Frequently Asked Questions about Birchcanoes

How heavy is the canoe? The Lakota canoe weighs around 26 kg, about the weight of a traditional bag of potatoes. The Algonquin is a little smaller and lighter still. Most other types of canoe are heavier than these.

Will I be able to lift my canoe on my own? Yes, I will show you a method which allows you to safely pick up the canoe and carry it single handed to load onto your car.

Will I be able to transport it on my car? Certainly. We had a client a few years ago who had a tiny Fiat Cinquecento, and transported his canoe home to London during a storm, with no problems at all.

What length is the canoe? The Lakota is 15 feet 6 inches long. The Algonquin is just under 14 feet long.

How wide is the canoe? The Lakota is 34 inches wide at the beam, and 30 inches wide at the yoke. It has a lovely tumblehome ( where the upper chine slopes inwards, making the canoe much easier to paddle).

How should I store my canoe ? Ideally wooden canoes should be stored dry indoors over winter, but I keep mine tied up in the river, where it is much more accessible if I ever want to have a quick paddle out.

What maintenance does my canoe need ? I recommend  a coat of Yacht Varnish prior to putting your canoe away for the winter.

How many people will the canoe hold ? They are built with two thwarts ( seats).  However they have enough room for maybe as many as 5 adults if they all sat on the floor of the boat. They can easily be paddled solo however.

What sort of water is the canoe suitable for? They are ideal on quiet rivers, on lakes and sheltered inland water.  They are stable enough for less quiet rivers, and I have taken them on the sea, but I suggest modifying the canoe to include buoyancy tanks before you do that.

Do you do any other designs of canoe? We currently have two designs, the Lakota and the Algonquin ( the small cousin of the Lakota). However, there has been increasing interest in an ultra small, solo canoe, and I hope to be able to offer this from 2012.

My storage space is too short for your Lakota canoe, can you recommend a shorter design? The Algonquin is 18 inches or so shorter than the Lakota. I am hoping to offer a shorter model still, hopefully by the 2012 season.

I am somewhat of a novice at woodworking, would I be able to cope on your course ? These courses are ideal for novice woodworkers; all the steps are explained carefully, we look after you throughout. Everyone ends up with a successful canoe to take home.

I would like to bring my children to help build the canoe, is that possible? Children are encouraged to be involved with many of the stages, although I do not expect children to have the stamina to work with us throughout the build. There is plenty to do locally if your children are too young to stick at the canoe building for the full three days.

I would like to bring the whole family along, is that ok? Yes, we very much encourage families on the courses, it is a great family activity. You can bring your family along to help at no extra charge.

I would like to bring a friend to help build the canoe, do you make an additional charge? Often people bring a friend to help build the canoe, and we make no additional charge in this case. 

I would like to bring a group of us to build a canoe together, is that possible? Yes, in this case I recommend that you opt for the Individual course, which is slightly more expensive but does mean I can give you my full attention.

I can’t afford the full price of a course, do you have any other options? You may wish to come on the course simply to learn the process, helping the other people build their canoes, so you can build your own when you get home. We make a charge of £350 for this.

Do you sell plans ? We recommend you to select plans from one of the specialist canoe plans companies. I can personally recommend the service offered by Jemwatercraft, but there are lots of lovely plans out there.

Do you sell templates ? I do sometimes sell sets of full sized wooden templates, these currently cost £100 but I will shortly be having to increase this considerably owing to the time these take to prepare ( they are all made by hand). We do not supply these mail order, they are only available for collection, and need to be paid for in advance.

Do you sell complete kits ? We are often asked for kits, so far we have not sold these, although we occasionally sell parts which are hard to get hold of, such as full length ash gunwhales, and yoke blanks made of elm.

Do you sell ready made canoes ? Occasionally we sell canoes, yes. We often put these up for sale on Ebay.

Do you run any other courses ? We sometimes run other courses, related to countryside management and greenwood crafts, for example building your own shave horse, or building your own pole lathe.

Do you allow people to camp after their course ? Yes, it makes a lovely place to camp, which is currently free during the course. After the course, or indeed if you wanted to come and camp at other times, we charge £5 per person per night.

Do you allow people to camp at your place even if they are not on a course ? Yes, we charge £5 per person per night

Where can I take my canoe to try it out locally? There are lots of lovely stretches of water in Leicestershire, the best ( in my view) is the River Soar, which is wide and gentle and takes you through some very interesting countryside and past some very inviting pubs. In addition, you can launch your canoe at Rutland Water, although they charge £8 for launching there, and restrict your paddling to a relatively small area which is patrolled to keep boats safe.