15' 6" Cottage Cruiser

[Joan and Ted]

Use this forum to post information specific to your 15' 6" Cottage Cruiser project. Use POST REPLY when posting information. Please stay on topic. For general boatbuilding discussions, please use the Builders Forum instead.

[tptbum]

Is anyone other than me building a Cottage Cruiser?

I was a little turned off by the name at first, but I really like the look of the boat and it seems to fit my needs pretty well.

I am back at work after a three year delay (bought a house), I am almost done milling my strips and I hope to be stripping by next week.

John
Ann Arbor, MI

[Matthew]

I just started, and I need to get the glue and epoxy to keep going but I'm at the same stage as you

[clicksys]

Hello. I built the Cottage Cruiser a few years ago. It was fun and a great project. I think the boat came out looking nice. I have used it very little, and in fact, I hope to sell it, because my preferred water vehicle is a kayak. I have built two kayaks over the years, so I think I can let the canoe go. I posted my full set of plywood forms here, available for free to other builders, but got no responses. (You guys have certainly cut your forms already.)

Anyway, I'm no expert but would be glad to share my experiences, try to answer questions, etc. if that would be helpful. I don't know how to post photos but can email them. Good luck!

Robert

[doe4rae]

I decided on the Cottage Cruiser after considering very strongly both the Canadien 16 and the Huron Cruiser. I ended up going with the Cottage Cruiser because it was just a little bit shorter than either of the other two and length was a major consideration for removing it from our basement on completion. The other deciding factor was the stability rating. I'm not an inexperienced paddler, but I saw it posted elsewhere that someone who had built the Cottage Cruiser found it a bit tippy.

I'm really starting from ground zero with this project. No wood working experience and almost zero tools. It probably won't be as pretty as all the boats I've seen in the builder's forum but I'm pretty excited about the progess so far.

I would love to hear from the individuals who posted earlier about choosing this design. Where are you at in the process so far and if anyone else has put the boat in the water, how is it handling?

I have a link to my web album and lots of notes beneath the images at this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/olson.dawne ... erWinter09#

[Al Johnston]

Just began my Cottage Cruiser project in South Lyon, Michigan.

[Mihun09]

We have this boat in process. I chose it due to the beautiful lines and felt it was a great design for it's intended use, which will be a solo tripping boat. The name just isn't right for it, for this day and age a Cottage Cruiser would be a Coleman or Pelican ABS boat.

The boat is too small really to be an effective tripping tandem since we both are big boned

It will be built with a single seat, position to be determined once we can float it and see what works best for her. It most likely won't ever be paddled empty and the fact she prefers the seat close to the floor since kneeling isn't an option should help eliminate the initial stability issue.

We are on a budget and full length boards or pre-made strips weren't an option so we are buying what clear cedar we can find locally, and that means either machined 4 sides or 3 sides and maximum 12 foot lengths, so our strips vary from 1/2" to 11/16" wide after routing. We are also just ripping and scarfing and the strips are less than 1/4" thick, no planing is being done.

It likely won't be pretty like all the other boats I have seen on this site, but for it's intended use it doesn't need to be and being our first build, we are learning alot for our next project.

When money was available we would buy wood, rip and scarf and glue them up, then had to wait for more funding. We have all the wood we need now and hope to have it all planked by the May long weekend, if not sooner. Then we just need to save for epoxy and cloth to carry on.

Regardless, here is the photo album of where we are at as of today...

http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x44 ... 1QQtppZZ20

Karin

[doe4rae]

Just a quick update on the Cottage Cruiser that I finished a year ago (April 2010): I am VERY happy with this boat! I was a little concerned about stability based on an earlier post but I moved both seats a litte more towards center with a 4" drop from the gunwale and the boat is quite stable. I paddle it alone quite often and manage it fine if I paddle kneeling near the center thwart. There are limitations to this even as I found out last fall when I did manage to flip it in a very strong wind and pryed hard on the paddle to turn into the wind. That being said, I have taken this canoe all over in different conditions and water types. I was pleasantly surprised that it handled a load so well on a trip to Voyageurs National Park last fall (See image link below). My friend and I are both around 160-190 and we had camping gear (tents, food, clothes etc) enough for 3 days. I pack pretty light but the boat was full. I paid close attention to the trim and freeboard was plenty. As we set out across Crane Lake (a fairly large body of water to cross) I was concerned about how the small canoe would maneuver but we made excellent time and I did not feel like there was any extra effort paddling with the extra weight. The canoe is very quick in the water and I have had other paddling friends take it out for a spin and they too remark that it is a swift little craft! Enjoy your boat!

https://picasaweb.google.com/olson.dawn ... 4464520258

[mtpocket]

doe4rae,

Great pictures, beautiful boat and it looks like a fantastic place to paddle.

