Back in early 2000’s, I designed a low production miniature canoe kit, which was sold at a couple local hobby shops and seasonal craft markets in my immediate area: very limited distribution as the kit was more or less developed as a specialty item. At the time, the construction lumber used for my canoes was red cedar. The manual included in the kit was basic and short: printed in black and white.  It described the construction of a 16-inch woodstrip canoe, which I designed while being inspired by several known models.  The canoe featured high rounded stems: just because, at the time, I though that it was what a canoe should look like.  The shape of the canoe followed the forms I modified when, years prior to building miniatures, I built my own full size canoe to paddle and fly fish small lakes on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  Although my venture into the kit-design world was fairly short lived, I kept building display models of canoes and various small watercrafts for the enjoyment of private collectors.

 

The canoes themselves have been built based on that original design, using the basic methods and techniques described in the manual I wrote back then.  Along the way, I have had the opportunity to advance my craft, gain experience by learning and finding new construction tricks.  I have been able to improve on the originally designed canoe by using, shall we say, my “own artistic license” to make each piece more unique: from the basic models to fancy pieces such as courting canoes and more.

 

Nowadays, I cannot offer a competitively priced fully boxed kit: an all in one package.

But, for the discerning modeler, I can provide a detailed step-by-step instruction manual to built one of those magnificent crafts.

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From there each person interested in building such a model is in charge of getting his / her own milled lumber from different sources: and should it be needed, I can share a couple of alternatives.  Please be aware that I do not have any financial interests in either suppliers.   

The other option is of course for you to mill your own lumber.

 

We sometimes build model to accurately represent a historically correct piece, but in some case

we should allow ourselves some liberties by allowing our own creativity to take over in some way:

and small watercrafts are perfect for that, including the ever-popular canoe.

Somewhere, being creative is part of model building.

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