: With slight modification you can build an older design PLYWOOD
: canoe as a SOF.

: The current crop of designs for plywood canoes and kayaks tend to
: favor stitch and glue construction. But years ago there were
: people building canoes by using the same methods as larger boats
: were made. They built a frame with ribs made from plywood, or
: solid wood, connected these frames with chine strips (sometimes
: called chine logs) then they screwed plywood pieces to the ribs
: and chines.

: Before plywood was around they used more chines and screwed boards
: to these.

: Below is a picture from Clark-Craft's website showing their Niagara
: canoe being constructed. On the right is the finsihed boat
: turned rightside up. If you look at the middle frame you'll see
: the ribs and keel resting on the strongback, or building board.
: You'll also see how the chines are attached to the ribs. If you
: built just this much of the boat according to their plans you
: could wrap that wood frame with your fabric to obtain a
: skin-on-frame canoe.

: That would be pretty minimalistic, though. I'd add several more
: chines to the bottom of the boat, cutting notches in the ribs so
: these were flush with the original edgeline of the rib. These
: would give floorboards that would be more durable. I'd also add
: a chine in the middle of each side to give the fabric a bit more
: support.

: PGJ

Chines,stringers etc. with a SOF are best done with them set slightly prowd from the frames so the fabric doesn't get hard bumps at each frame. You want the fabric to only touch the lengthwise parts not the frames.

Setting them into notches in the frames is a good idea to stablize the chines, but not set flush with the frame.

Bill H.