Canoe Construction
2nd Ahoghill Company Section have constructed our own canoes, aptly named Sure & Stedfast.
Sure
Construction of the first canoe began in the spring of 2013, and it had its first water test in June 2014.
Stedfast
Work on our second canoe began in October 2015, and it was officially launched at Newferry in July 2016.
Construction Process
Creating Plywood Panels
Each canoe began with a few simple sheets of plywood, onto which were marked out the shapes of the various panels needed to form the shape of the hull. We followed a set of plans for purchased from Selway Fisher, specifically their Waterman 16' canoe.
Stitching Panels Together
The individual plywood panels are then assembled to form the shape of the hull. This involves drilling a series of holes along the edges of each panel where it meets another. Copper wire is then feed through the corresponding holes and both ends are twisted tight to stitch the panels together. This holds the panels temporarily in shape ready for the next stage.
Fibreglass Taping Panels Together
The panels are then fixed in position using fibreglass tape and epoxy resin. Each join