[Mihun09]

doe4rae,

Hi, I've actually been referencing your photo series prior to and during construction to see specifics, like now as we roll the strips on the stems. Without having specific instruction to which point to do so, your photo's gave me an idea when to begin making the transition. It is much better than guessing.

Thank you

Karin

[doe4rae]

@mtpockets: Voyageurs is beautiful! I have gone in twice. Once at Crane Lake and the other time at Ash Falls and Ash Falls was by far my preference. There were a lot of big boats making big wakes - which were impossible to avoid going thru the narrows after leaving Crane Lake. Most people are curteous but some, I am convinced, simply want to see if they can fill your canoe with water. Boundary Waters Canoe Area, a little to the East of there, is a preferred destination for canoists in Minnesota but requires obtaining a permit much ahead of time. I would highly recommend either place. It is so beautiful in Northern Minnesota.

@Karin: I am so glad the pictures and album are useful for you! I referenced others photo albums a lot when I was building and since the canoe was my first project I found that the work around the stems was an area where I also needed a lot more clarity on how to proceed. I actually had to phone someone in the forum because I just didn't understand how the whole thing was supposed to come together. The planking at the ends, and what a mortise WAS -- let alone where to begin making it. When it was all said and done, it was actually one of my favorite parts of construction!

[tptbum]

doe4rae that is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Awesome job - your boat is absolutely as beautiful as others posted on this forum. I can't believe you had no previous woodworking experience!

Truthfully, I am a tiny bit jealous. I started my boat before you started yours, and I am only now sanding and fairing the hull - good news is, after several extended periods where the rest of my life made it really difficult to put in canoe time, I am back in the basement again :smile

John Kivel
Ann Arbor, MI

[doe4rae]

Hey John,
Thanks for the update on your Cottage Cruiser. I wouldn't fret too much over time spent building. I had a lot of preassure to complete mine over the winter before our basement flooded in the Spring (which it ALWAYS does!). I knew I had to get it out of there by March so I worked like a fool on it. Last year in July I started the 16.5' Resolute kayak. I decided to work in the garage this time so that I could work at a "relaxed" pace. It is coming along, but at the time of this writing I am only at the point of glassing the insides. My goal is to finish by October so I can park in the garage again this winter
Anyhow, as you can see.... the canoe being done in 6 months was kind of a superhuman feat for me and I think 18 months is much more realistic. In my case anyway since I am working full time and can't devote as much time to it as I would like. I loved working in the basement for the comfort of a constant temperature and lack of bugs though. The past 3 weeks with temps pushing 100 and the BUGS (grrr!).... really make me wish I was in the basement again. I'm glad to hear you are back in business on the Cruiser and hope to see some pictures posted here when you get her on the water!!
Best regards!
Dawne

[Mihun09]

Alrighty, one more cottage cruiser soon to hit the water!

Put the first varnish coat on the hull this morning, all the interior is done so varnishing is the final step. It won't actually see any water for at least 2 weeks, then likely only a test run as we do plan to let it sit a month before any long term soaking to allow the varnish to dry properly.

The photo's are up to date... http://s1182.photobucket.com/albums/x44 ... 1QQtppZZ20

The original plan was to be done before Labour Day and this will actually happen. First strip was put on the mold on April 2nd of this year and by the time I finish varnishing, I will have 172 hours into the project with a cost of around $1140 cdn, taxes included. Could have saved some money making seats but that will wait for the next one, if I ever build another stripper.

Next project is actually restoring a almost 60 year old cedar canvas boat my room mate purchased, so we will be learning how to recanvass this coming winter.

Karin

[Glen Smith]

Hi Karin, nice looking canoe! The varnish should be all dried and hardened within one week after applying last coat.