Jamestown Canoe Workshop builds skin-on-frame canoes that are beautiful, lightweight, maneuverable, tough, and fun to paddle. We are located in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Purchase a canoe from our inventory, or commission a custom build. Contact us to arrange a test ride.
Scroll down to learn more about Jamestown Canoe Workshop.
Contact me to check out the canoes and arrange an on-the-water test. You can try out different sizes and styles to see what is best for you.
Email: jbgilm@gmail.com
Text: 757-338-7652
Greater Williamsburg and the Tidewater region offer an abundance of outstanding paddling opportunities.
A canoe that you can transport easily is a canoe you will use.
Building a skin-on-frame canoe
What are the canoes made from? The frame is wood. The lengthwise pieces are western red cedar, which is light and strong for their weight. The ribs are steam-bent, quarter-sawn white oak. A heavy-duty nylon fabric skin is stretched over the frame and then coated with three applications of a two-part polyurethane, which makes the boat waterproof and tough.
Below are some close-up pictures of canoes under construction and complete.
Why buy a canoe instead of a kayak?
Many people paddling today are in kayaks. Why would you prefer a skin-on-frame canoe over a kayak? Here are some considerations.
One of the biggest advantages of a skin-on-frame canoe is it's weight. The plastic kayaks you see everywhere usually weigh at least 45 pounds, too heavy to move around conveniently. SOF canoes weigh about half as much, making them easy to transport and enabling you to explore lots of different paddling opportunities.
Skin-on-frame canoes are beautiful, especially when the sun shines through their translucent skin.
Skin-on-frame canoes represent a continuing tradition of boat-building by people of Arctic regions. It would be more traditional to use walrus skins, but ballistic nylon is better and doesn't hurt walruses or seals.
Another advantage is that you can nest canoes inside each other and take multiple canoes on top of a car to your paddle adventure. Kayaks don't nest!
The biggest disadvantage of a canoe is that it does not handle as well as a kayak in waves and rough conditions. If you plan to paddle in significant waves and wind, a kayak is a better choice.
A variety of canoes are ready to test and purchase. We can also custom build canoes to your specifications.
---12 ft. canoe weighing 20 pounds. Ideal for smaller person, up to 175 pounds ($1000)
---14 ft. canoe weighing 24 pounds, for people 150-200 pounds ($1100)
---15 ft canoe weighing 26 pounds, for larger persons . This canoe can be set up for two persons, provided they aren't too heavy, about 300 pounds combined. ($1200)
---All of the above canoes are set up for the paddler to sit on the bottom. We also have a 14 ft. canoe with a seat installed. The seat can be removed. ($1400)
Sincere thanks!!
Our canoes are built according to the plans and designs from Cape Falcon Kayak in Portland, Oregon. I owe a great debt of gratitude to Brian Schulz, both for his wonderful designs and for his inspired teaching of canoe and kayak building. For more info about how to build your own canoe or kayak, visit https://capefalconkayak.com/