How to Draft the Lines of a Canoe
- 1). Photograph the canoe from its three primary viewpoints to give yourself a visual reference from which to work when you draft the canoe's lines. The three viewpoints needed for a proper engineering drawing are the front, side and top views.
- 2). Draw a quick sketch of the canoe on a piece of scrap paper and then measure every aspect of it. Measure the height from the keel to the bow, and then from the bow to the stern. Measure the distance between the seats, and then the distance from the seats to the bow and stern. Measure the distance between the topmost points of the canoe, and then measure from these points to the keel. Since you will be reproducing a picture of the canoe in scale, it is critical that you take a measurement of every bit of the boat, noting it on your rough sketch.
- 3). Lay a sheet of vellum paper onto your drafting board, aligning the bottom of the paper with the drafting machine, which should be set to its "0" mark on the round handle between the horizontal ruler and the vertical ruler. When the vellum paper is in place, secure it to the board with four pieces of masking tape, one piece in each corner.
- 4). Determine the scale to which you will be drawing the canoe. Since most canoes range between 12 and 20 feet, an appropriate scale is 1 inch being equivalent to 1 foot.
- 5). Draw three rectangles on the paper that represent the top, front and side views of the canoe using the drafting machine. If, for instance, the canoe is 14 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet tall at its highest point, then the size of the front view box will be 3 inches by 3 inches. The size of the top view box and the side view box will be 3 inches by 14 inches each.
- 6). Draw the vertical and horizontal lines that comprise the canoe with the drafting machine next, using your sketch and photographs for a guide. While these lines will make up the final draft of the canoe, you don't want to make them dark yet. Use light pressure on the pencil to keep the lines light.
- 7). Draw the curvature of the canoe's hull with the french curve next, using both your measurements and the photographs for a guide. Note that very few canoes have perfectly rounded ends. This is where the french curve comes into play rather than a compass. The french curve allows you to draw your needed curve when it isn't quite perfect. Still, the french curve requires at least three measured points in order to faithfully reproduce curves such as those you will find on your canoe.
- 8). Add final detail to your draft, but avoid adding such details as wood grain. Details that are appropriate for drafting include lettering or numbers on the hull and the heads of screws or rivets.
