What do we do? Design, Build & Race a winning concrete canoe…. no, there is no typo here, we make a canoe entirely out of concrete!
How do you get involved?
It is easiest to reach us via our Facebook page. Send us a message!
https://www.facebook.com/CanoeMcgill
3 Facts About Our Canoes:
- Concrete density: 850 kg/m^3 which is 15% lighter than water
- Length: 5.25 – 6.00 meters
- Weight: 90 – 115 kilograms
Our Canoes
- 2013 "Kraken"
- 2014 "Anakalypse"
- 2015 "Enigma"
- 2016 "Posterra"
- 2017 "Minerva"
- 2018 "Sea Rex"
- 2019 "Fortuna"
- 2020 "Azura"
- 2022 "Ambrosia"
To see some photos and information about our previous canoes, click one of the tabs below.
Results at competiton: competition cancelled :'(
Results at competiton:
competition cancelled :'( 
Results
at competiton: 8th Place at CNCCC 2019
Results at competiton: 9th
Place at CNCCC 2018.
Results at
competiton: 5th Place at CNCCC 2017.
Results at competiton: 7th Place at CNCCC 2016.
Results at
competiton: 5th Place at CNCCC 2015.
Results at
competiton: 4th Place at CNCCC 2014.
Results at
competiton: 7th Place at CNCCC 2013. This was the founding year for
McGill Concrete Canoe, and an impressive result for our first
attempt.
Competition
Every year in May our team joins Concrete Canoe teams from all over Canada for a serious engineering challenge: teams present the hard work they have done over the past year in hopes of winning at competition. The competition itself is judged based on several components: Aesthetics, Design paper and more help decide which team wins every year. Most importantly, an open-water race determines the fastest team! Students from over 18 Canadian universities share valuable experience and have tons of fun during a 3 day competition!
Our Team
Sub-divided into 6 sub-teams there is more than 70 of us on the team: each sub-team takes on a separate research field or a specific task, thus allowing more in-depth work:
Hull Design & Structural Analysis
Responsible for the design and optimization of the canoe hull. Each
member designs their own hull using AutoCAD, Excel, and DelftShip and
then, gets to 3D print their own canoe to complete physical testing.
Physical tests such parameters as stability, maneuverability and speed.
These results are utilized alongside Delftship modelling in order to
select the final design. The final hull design is analyzed under various
loading conditions with a combination of hand calculations and MATLAB
programming.
Mixing
Main goal is to determine a lightweight concrete mix design that will
meet: density, strength and aesthetic requirements while following
competition Rules and Regulations. Research and testing are conducted
alongside each other: new materials, their proportions as well as
different curing techniques are developed and tested throughout the year
in order to design a winning mix. Everyone on the sub-team gets to learn
a lot of theory, various concrete design approaches and finally, get
into the laboratory to perform all the mixing and testing
procedures.
Aesthetics
Making a canoe made just out of concrete look as an eye-pleasing
piece art is our job and it is not easy! Theme development, design of
the canoe's interior and exterior aesthetic elements, final product
display and a lot more tasks which involve both artistic and practical
approach fall on the shoulders of aesthetics sub-team members.
Construction
Turning structural drawings into reality is the mission of the
construction sub-team. Design and construction of canoe molds,
developing canoe casting techniques as well as an actual canoe casting,
sanding and finishing the surfaces are just some of the tasks. Since
2016, our team converted to a wooden canoe mold, considerably reducing
the cost and carbon footprint of our team compared to the previous
Styrofoam mold
Paddling
On-water practice weekends and weekly indoor paddling practices with
qualified coaches for all sub-team members. Good vibes and good workout
are guaranteed!
Business
Marketing, social media, photography, finances and almost everything
non-technical is done by the business team!
Academics
An ultimate goal of academic sub-team activity is attaining a highest
score for a technical paper. This includes wide range of activities:
from overseeing activities of all sub-teams throughout the year and
collecting all key information about the conducted research to the
preparation of a technical paper and finally, giving a presentation
during the competition.