I've built two of the 6-Hr Canoes. They are perfectly fine craft, simple to build, and fun to use. However, like other boats, they have their limitations.
The good stuff:
They're easy. I doubt any normal human can complete one in 6 hours, allow four times that, if you include finishing. I painted mine either deep blue, with a white interior and gunwhales, and black bottom and chines and a white tape bootstripe between the black and blue, or with a royal blue/purple, with same white interior, black bottom, white bootstripe, etc. Looks good, and others say so, often.
But back to being easy--they're a very simple boat. You join two pieces of 4X8 plywood (I used epoxy and fiberglass tape on two sides, you can do this, scarf, or use butt blocks, or butt block with tape on the outside [probably the strongest]), and then cut out the sides. You make a simple frame for the middle of the boat, bend the sides around it, and attach them to the stem & stern posts. Put in chine logs, gunwhales, and then tack on a bottom.
Tape all of that with epoxy and fiberglass (optional, but I recommend it highly), sand, prime, paint, and paddle.
I bought a folding chair for my first boat, as I was in a serious hurry, $55 in attractively finished ash. Since I had that kind of money, it was worth it.
For the second boat, I cobbled up an inexpensive copy from the first one, using nothing but scrap, and one clear cedar 2X2 I got from the "deck" section at the local lumberyard, for about $2. Total cost was about $2, plus the scrap I had lying about (which was nice stuff, oak and ash strips not long enough to use elsewhere, a half of a cedar fenceboard, and some lauan plywood from bookshelves). But it was mostly just wierd junk that fit the parts I needed.
The boat is heavy and long. It weighs more than 50 pounds, probably closer to 60. It's a pain for one person to manage, although it can be done. If it's windy out, the boat is a handful, bth to carry, and to paddle. It's about 15' long. It is not a whitewater boat, and it doesn't turn on a dime. It tracks wonderfully, of course.
It's an open boat--plan on getting wet. You bring in a little bit of water on the paddle frequently, and there's no deck or skirt to keep it off of you. Use this boat on warm days, or with proper clothing.
The boat is adequately stable, although a little tiddly while getting into it. I have screwed a keel onto the bottom of my boats, using bronze screws with finishing washers. The raised screws/washers provide a very clear visual centerline on the boat, which makes it easy for me to step in on the direct center of gravity, and also to tell neophytes how to get in and out of the boat, too.
So, what kind of boat do you want? You want a simple human-powered boat, cheap to make, very easy, moderately attractive, heavy but stable? This is the boat for you.
You want a serious challenge? You want a thing of beauty? You want a boat that will get you compliments from people who know boats? You want something to be proud of for years? You want a training boat for a significantly more complex boat? This may not be the boat for you.
If, however, you want to work your way up, building confidence, skills, a collection of tools, and a boat right away to enjoy, it's a pretty good choice.
In short, I like my boat, but it's not exactly the fine peiece of furniture I'd like to someday build.
But then again, I'm already out on the water with it.
Chris Crandall Dept. of Psychology University of Kansas crandall@stat1.cc.ukans.edu Lawrence, KS 66045 (913) 864-4131