by Adrien Nieisen
(Extracted from “Practical Boat Building for Amateurs” by Adrian Neisen)
In this chapter it is proposed to show how to build a Rob Roy canoe, giving its dimensions and mentioning its peculiarities Every one knows that a canoe is only a modified boat reduced to its smallest dimensions, and it is, in fact, very much the same as the skiff just described to build, with the exception that it requires much more careful work, because, as it is small, the parts will not stand the same “dodging” in the event of an error being made. There are many kinds of canoes made, though they are all on the same principle; some of them are intended for sailing purposes, and are, therefore, made so large, and have such a weight of ballast, that they are really boats in every respect, retaining a sort of fancied resemblance to the justly celebrated Rob Roy. The beauty of a canoe is its extreme simplicity and yet efficiency, so that when a great complexity is produced with sliding keels, topmasts, rudders, mizenmasts, etc., all the quality of this kind of boat disappears. Besides which, the portability of a canoe is, or should be, a leading feature, and not in any way to be despised. Of the different kinds of canoes that have been brought out since the introduction of the Rob Roy, none have really surpassed it for general travel, though in special descriptions of travel there are some which are superior. For instance, the bluff lines of a Rob Roy make it a rather heavy craft to paddle against the current of a fairly swift stream, and so here a Ringleader has advantages; but the Ringleader is not nearly so handy as the Rob Roy on account of its great length—viz., 17 ft. 6 in., and some have been made as long as 22 ft. For this reason it is not nearly so quickly turned, but it was claimed to stand rough water better, which, however, has never been really proved. The Nautilus, which is the other variety which is most adopted, is a decided improvement on the Ringleader, standing very rough water much better and is far more manageable, but it has the same disadvantage as the Rob Roy in being heavier to paddle. All these varieties have, in their turn, given birth to many others, and there are at least eleven distinct varieties of the original canoe, besides a great number of nondescript arrangements, used for fast or peculiar work, as racing and sporting. In a manual like this, where only a few pages can be devoted to one particular craft, it would be impossible to describe all the varieties; but for general work an ordinary Rob Roy is best. A good Rob Roy should weigh from fifty to sixty pounds, and, by a careful selection of material, the amateur can be fairly sure of attaining this lightness. Of course, in canoe building the best materials alone should be used, and it is now generally admitted that oak most fully answers the requirement. Very good canoes may be built in cedar, teak, mahogany, and pine for the skin; but, except cedar and pine, they are not much used. If, however, the amateur is anxious to build a very light and strong canoe, and has the skill and the patience to work in thin material, there is no wood that will excel teak. In selecting his material, let the amateur pick out good sound white oak, straight in the grain for the skin. This must be a bare quarter of an inch thick, so as to plane down to a good 3/16th of an inch, and it must be 41/2 in. wide. For the keel and stem and stern posts he will also want oak, and for the decking cedar (red) ½ in. thick. He will also require some thin spruce or red pine of a bare 3/8ths of an inch for floor boards and back board. Copper nails of 17 gauge and copal boat varnish must be used.
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