The Gecko375

This canoe is the smaller version of the Gecko425 at a length of 3.75m. Built from 4mm marine plywood this two person hull comes in at around 15kgs depending on final trimmings and paint. This design like the 425 features asymmetric seating positions; allowing it to be a 2 person canoe in one direction and a single person canoe in the other. Being easily car top-able, it is ideally suited for day trips or schools. The combined buoyancy of the sealed end compartments is 55kgs, and buoyancy foam can also be added under the seats if more flotation is required.

An album of photographs from a GECKO425 build can be found on Flickr HERE

In The Plans

SHEET 1 : General arrangement with dimensions.
SHEET 2: Full plywood sheet layout and lofting dimensions.
SHEET 3: Canoe kit parts layout and perspective views.
SHEET 4: Illustrated stitch and glue techniques and diagrams.

About the Gecko stich and glue canoe range

The Gecko range of canoes are a lightweight entry level, cost-effective way of getting home builders into wooden boat building. The Gecko’s have 4 planks per a side and are an open style canoe designed with comfort and stability in mind but not at the expense of aesthetics. The hull has a slight vee amidships that tapers off to a fine entry at either end, giving great directional stability. Developed with the aid of specialty computer-based software the Gecko canoes are not only the most accurate design on the market but also the most cost-effective. 

Built as stitch and glue (or stitch and tape) method of construction, a builder needs no previous experience in order to end up with a fantastic final result. Building with either cable ties or copper wire the builder simply needs to “stitch” the hull panels together and add epoxy fillets and fibreglass tape to finish up. This enables the users to quickly assemble the hull and see immediate results for their efforts. 

These canoes are designed for general purpose activities, available in a range of sizes depending on the intended use. Plans and kits are available. Plans come with perspective drawings, a suggested nesting pattern and the exact dimension for lofting your own hull; full-size patterns for bulkheads and seats are available upon request. The kits include a set of plans and assembly instructions, arriving at your door as fully computer cut panels including 100% accurate stitching holes and asymmetric finger joints for the perfect alignment of panels.