Building the Peace Canoe, Part 2

The Stems 27. The stems are cut out of 1 1⁄2"- thick material. For the bow stem, start with a 2" x 1 1⁄2" blank. 28. Adjust your tablesaw to a 69-degree angle for the bow stem, and 65 degrees for the sternpost. 29. When cutting parts like this on a tablesaw, use a substantial push-stick and stand outside of the firing line of the blade, in case the saw kicks back. Reinforcing the Bottom Panel 30. The bottom panel is reinforced with two layers of 1⁄4" plywood, forming a keel. The butt joints in the keel should be staggered as shown here. 31. Align the keel down the center of the bottom panel and mark around it with a pencil to guide your glue application. In the previous issue of Getting Started in Boats (which was bound into WoodenBoat magazine No. 195), John C. Harris introduced the Peace Canoe. This sleek 18' boat goes together quickly, looks good, and paddles well. In short, it’s an ideal boat for introducing beginning boatbuilders (and paddlers) to the joys of being afloat in their own creation. We asked designer/author Harris to provide us with an exceptional level of detail in the building instructions, and he obliged. In fact, he sent us so much detail that we’ve had to spread it over two installments of Getting Started. In this installment, we put the final touches on the boat. 32. Spread a really generous amount of glue between the layers of the keel. 33. Nails are driven through the keel into the bottom. If necessary, turn the keel over and bend over any nailheads that protrude. 34. Throughout construction, aggressively police any squeezed-out glue. Fastening the Chine Logs and Sheer Clamps 35. Unlike many plywood hulls, the chine logs and sheer clamps are fastened to the side panels while the parts are still flat. Both chine logs and sheer clamps are fastened to the outside of the side panel. Spread plenty of adhesive along the chine log before you join up the parts. 35a. Be careful with the orientation of the chine log and sheer clamp; it’s easy to get turned around while you’re fastening them to the sides. Keep this drawing handy to remind you of the correct layout. 36. The chine logs are fastened in place with nails driven from the inside face of the side panels. Space the nails on 3" centers. 37. Spread glue along the length of the sheer clamp, in preparation for fastening. The sheer clamp has a pretty good bend in it, so I recommend a helper for the next stage. 38. Start nailing in the center of the sheer clamp, letting it swing free of the bow and stern as shown. 39. Work out from the center, and have a helper bend the sheer clamp at the ends of the panel. This curve, which gives the Peace Canoe its distinctive, handsome, and functional sheerline, was selected by testing how much curve spruce, pine, or fir in a 3⁄4" x 1" dimension would take reliably. The Seats 40. The seats are assembled with nails and glue. 41. A 3" spacing for the nails will turn the seat assemblies into stiff girders that will span the hull and provide stiffness. 42. Where the seat supports meet the hull they will need to be beveled to sit flat. The seat itself will  show you the correct angle to cut into the ends of the seat supports. A sharp block plane is essential for this cross-grain planing. Plane toward the seat to avoid splitting out the lower edge of the seat support. 43. If you don’t h