Right Canoe: the right boat for the beginner
The Right Canoe is named after the Right Whale, a species hunted to near extinction in the southern coast of Brazil. Whaling canoes built after the whalers of New Bedford were sailed by fisherman of azorean descent. Inspired by the great sailing qualities of these boats, we designed a simple 13-foot canoe that is very easy to build and sail, yet offers great handling, speed and stability.
Building a Right Canoe is very easy. Its plywood stitch-and-glue hull can be lofted, cut and stitched in a day, and glued in another. The interior is spartan. Basically the Right Canoe has two flotation compartments fore and aft, and two thwarts. A Norwegian rudder allows it to be crewed from almost anywhere in the boat, sitting comfortably facing forward.
Rigging the Right Canoe is a breeze. Its balanced lug rig has a low center of effort, and generous area for the boat’s slim weight. Spars can be made by rounding solid wood stock. No hardware is needed except for 3 blocks and a pair of pintles and gudgeons for the rudder.
Leeboards were chosen in order to free the interior from any obstruction. The hull has lots of room for the boat’s size. A perfect boat for daysailing and for expeditions. Sitting in the middle you can row the boat easily. Sail can be made from polytarp (read more about polytarp sails here).
Downloadable metric plans can be acquired on the Duckworks website! They include full construction manual and online support through message app.