B. N. Morris canoe construction

[almeyer]

Was looking at the study plans for the B.N. Morris canoe in Forty Wooden Boats. The text states that the plans show three construction methods: traditional wood and canvas, all-wood strip-on-frame, and woodstrip fiberglass. I'm familar with woodstrip fiberglass construction, and vaguely familar with wood and canvas, but unsure about woodstrip on frame. Anyone familar with this technique? Are the woodstrips glued together like woodstrip fiberglass construction? How are the frames attached, epoxy or rivets?
Thanks, Al

[Ron Carter]

Wood strip on frame will depend on mechanical fastening and varnish for mechanical strength and sealing. Typically the frames are bent style on very close centers. Beautiful boats when finished.

[Fitz]

There are some pictures and a discussion here:

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=387

[bob goeckel]

you can gain alot of info from that forum and all the helpful people there. having built a couple of morris' i can tell you they are a very fine design. have built in wood canvas only though. with canvas if you damage it it is easily repaired.

[almeyer]

Thanks for the link, it was very informative. Any recommendation on clench nailing versus rivets? I don't have any experience with using either one; I'm not afraid of taking a little time but I would like something as idiot-proof as possible.
Al

[Bruce Hooke]

I've done a little (not a lot) of both clench nailing and riviting. Both take a little practice but neither is that hard in my opinion. Clench nailing is likely to be a good bit faster in most situations but riviting is more easily reversible if repairs are required down the road. A lot may come down to the overall construction system. The basic way in which wood & canvas canoes are built dictates that the planks are clench nailed to the frames. On the other hand, in a small, light boat with narrow deep frames their could easily be too little meat in the frames for their to be room to turn clenched nails. One nice feature of clench nailing over riviting is that the fastener does not protrude on the inside of the boat the way a rivit does.

[Paul Scheuer]

Will it be a "Morris" or a "Morris-lines, strip-on-frame, Almeyer" ?

I vote for clench nails - nothing looks worse that a rivet when it's slightly off center in a narrow piece.

[almeyer]

Will it be a "Morris" or a "Morris-lines, strip-on-frame, Almeyer" ?
Truth be told, I'm not sure what it will be. Still in the decision-making process, and still evaluating construction methods. For mostly irrational reasons, I'm not too keen about woodstrip/fiberglass construction, although most of the designs that seem to fit my needs use that construction method. I'm familar with glued ply lapstrake construction, although the designs I've seen using that technique are meant for sitting low in the boat using a double paddle. I'm looking for something suited for both tandem and solo paddling, with single blade paddles, on flat water. I've got quite a bit of flatwater experience, but my wife is an absolute novice, so I'm also looking for something untippy. And by the way, it's gotta look good!
Al

[Todd Bradshaw]

Rollin Thurlow's version isn't too hard to look at...
http://www.wooden-canoes.com/gallery/bnmorris17/images/Copy%20of%20111.jpg
http://www.wooden-canoes.com/gallery/bnmorris17/images/Copy%20of%20126.jpg

He has so many gorgeous boats on his website that it's hard to pick one. I'd kill for one of those semi-powerboat jobs and have always wanted an Indian Girl.

http://www.wooden-canoes.com/canoes.htm

I've only stripped one Morris and it was about 30 years ago. As I remember, it was kind of a pain to strip both because of all the tumblehome and all the sweep in the sheer line. We decided that there was too much sweep to follow the sheer with the strips, so we stripped it almost level and built up the ends with short strips to get the sheer and stem profile. I say almost level because you have to put at least a few inches of up-turn in the strips at their ends. If you strip it dead level, all that sweep in the gunwales and sheer line does an optical illusion and makes it looks like the strips droop on their ends. In truth, I don't think the bright-finished, wood strip look added anything visually - in fact, I think it sort of detracts from a very lovely profile, since you can't follow that profile with the strip layout. If'n it was me, I'd build it wood and canvas, even if I did it with just a temporary form and had to buck all the tacks after pulling it off.