and although I sure could have used the
money, I simply could not part with the
first Wood strip canoe I had ever built.
Since then I have parted with Many, but
that first one is still in the family.
years old, looks as good as
the day it was first varnished
and is paddled by my
nephew. Countless other
boats have come and gone
from the shop since that first
"stripper" but I still stop in the
If that story is not reason enough then how about this; you will
undoubtedly get a stronger, better looking, customized boat in a
design that would be near impossible to find in a store. It will be far
less expensive than to buy a boat in the same class. It will paddle
well and last for decades. This boat won't just be a boat you
bought, it will be your boat. If you are a parent then build one with
your son or daughter. It will be a memory they will always treasure.
My father knew nothing about building boats or anything else for
that matter, but one sunny Saturday in 1974, we started on what
would become the first boat I ever built.
