From Instagram | Cape Falcon Kayak

Day 11: Row/sail canoe, version 2

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 11, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time: 4hrs. Coated the boat/boats today. The coating I use to waterproof and protect the raw nylon cloth is the 2 part polyurethane sold by skinboats.org. It’s not a perfect coating due to lack of UV resistance but it is damn tough, long lasting finish that’s a...

Day 10: Row/sail canoe, version 2

February 2019July 2023Leave a comment

Day 10, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time: 7hrs. Spent the morning making VHMW skid-strips which I’ll talk about and show in another post. After that I stripped the frame and took the opportunity to weigh all the components separately which much to my surprise came out lighter than my last boat despite using...

Small business, smaller van.

February 2019July 2023Leave a comment

Small business, smaller van. Shipping day here at the shop. My imported from Japan Kei class Subaru Sambar just got a rack to serve as overflow storage for my boat problem. Shorter and narrower than a Honda Fit with twice the room, this tiny supercharged van might be the perfect minimalist vehicle if you...

“I should have just bought the ribs from you!”

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

One of the most common comments I get from people who have built one of my boats from plans is: “I should have just bought the ribs from you!”. First time builders, the ones who would benefit the most from perfect bending stock are usually the ones who get sticker shock and try to...

Indecision…

February 2019July 2023Leave a comment

Obviously I’m not having a problem deciding on a curve........

Day 9: Row/sail canoe, version 2

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 9, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time:4hrs. Put a coat of oil on the frame. I’m pretty sure the instructions don’t say “use at 36 degrees” but sometimes you have to bend the rules. I use Watco Danish Oil because it penetrates well, dries fast, and is reasonably inexpensive. The reality is that...

Day 8: Row/sail canoe, version 2

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 8: Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time: 4hrs. With 8 coats of varnish on I brought the spars out of the basement to get some real world measurements for the mast partners. One thing I’ve always liked about historic small boats is the generous use of sheet copper, sometimes to protect the mast....

Taking a trip to the sawmill to refocus

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Ran into my first major hurdle on the new version of the row/sail canoe today so I thought I’d step away to refocus. I’ve been out of bending oak for a few weeks so I drove down to Zena Forest and bought some nice sticks from Ben and Paul. Zena Forest Products is a...

Day 7: Row/sail canoe version 2

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 7, Row/sail canoe version 2. Build time: 6hrs. Marked the oar socket positions, made rub rails, made removable floor boards. I typically avoid floor boards wherever possible. They add a lot of unnecessary weight, expense, and time to a build. A thin pad in the bottom is all that is generally needed to...

Day 6, Row/sail canoe version 2

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 6, Row/sail canoe version 2. Build time: 4hrs. 4 hrs of work, 9 hours of work day. Things always slow wayyy down when the video camera comes out to document new things. Finally found a seat setting method I like for rowboats. For regular canoes it’s simple, glue some blocks on the gunwales,...

Day 5, Row/sail canoe, version 2

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 5, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time: 8hrs. I have an OCD-like compulsion about finishing things. Stopping part way through anything is like fingernails on the chalkboard of my brain. This can result in some serious lashing marathons. Luckily I have Liz to help my tie. Today was a 6 hour day but...

Day 4, Row/sail canoe version 2

February 2019July 2023Leave a comment

Day 4, Row/sail canoe version 2. Build time: 8hrs. Started the day by bending in some test ribs to make super sure the measurements were right before committing to my last plank of good bending oak. The rib measuring system I have developed is pretty neat but I’m still learning how it works in...

Day 3, Row/sail canoe, version 2

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 3, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time: 7hrs. Started the day by using the Slickplane to round all the stringers and some edges on the gunwales. For those of you not familiar with this handy little tool it’s a huge timesaver whenever you need to break a lot of edges. They aren’t built...

Day 2, Row/sail canoe, version 2

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 2, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time: 7hrs. Woke up in the middle of the night and realized I’d forgotten to do a glue up on the mast, did that, went back to sleep. Realized this morning that I keep ordering sail bits and bobbles I already own so I decided to get...

Day 1, Row/sail canoe, version 2

February 2019September 2022Leave a comment

Day 1, Row/sail canoe, version 2. Build time: 6hrs. 15’ LOA, 39” beam, 14.5” depth center, 21” height ends. Started the day by burning a $90 board that had hidden stress fractures. This is why I hate working with CVG fir. Heavy, splitty, and expensive. Unfortunately it’s literally the only thing I can get...