Any Coracle Makers Here?

[TheBrus]

As light reading, I've been following the exploits of Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, and in the middle of the story Jim rides in a small boat called a coracle. Curiosity got the better of me, and I had to look this up. I found some decent information on the internet about how to make a coracle, and actually sent way for detailed instructions on how to make one.

My question is does anyone have a source for the wood lath that is used? I'm in the Midwest (US), and I'm wondering if Lowe's or Home Depot carry this. I've never heard of lumber yards carrying hazelwood, ashwood, or birchwood lumber... is that kind of thing more prevalent in the UK? And aside from one or two weeping willows I can think of in town, I don't know where one would get willow saplings. Terry Kenny, a coracle maker who offers classes in the UK, makes it sound like the materials (willow saplings or lath) are easy enough to come by [in the UK?]... I don't want to spend a "boatload" on the wrong materials.

Any tips anyone has would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Jared Brus

[Dale-of-Cedars]

Coppicing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coppiced will be more prevalent in the UK and Europe, as a source for willow withies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withy

[Pleater]

Coracles are very light.

From what little I have seen of the way they are made, the strips of wood are not sawn but split off the branches in thin layers, and the strips then divided to the size required if necessary.

The strips are thin but pliable, the strength comes from them being woven together in an open basketwork fashion to suport the outer skin, and there is a rim to which the strips are secured to keep everything in position.

In the UK there are many parks and gardens with water either flowing through them or collected in ponds and lakes. Whilst the commercial production of deciduous wood is not so common as in past times it would be easy enough to get hold of wood from the parks department or highway maintenance - or even the local tip - for such a small project as a coracle.

[Jock Scot]

I have never made one, but in another life I could paddle one fairly well after much practice. Willow is very common in parts of the UK and in places such as the Somerset Levels, the Severn Vale in Gloucestershire and parts of East Anglia, willow(withies) is grown comercialy in "osier beds". The thinner branches are commonly seen in wicker baskets and such. Hazel is fairly commonly found throughout most parts of the UK.

[TheBrus]

That's it! I'm going to have to come to the UK to get my materials--I may as well pop in on old Terry Kenny for one of his coracle building courses. I'm sure the airline has seen much more unusual checked luggage.

JDB

[Chas]

I made one as a Scout Leader and the Troop Leader and I raced two other coracles from Earith to Kings Lynn. About 10 miles down the New Bedford Drain. The tide was with us so we moved at a far rate. The materials were gathered by the side of the drain. All we were given was a sheet of canvas. We used willow witheys and no string. We could have used string, but that would have meant time penalties. It was a race after all. We came first because we also chose not to waterproof our canvas and set off first.

The only important bit is the ring. All the rest is purely for shape and to keep the ring out of the water. Given a choice, I would never do it again. There is nowhere to sit, or stand, or kneel and you will get wet. If you do it on your own, learn how to scull. Otherwise you just go round in circles.

Best of luck.

Regards

Chas

[TheBrus]

Chas, thanks for the input. The designs I have seen feature a bench seat across the ring. I haven't decided if I'll use the more traditional calico, or do a modern upgrade to a heavy-duty poly tarp. They have some pretty good videos on YouTube... one English chap even rigged a trolling motor (electric outboard) to speed his progress downstream. When I finally do track down the materials I'll need--withies are thin on the ground here in Iowa, I'm afraid--I'll post pictures of the final construction and maiden voyage.

Jared

[Mael Coluim]

For the uninitiated!

[sydnie7]

After traveling through Alaska in the 1960s, one of the statements that lodged in our family's memory (heard on a radio broadcast, IIRC) was "it takes 7 oogrook skins to make an umiak."

Has little or nothing to do with coracles, but I'm just happy to remember anything from the 1960s!

[TheBrus]

Ern, that's exactly what I want to make. And what I want to find out about most is where one can get the strips of wood (birch, hazel or other flexible wood) to make the "ribs" of the boat. They're about 5mm thick. I've run across descriptions of plywood on the big box lumber yards' websites. I'm not sure if plywood would work or not... you wouldn't want it to come apart.

Thanks for posting the photo--I'm hopeless when it comes to doing that!