Winter dreams for some consists of testing gravity on near vertical inclines, threading snow-laden conifers, ending near a towering pile of rock with warm drinks and glowing embers and what comes next. For the rest of us winter dreams take us back to open water. Ever dream about paddling a handcrafted cedar strip canoe? Stop dreaming.  

NorthWest Canoe now removes barriers to canoe building by providing you full-size canoe plans. Choose from four plans: NorthWest Cruiser, NorthWest River, NorthWest Merlin, NorthWest Passage. Other canoe shops want mega dollars for all their plans, or they sell you a pricey book with a bunch of tiny drawings and tables. Extrapolating that data for a first-time canoe builder feels far too nautical.

We want you to experience the beauty and simplicity that only comes from building and paddling your own cedar strip canoe. And, when your need canoe building supplies, remember NorthWest Canoe helped rolled that first stone off the path. We stock all the supplies you need for your cedar strip canoe building project, answer your questions and offer classes too.

Follow the above links to our web store, download the PDF file and stop dreaming. Move your handcrafted canoe off the dream list and make it happen this winter.

Urban Wilderness Canoe Area

Far better than a trip to the zoo. That's one sixth grader's perspective on watching a pair of bald eagles soar over our 24-foot North Canoes and land in the cottonwood just downstream. One-hundred thirty five excited kids, most sighting an eagle for the first time, paddling a canoe for the first time, being on the Mississippi River for the first time, traversed a portion of Twin Cities Urban Wilderness Canoe Area.

The flotilla of sixteen 24-foot North Canoes that October day was one of many. The UWCA took 4500 inter-city kids out paddling in its first year, with plans to ramp that number up to 10,000 over the next three years. The Urban Wilderness Canoe Area is a partnership between area school districts, the National Park Service, Wilderness Inquiry and numerous public and private agencies.

To learn more about this unique program Google UWCA and follow the links. To learn more about the canoes that make the UWCA possible look no further than NorthWest Canoe. We custom build these big canoes, combining traditional cedar strip building techniques with newer technologies, vacuum bagging Kevlar and structural foam components into the wood hull. Visit our North Canoe Page for a recent build photo gallery.

The North Canoe provides paddlers of any age a unique experience. It's the ideal canoe for many nature centers, camps and outdoor education programs. Interested in a North Canoe for your organization? Call 877 220 0192.

Purchase any portage pack on our online store, enter the coupon code 'PORTAGE' during check out and your order ships free.

Tips for Cutting Forms

While lasers and C&C routers elicit primal toolman grunts, a circular saw, jig saw and belt sander work just as well for cutting forms. Your task differs little from building a doghouse, planter box or any other Saturday afternoon project that requires a few simple hand tools.

At NorthWest Canoe, we start with multiple full-size paper copies. For a symmetrical tandem, that is typically eight or nine copies, an asymmetrical design like the NorthWest Passage will require the same number of copies as there are forms. Highlight the line you intend to cut. Use spray glue and an X-Axto knife to paste and trim the plans onto particleboard or plywood. Use any substrate that will hold a staple, 5/8-inch or heavier.

Next use a circular saw to reduce the 4 x 8 sheet to more manageable form-size rectangles. Rough-cut the curvy lines with your jig saw; cut within 1/8-inch of the line you highlighted earlier. (Screw two 4 x 8 sheets together and make exact duplicates when building a symmetrical hull design.)

Now clamp your form(s) horizontally to a bench or saw horse, leaving a portion of the curved line exposed so you can get at it with the sander. Grab the T-grip handle on the nose of your belt sander and let the tool hang vertically. Loose grip, flexible wrist; keep the sander moving as you follow the arc, which will eventually define the interior surface of your canoe. You may need to move the form a couple of times, but it only takes a few minutes to fair each form up to the line

We typically use mushroom shaped canoe forms. Click the sketch to get our template. Align and center the template to the 'top of strongback' line on any NorthWest Canoe plan. We prefer the mushroom over the horseshoe because it allows us to move a cleat or two on the stongback and build a different length canoe.

Bring Back The Shine

Resurrect the shine of your canoe's gelcoat with 3M Marine Color / Gloss Restorer. This compound / polish combines an exceptionally fast cutting compound with a finishing material in one. It removes light to heavy oxidation, minor scratches and stains.

Until now, it was rubbing compound followed by a finishing material purchased in quantities to last 99 years. Combining two steps into a single one-pint bottle opens doors... now you can try this at home.

Wash your canoe first to avoid grinding dirt into the gel coat. You can use a power buffer if you have access to one, if not soft cotton rags will work fine. Work a 2 x 2 square foot area, overlapping the edges as your go. It's simple. You'll be surprised just how dull your canoe / kayak looked before.

(click image to link to store)