About coracles :: About The Coracle Society :: Building and padding coracles

Building and paddling coracles

Building a coracle is a simple art - a waterproof cover, such as a hide or waterproofed cloth is secured to a wooden basket-like frame. More information on how we build our coracles can be found here

Using a coracle is also very straight forward, using a simple sculling stroke (figure of 8) or 'J' stoke over the bow of the boat. To turn, simply paddle over the port or starboard side. The trick in using a coracle is to make yourself as stable as possible - these vessels sit on the water, rather than in it, and so can be quite unstable. One thing that beginners don't realise is it doesn't matter how fast you paddle, you will go at the same speed

More experienced users, particularly fishermen, paddle one handed with the top of the paddle secured against their shoulder. This is very useful when you are trawling a net, or if you wish to take a more relaxed approach to paddling

Whilst paddling in a coracle can be fun, their inherent nature means they can also be very dangerous craft. You shouldn't paddle alone, nor without a bouyancy aid, and we advise you to read the safety information provided by The Coracle Society