New Cruiser build

Ribs for a new build. Spring is coming and need a new one to paddle. Soaking for a day or two, bend on this week and mill some planking.

Form tune up and new build

Time for a winter build, a new tripping canoe. Once the snow flies the sawdust will be flying the shop for a spring launch. The Atkinson Traveller, designed by Rollin Thurlow draws heavily from the early Maine guide canoes, designed for river and lake travel loaded for days or weeks.

Classic Maine shape

 

 Loaded for tripping with , what else, canvas packs

 Nice fair hull

 Form to be tuned up

 New bands are sheared to  2.5", ready to go on after the old ones come off

"

 Loose bands arent the best for building, they create the risk of bounce and tacks not clenching properly

 Nice looking traveller, well travelled and used. Boat has a great vintage look for a newer built boat

 Old wisdom always said not to stand in a canoe, but in Maine and out east wide, flat bottoms in canoes lend themselves to being poled, especially in shallows. 

The Travellers popularity extends to countries where North American canoe culture has many followers, this example is from Germany

All we have to do now is assemble it.....

More boxes

Dont have any use for burned out old teachers, the kind unions protect while they act like entitled children and dont deliver the education children deserve. Again we've been fortunate to have 2 that are making a tremendous difference in helping our kids reach their full potential. Still time before xmas to make a few boxes, like my oldest asked to do. They even stepped up their contribution in the shop. First a super light all cedar, then a birdseye and black walnut one nearing completion. 

All cedar just after a coat of Tung oil, with ash rails

Plaking is alternating red and white cedar

Gluing up lid of figured maple and black walnut

Sides planed

  

Sides, ribs and planks stacked on the cruiser

   

Lots of dust, and comfortable shoes for a concrete floor. Asics gels in support of breast cancer research

Dust collector barrell full

  

Shaped, ready to mount after oil

Tung oil will prevent water stains during building

  

Nice colour contrast

Ready to build

Pine Wanigan

Some of the last of the pine used to strip the building form, almost clear and 18" wide and 18' long, a nice find that had been cut years ago and bought up in Muskoka. Grade 6 teacher went above and beyond to make a real difference in our sons education, helping him reach his full potential. The form was dusted off and a wanigan built. Forgot to snap a picture of it completed with the rope handles, it came out nice. White cedar ribs (what else?) and red cedar planking, with inner and outer rails of American Chestnut, left over from paddle offcuts. 

 Complete, waiting for finish

Other side

First coat of tung oil

Soaking in fast

Colour coming up nicely

Helping out

Focus out front, sailing canoes in the background

Waiting on varnish

First coat, 4 more and it was presented.