Introducing the Avoca OC1 plywood canoe: The Outrigger I Always Wanted

G'day fellow paddlers! I’m thrilled to finally share something I've been working on for quite some time—the Avoca OC1 outrigger canoe!

This project started about a year ago when I realized I wanted a canoe that truly fit my needs. I searched high and low for plans but came up empty-handed. It seems I'm not the only person looking for a canoe of this type, a quick search reveals there dozens of comments on paddling and boat building forums looking for OC1 plans.

Then I took to searching on marketplaces online for a used OC1 and was blown away by the cost of 2nd hand boats, I've seen them go for over $7,000! Way out of the average paddler's budget, and mine.

So I decided to take the plunge and design one myself.

The Avoca OC1 fills the gap between expensive racing outriggers and larger Polynesian-style sailing canoes. It measures 17 feet long, with the main hull (vaka) weighing around 13 kg and a fully rigged weight of about 18 kg—light enough for anyone to handle.

I made sure to put the centre of balance right where the paddler sits, giving the canoe a little more buoyancy slightly aft of centre to prevent the stern from sinking when paddling fast. It has huge enclosed watertight compartments fore and aft which double as lockers for storing gear. The canoe is symmetrical from side to side however the bow is noticeably deeper to help lift the canoe up and over waves when paddling in rougher waters. Don't forget to bring a bailer if you're paddling offshore!

My goals for the Avoca OC1 were pretty straightforward...

1. fast under paddle power
2. fun to sail off the wind with a small sail
3. plenty of buoyancy for one person plus a small child/dog/camping/fishing gear
4. light enough to lift onto a car's roof racks
5. inexpensive to build
6. oh, and let’s not forget—it's got to look beautiful! 

After building the prototype and putting it through its paces over the past year, I’ve made a few tweaks to ensure it's not just good but truly usable.

I’m excited to announce that the design will be available as both paper plans with full-size templates and as a pre-cut plywood panel kit. 

Let me know in the comments below if you're interested in building from plans or a kit.

Constructed from plywood using the stitch and glue process, this canoe is a craft anyone can build. You don’t need woodworking or boat-building experience, just some basic tools like a jigsaw, drill, hand plane, sander etc. Nothing fancy here. 

All you’ll need is about 70 hours of your time and a space to work undercover, for me It seems like every time I build a new design the heavens open up and it rains all week!

Anyway as I wrap up the final tweaks of the plans, I wanted to share a couple of sneak peek build images of the final version of the canoe under construction...

Image 1. Laying out the main hull panels for glueing the butt blocks

Make sure you stay subscribed for the plans and kits release date!