Open Canoes; Skin-on-Frame
Merlin 14
The Mist
This is a lightweight open canoe designed for general purpose paddling. Its design is based on the original birch bark canoes where a timber frame supported the outer skin of birch bark.
Key Features
- Very light weight – fast acceleration, ease of portage and brilliant for lifting onto roof racks etc.
- Durable – built with green oak and ash, chosen for excellent weight to strength characteristics, and with a ballistic nylon skin and coated in hard wearing flexible polyurethane, this boat is reliable and durable.
- Affordable – the simpler build process and reduced timber within the structure makes this boat significantly cheaper than the Valkyrie Cedar and Canvas ‘Shearwater’.
Mist 14
- Length: 4.3m/ 14’2″
- Beam: 89cm/ 35″
- Weight: 19kg/ 42lb
Mist 14 is designed as a very light, beautiful and responsive solo boat. It is fitted out as a tandem and will carry two, but is most suitable for one. The two seats provide good sitting positions for a solo paddler to adjust trim as conditions dictate.
Mist is designed to optimise the combination of length, rocker and hull cross section to produce a boat that handles beautifully. It can be build with an upswept or a lower fore and aft profile. It has excellent maneuverability, holds a good line and has ample space for solo gear for extended touring, or for day kit and short expeditions for tandem paddlers… For the solo canoeist this is the ideal boat.
The hull shape is based on the Valkyrie Shearwater 14.
Mist 16
- Weight: 19kg/ 42lb
- Beam: 85cm/ 33″
- Weight: 21kg/ 53lb
Mist 16 is a very light, beautiful and responsive boat. This beautiful canoe is designed along the lines of the traditional ‘Prospector’ with a focus on an exceptional all-rounder. It is fitted out as a tandem boat but is light and manoeuvrable enough to be a very responsive solo boat.
Designed with a slight rocker, moderate hull curvature and graceful fore and aft profiles, it handles well across a range of conditions. Its hull shape provides excellent manoeuvrability, has good tracking characteristics and its profile provides minimal wind resistance. It has ample space for day gear and room enough for all the gear needed for extended touring.
Mist Special
- Length: from 5.2m/ 17′ to 6m/20ft
- Beam: 85cm/ 33″ to 90cm/ 35″
- Weight: from 23kg/ 53lb
A Mist of any length is a very light, beautiful and responsive boat. The following video shows a Mist 18 in action.
Designed with a slight rocker, moderate hull curvature and graceful fore and aft profiles, it handles well across a range of conditions. Its hull shape provides excellent manoeuvrability, has good tracking characteristics and its profile provides minimal wind resistance. It has ample space for day gear and room enough for all the gear needed for extended touring.
Overhead lift with a Mist 18
The Merlin
This is a lightweight open canoe designed for gentle flatwater paddling. Like the Mist its design is based on the original birch bark canoes where a timber frame supported the outer skin of birch bark.
However, unlike Mist, the Merlin has internal Western Red Cedar planking installed between the ribs and the outer skin. This produces a visually impressive look but these planks are susceptible to damage from collision with hard objects, which can cause cracking.
For this reason the Merlin is only suitable for paddlers whose activity is on predictable flat water locations.
The hull shape is based on the Valkyrie Shearwater 14.
Key Features
- Very light weight – fast acceleration, ease of portage and brilliant for lifting onto roof racks etc.
- Durable frame and skin – built with green oak and ash, chosen for excellent weight to strength characteristics, and with a ballistic nylon skin and coated in hard wearing flexible polyurethane.
- Affordable – the simpler build process and reduced timber within the structure makes this boat significantly cheaper than the Valkyrie Cedar and Canvas ‘Shearwater’.
- Limited to controlled flat water paddling
Merlin sizes
The Merlin comes in the same lengths and dimensions as the Mist. It weighs slightly more than the equivalent Mist due to the inclusion of cedar planking.
A Merlin of any length is a very light, beautiful and responsive boat. The following video shows a Mist 18 in action.
Materials
Timber: The entire frame is constructed from a combination of timbers chosen for specific attributes. The choice of timber can be adjusted if required. To achieve the light weight the ribs are green oak, chosen for its ability to be bent and cure to a strong rigid shape. The longitudinal stringers are ash in the lower hull, chosen again for strength, and cedar in the upper hull to minimise weight. Gunnels, decks, thwarts and other elements are of hardwood with a variety of options available. The Merlin includes internal Western Red Cedar planking.
Fixings: These include stainless steel screws, bronze ring nails and copper canoe tacks, all chosen for strength and longevity in wet environments.
Skin: The skin is a high performance heat reactive nylon. Its man-made nature ensures it is able to cope with the trials of frequent exposure to water and temperature changes and its strength ensures it is able to stand up to impact, wear and sharp edges. The skin is stretched and hand sewn, then treated with heat and steam to shrink it a little more to produce a taut wrinkle-free finish.
Waterproofing: The skin is sealed with the application of modern flexible polyurethane. It has excellent adherence to the nylon skin, assisting in its protection, and most significantly, it remains flexible and therefore maintains its integrity.
Colour: The nylon used for the boat is a white material. This can be coloured using acid dyes, making it possible to have the boat in a wide range of colours. Due to the nature of acid dyes and their application, the finished product is semi opaque and colours can vary slightly in depth and hue across the skin. Examples can be seen in the slider at the top of the page and elsewhere in the site.