Design
Hiawatha 12
Designed by Jacques Mertens
A 12 ft 1 in double-chine plywood canoe by Jacques Mertens for Bateau / Boat Builder Central, plan code HC12. It is styled after traditional Native American canoes, with high recurved ends and a strong sheer, and it is the two-chine sister of the Chenoa. Molded beam is 30 in and estimated weight is 40 lb in 6 mm okoume or 55 lb in meranti.
Stitch and glue with no molds, lofting or scarfing: panels are cut from standard plywood sheets and joined with butt blocks. The designer asks for no woodworking skills and gives 20 to 25 hours for the hull plus up to 20 to fair and paint. Budget 50 to 90 for a first build. Real hours from logged builds are below.
What building a Hiawatha 12 actually takes
Medians from the build logs kept on this site, not the designer’s estimate. Nobody has logged this boat here yet, so they are empty until the first builder does.
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Builds of this boat
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