How to make a seaworthy Bark Canoes Yesterday, twenty indigenous guests from Ballarat and some locals had a great day learning traditional bark canoe building methods. David Payne from the Australian National Maritime Museum, Travis and Fernando demonstrates how to shape a model of a traditional bark canoe. The fresh bark of a stringybark tree is cut to a elongated rectangle with the smooth layer facing out. Using flint cutting and scraping tools the fibrous layer is skillfully removed from 1/4 of the ends working out. The shaping is a sophisticated art. The amount removed determines the shape of the folds and ultimately the dynamics of the canoe through the water. Remove too much and the group would need to start over as the bark can not be put back! The stringybark is soaked with water to make it more pliable and freshly ground clay is spread over the seams to be folded. David Payne shapes the bow into a W shape. This technique naturally gives longitudinal curvature (sheer or rocker) and a curve to the top edge of the side of the canoe (gunwales). Increases in the rise of the sheer forward and aft builds volume into the hull, and in turn increases its buoyancy, thereby keeping the ends from diving into an oncoming wave. These canoes were built with the ends curving upwards in order to increase stability by preventing the canoe from pitching up and down. When wet the clay swells to plug any leaks in the folds of the bark. The bark canoes design and materials, shape and folding features produce clean entry lines that allow the canoe to track well through rough water. It is extremely touching to be able to say, boastfully, I had a hand in making that bark canoe. There is a lesson in making a bark canoe for us all they are cleverer than they first look.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 06:01:50 +0000
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