Inspired by this website, I decided to try my hand at building the Northwest Passage. I've never done anything like this before. On home improvements I tend to do the rough work and leave the fine details to others. Not sure if I am, or will be, anal enough to not totally screw this up. I was amazed at how quickly the boat took shape with just a little sanding after removing the staples, I really thought I had screwed up the stems.

I'm building the boat in my basement, and I'm not 100% sure I'll be able to get it out. Plan A is to make 2 90 degree turns and go out my 1 car garage. Plan B is to take out a window and go through the opening. Plan C is to take out the window and a block or three and go out the opening.

Below are some pics so far, I hope to finish in time for a solo in the Adirondacks in late April.

Looks good so far. Good luck with the escape plan.

Looks good. How much time do you have into it? What do you mean when you say you thought you screwed up the stems?

It looks like you laid your interior glass in several sections. How did this work out for you?

Good luck in your exit strategy

Not sure how much time I have into it, I'll just say a lot of quality time. My workshop is turning into my man cave, notice the homebrew under the work bench in the 4th picture of the original post.

I'm doing the interlocking strips at the stems per the Northwest Canoes guide. Here is a picture before sanding. They were very jagged, but rounding off to a pencil diameter with a sander really cleaned it up nice.



Yes, I did the interior with (5) 3' sections of glass. Working by myself, I'm not sure if I could have done it one shot. It seemed to work pretty well that way, but I still have some clean-up to do with the frayed edges. The epoxy portion of the project is definitely the part I've been struggling with the most. (no experience, cold basement, pump died, messy, too many runs . . .)

Ranger

Keep at it. Looks good

I can handle the wood, but the glassing part of my boat scares the crap out of me. You have that part behind you.

What are you using for gunnel stock and where are you getting your gunnel stock from?

Where are you heading for that Adirondacks trip?

Joe

I got the Cedar from a major lumber yard for the area (Hudson Valley, NY) that's only a few miles from my house. I plan to use ash for the gunnels, I haven't confirmed yet that they have it, but think they do.

I plan on a 3 night trip up the Osgewatchie River. Lots of bends so the shorter (15') Passage with rocker should come in handy.

Nice looking boat! Nice looking homebrew! That's a good combo.

HPD: a quick note on epoxy. I laminated my 2nd boat late this fall with Adtech slow curing hardener and it made laminating a whole lot easier. On my 1st boat I felt rushed, and rushing did more harm than good in several places. The slow hardener allowed me to take my time, and it really shows. I also feel like it cured much clearer than my first boat, but that could just be the climate too. They sell it at NW canoe, but I'm sure you can also get it somewhere closer. It's definitely worth looking into.

amhacker

Thanks for the tip, but the money has been laid down for Systems III Silver Tip laminating resin with slow hardener. I guess you have to pick and choose according to personal comfort level. Systems III was used at North House boat building and that is why I went with Sys III.

I'm sure that will work just as well. "Slow" was the main idea I was trying to put across. I'm sure West will work just as well. Good Luck!

HPD - you may have already done your wetout - layup but as a first timer you'll love System 3 Silvertip Laminating. It's very forgiving to first timers and works great as a thickened epoxy for joints etc. We used it on our first solo tripper (38 Special) and used markered clear plastic "beer glasses" for measuring instead of relying on the pumps. (heard too many horror stories about pumps).

OTOH our son Chris now has experience from his wooden boat building shop experience with West Systems and swears by it. You roll with what consistently works for you.

BTW Ranger - from this side of the monitor it's looking pretty good. Epoxy runs can be scraped and sanded, and turn out better than you ever dreamed. And you know what? The fish aren't going to care once they're in the bottom of your canoe.

I finished the canoe, and best of all it fit out the door. FYI a 15' canoe can go through a doorway into a 10' wide room and make a 90 degree turn. I was hoping to be on the Hudson River in 2 weeks, a month might be a safer bet. While I have no room or need for another canoe (3 canoes/2 kayaks), I sure enjoyed building this one. It weighed in at about 45 lbs (holding it on the bathroom scale).

The finished inside of the Canoe



The canoe outside, before varnishing the outside

Congratulations on the canoe and congrats on getting it out the door :)

You live in upstate NY. Where is all that snow that was big news for awhile?

Where ya going on the Hudson? I like that river.

In another time many years ago, I was in the Coast Guard. My ship (the USCGC Sassafras) broke ice on the river up to Albany. One year, we went on the wrong side of a buoy (it was under the ice). A rock ledge ripped an 80 foot hole in our bottom. The ship was firmly aground. Had we slipped off, we would have went down and I probably would not be here writing this.......

They eventually got us off........ compressed the hull with air pressure (to keep the water out) and floated us down to Todd Shipyards in Brooklyn where we remained in dry dock for months.....

Nice job RAFA Ranger, enjoy.
CB

HPD - I'm about 70 miles north of NYC. It pretty amusing how any time it snows in NYC it's national news. Most of the time we'll get 2 or 3 times the snow they get, if they get any at all. This year has been the most snow, and most consistent coverage we've had in the 15 years I've lived here.

When I go to the Hudson River, I usually go canoeing /kayaking out of Cold Spring, in and around Constitution Marsh and Island. Across the river from where I went to school.



The Hudson is still tidal up here, "it sucks and it blows" as we used to say. Last spring I messed up the current while training for a race. On one cold morning I spent twice the time I expected fighting my way back upstream.

There are couple great pictures out there of speed boats hung up on rocks on the Hudson. Constitution Marsh gets too shallow at low tide to paddle. I can't wait to try in my new stripper.

Hey, nice canoe!

I would like to buy one like that some day. Don't know if i could lift it!