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 a single coat of any oil does absolutely nothing to protect the wood, but also isn’t really needed because skin boats rarely have issues with rot. We just do it because it looks pretty.
I purchased commercially made canoe seats for this boat because when you factor in your time it’s a much cheaper option, unless of course you decide you don’t like one of them, then you are out the cost of the seat plus the time and cost of making the replacement. I felt like the center seat was just a hair too flexible so I’m making a copy with 1/16th inch thicker rails.
Set up the boat with my usual 3 levels system (one across the beam and two on the mast) to get the partners perfectly aligned with the step. Set the pad eyes for the removable partner system and marked, cut, and glued the shoulders back on. This is what I’m doing with the pack canoe thwarts these days. It snuggles the thwart down between the gunnels for better bracing and a lower profile appearance.
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