Wee Rob

The Wee Rob Canoe is, like her larger sister MacGregor well suited to car topping on even very small cars, ready to explore quiet stretches of water that will never see a water skier or jet ski.

She is also an excellent introduction to modern glued plywood lapstrake construction, which you may later use to build a Eun Mara or an even larger Grey Seal. While you are dreaming about your larger boat, Wee Rob will continue to thrill you with her easy paddling and exciting sailing, as well as tickling your pride when passers by remark on how pretty that little boat is.

The Scotsman John MacGregor was largely responsible for the great popularity of canoeing around 120 years ago. He went to North America, studied some of the Inuit kayaks, and returned to design his famous Rob Roy canoe, in which he made many remarkable voyages in Europe. His books inspired many canoe builders in Britain and America, as they realised how immensely practical these little boats were. They could easily reach many areas which were quite inaccessible to bigger boats; when they ran out of water they could be carried to the next lake or river. A vast amount of fascinating research went into sailing rigs; it was essential with such light and narrow hulls that the area was kept low, and that sail could be shortened or lowered away altogether at a moment’s notice – all from a sitting position.

For all their limitations of size, these little boats are actually very versatile, and can be adapted to a wide variety of uses and conditions. With this in mind, the designs include several options. In length, for a start: The Wee Rob can be built 12’3” overall as originally drawn, or we can redesign the kit for the longer version. The longer hulls can be paddled a little faster, while retaining the moderate beam of 28¼”, which is generally believed to be ideal for efficient operation of the paddle.