically a frame of green wood slats, clamped and stapled, which then dried, setting a solid structure of which was covered with 'callico' - canvas and finally the canvas was covered in several layers of bitchamen. The bitchamen was of the common 'household type' used to coat the roofs of sheds, etc.

A more 'makeshift' frame can be made using a sort of 'spider's web', consisting of interwoven branches and small sapplings and covered possibly with rawhide.

I'v also seen a rather interesting canoe type craft, of Irish origin I beleive, known as a 'Currah'. It uses the same construction methods mentioned previously with the corracle, of slats of green wood, canvas and a coating of tar.

Coracles aren't exactly the most stable of water craft and I can only describe being in one as sitting in a floating tea cup. I wouldnt reccomend using them in water that dosnt have a strong current.

Sharp.

I know a cloth type material has been used in the past to cover coracles, but im not to sure on the details about that.

[Tony]

I passed a couple of houses today that had a few coracles outside drying off, If I'd seen this before I'd have stopped and asked

[scanker]

I know a cloth type material has been used in the past to cover coracles, but im not to sure on the details about that.

Same sort of thing as you described I think - IIRC "pitch" was used as the waterproofing over canvas. Not exactly sure what pitch is but I assume it's some sort of tarry / bitumen like substance. Pitch black and all that.

There's a coracle museum at Cenarth: http://www.coracle-centre.co.uk/

[Tony]

Yeah, I saw them just up the road from there (it's just a few miles from me) There's quite a few people around here that use them