Adirondack guideboat

The Adirondack guideboat is a rowboat that was developed in the 1840s for recreational activities in the Adirondack region of New York state.‍^[1] It was designed to have a shallow draft, carry three people and their gear, and be light enough to be portaged by one man, the guide. It is propelled by oars in rowlocks, as a rowboat, rather than a paddle, as in a canoe. Typical dimensions are 16 feet (5 meters) in length, 38 inches (1 m) beam, and a weight of 60 pounds (25 kilograms).‍^[1] While superficially resembling a canoe in size and profile, its construction methods are very different and are one of its defining features.‍^[2]

An Adirondack guideboat at the Adirondack Experience museum

The stem and ribs are made from spruce, a wood which has a very high strength to weight ratio. The hull is planked up with cedar laps, with seams tacked with copper tacks. The hull has a bottom board, like a dory, typically made of pine.‍^[2] Ribs are traditionally cut from spruce roots which have a grain following the desired curvature of the rib.‍^[3] Adirondack historian Alfred L. Donaldson credits Adirondack guides Mitchell Sabattis and Cyrus Palmer with the invention of the guideboat.‍^{[4]: 79 [5]: 23–24}

Since 1962, the annual Willard Hanmer Guideboat Race has been held on the closest Sunday to the 4th of July in Saranac Lake.‍^[6] It is a 10-mile (16-kilometer) canoe and kayak race on Lake Flower and down the Saranac River.

In 2016, modern hand-crafted versions sold for about US$20,000‍^[7] (equivalent to $26,000 in 2024‍^[8]).

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