12 Foot Nymph Double-Paddle Pack Canoe Plans - PDF

In the 1800s, there was a growing fascination with canoes, leading to skilled craftsmen constructing high-quality models in the northern United States and Canada. Among them was J. Henry Rushton, known for his European-influenced lapstreak method in building "Canoes, Pleasure and Hunting boats." This technique differed from the traditional Native American birch bark approach.

Rushton caught the attention of sportswriter George Washington Sears, also known as "Nessmuk," who advocated for lightweight and minimalist wilderness travel. Nessmuk, in need of a portable boat, requested a light 10-pound canoe from Rushton, which became the popular "Sairy Gamp," extensively used by Nessmuk in the Adirondacks.

Inspired by this history, Nick adopted a simple yet efficient 12-foot double-paddle pack canoe design. Thanks to the strip-built construction method, Nick could easily incorporate a tumblehome shape near the gunwales, offering better comfort while paddling.

Included in the Plans:

• Six 24" x 36" [61cm x 91cm] Drawing Pages including: An overall drawing, a full size "stacked" form drawing showing all the forms and then all the forms drawn individually and at full size. Also included are patterns for a thwart with integral backrest.
• Kayak Building Notes: These notes provide supplemental information such as bill of materials for each design.
• This file requires a large format printer to make hardcopies. You may also try tiling the printing on a smaller printer. If you don't want to do that Full Size Printed Plans are available Here.

Recommended Manual:

• Building Strip Planked Boats - The Nymph is one of the designs discussed in this book and it details the whole process.