About the canoe
Third in a series built for the client’s grandchildren, this 16-foot canoe is made from a sheet of winter bark from a relatively small tree. The with of the hull sheet in the middle of the canoe was 33 inches, at which point the trunk of the tree would have been 10 1/2 inches in diameter. This shows that very large birches are not necessary to build birchbark canoes, as long as the bark is of good quality. Side panels make up the needed width. The spring flowers in the etched designs include bunchberry, in the dogwood family, and sessile bellwort, in the lily family. Also shown is one of my traditional Wabanaki style paddles. Inside beam 27 1/2”, depth 11 5/8”
