"Featherweight Boatbuilding"

Featherweight Boatbuilding

by Henry "Mac" McCarthy

WoodenBoat Books

copyright 1996

11 x 8.5 " 101 pgs.

For anyone curious about cedar strip construction, this is the place to start. Mac McCarthy takes the reader through the process, detailing the building of an eleven and a half foot "Wee Lassie" open canoe. The nine chapters take you step by step from selecting the wood to enjoying your finished boat with clear instructions backed up by plenty of photographs.
The author is not only a builder, he enjoys the quiet backwaters every chance he gets. The book provides five interludes or "Time Out"s where he tells a short tale of some of his favourite paddling places.
Chapter One covers the set up, selecting the wood, ripping the strips, bead and cove edges and building the molds. Chapter Two is devoted to laying up the hull and sanding the exterior. In Chapter Three he details applying the protection of epoxy and fibreglass.
The next chapter deals with the detail work on the interior, inner rails, decks, bulkheads, the thwart and seat. If you like the traditional look of a hand caned seat, the instructions are right here. Chapter Five leads you through varnishing.
The author recommends a double bladed, kayak paddle for the Wee Lassie so building one is covered in Chapter Six. Later chapters deal with "using" the boat (including sailing), "Thoughts on Strength and Weight," and a troubleshooting guide in Q & A format. Appendices give a materials list, tools, materials suppliers and patterns for the molds. Using slightly different molds (patterns provided) and a little more cedar, epoxy and fibreglass will give you a longer (13' 6") Wee Lassie II.
Speaking of fibreglass, the cloth becomes (and remains) transparent when saturated with epoxy so even though sealed, the wood shows. This allows for accent strips or any other artistry you include to shine through.
This book shows that the author knows what "messing about" is all about.