What are the advantages and disadvantages of wood canoes?
A. Traditional wood or cedar-strip canoes have wooden hulls covered with clear fiberglass so the beauty of the wood shows through. The cedar strips run longitudinally, making possible a hull shape with a very fine “entry,” for speed and ease of paddling. These handsome canoes are light but also relatively fragile and easily damaged in white water. They are all handmade and owners generally restrict their use to flat water. (Wood/canvas canoes are another type of traditional canoe that has become increasingly rare since the introduction of less-expensive aluminum and other nonwood canoes. Though highly responsive, they are relatively expensive to buy, require steady maintenance and more-than-minor repairs are difficult to make.
A. Traditional wood or cedar-strip canoes have wooden hulls covered with clear fiberglass so the beauty of the wood shows through. The cedar strips run longitudinally, making possible a hull shape with a very fine “entry,” for speed and ease of paddling. These handsome canoes are light but also relatively fragile and easily damaged in white water. They are all handmade and owners generally restrict their use to flat water. (Wood/canvas canoes are another type of traditional canoe that has become increasingly rare since the introduction of less-expensive aluminum and other nonwood canoes.
