W/C Wannigans

Howard Caplan

Wooden Canoe Maniac
I saw a W/C Wannigan being sold by somebody and thought that would make a nice winter project. Does anybody know if I can find build plans for a Wannigan?

Thanks,
Howard
 
Hmm, I've never heard of a W/C wannigan. Various people make them similar to canoes, ie. planked with steam-bent outer "ribs".

Curved is pretty, and aesthetically pleasing as it looks like a canoe in cross section, but I don't understand this from a functional point of view. Everything you put inside will want to slide to the bottom. It may be easy to fill with flexible bags and small items, but the first things I think of putting in the wanigan are the pots and grill, a folded flat reflector oven, etc.

Cedar Island W/C wanigan;
http://www.cedarislandcanoes.com/wanigans.html

Here's a link to my article in Wooden Canoe from a few years back;
http://www.wcha.org/wcj/v22_n6/wanigan.html

Here's a link to a sophisticated commercial plastic one;
http://www.thewanigan.com/index.html

An article by Kevin Callan about packing alternatives;
http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?189

"In Praise of the Wanigan";
http://www.gregcons.com/canoe/ej-Wanigan.htm

Rob
 
There is something called 'bending' plywood that can mold nicely to the inside curve of your canoe and is about 1/8 thick(but expensive). I have used 'pattern plywood' (about 3/32'' thick and very light and cheap) which can be made to take on a nice curve to match the inside curve of the canoe; with a thin layer of glass and epoxy on the outside and around the corners, a fillet of epoxy and thickener on the inside, it is strong, durable and light. I have added a frame of 1/2 x 3/4 ash around the top of the box, and a top of 1/2 inch ply. peter
 
Wannigans

WoodenBoat Magazine did an article entitled "Build a Cedar Wannigan" by George T. Slone in the December 2002 issue (#114). It's a short article and doesn't really include "plans" as such, but that's difficult to do since the author doesn't know what canoe it will be going in. He does explain how to size it however. As with a W/C canoe, there is more work in the form than in the wannigan itself
 
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