My 16' wood canvas is finally ready to launch. It was built following the plans from Stewart River Boat Works in Knife River, MN. I also got the video from Alex at Stewart River showing the process to build the form and the subsequent canoe. If your thinking of going the wood canvas direction, I recommend the video's.

Overall, I think I have about $1,000 invested. I started the form in May 2010, and the canoe in Sept. 2010. So it was almost a year long project, but there were several other projects completed along the way. I would get interested in the canoe for a while, then let it sit for a few months. Didn't think that would happen, but it did.

Hope to be able to get it on the water this week.

The seats are temporary, I started to cane them, but quickly learned that is a tedious process. Decided to put webbing on them for now, and when it's a blizzard outside I'll work on the cane. Also, planning to carve a portage yoke, so the one shown is simply a temporary modeled after the one in my Old Town.

If you have any questions about the building process, I'll be happy to share what I found. If you see me on the water, say hi. It was dark outside when I finished so the picture is lacking. Hopefully I'll get some better pictures before scratching it up.

In three words or less:
beautiful, beautiful, beautiful

One word, WOW! Anthony

Well my God, that is a beautiful canoe. I live just a few miles from Alex Comb and he is always helpful getting me the supplies I need for my canvas boats. I have plans for one of his solos canoes that I hope to get started on. I'll be covering it with Dacron for an ultra-light canoe.

I said my three words about the canoe, but along with the canoe, I find pictures of stuff in shops very interesting and that is interesting stuff ya got in there.

Is that a pair of LL Bean boots hanging on the wall? have you retired them? I grew up with LL Bean hunting shoes and recently decided to discover my roots with a new pair. I bought the 10" Gortex lined. I hope they keep my feet dry this fall :)

I don't know but I'm betting Duck boots.

I should have cropped the boots out of the image.

They are actually Red Ball boots that I’ve had for 20 years. What they are doing is providing weight to my canoe/kayak suspension system. Without the boat on the ropes, there is no weight to lower the ropes back down. So they are just hanging out in the ceiling waiting for whey I need to suspend the boat. Don’t need snow boots in the summer, so they serve a dual purpose. Previously I have used anything heavy that I don’t immediately need.

Thanks for the kind words on the boat. It’s been a fun experience.

Oh and yes, it's time to clean the garage. The clutter bomb has gone off!

Sparetime:
About the boots and the reason why, I could only think "Necessity is the mother of invention".... good stuff can always be used :)

Very nice. Reminds me of refurbishing a 1943 wood and canvas Thompson rowboat in my basement. How much does she weigh?

JD