Maiden voyages for the skin-on-frame canoes

Part One, at the school's boathouse:



And Part Two, a short paddle on the Housatonic:

Quick look at the canoes....

From the Northern Forest Canoe Trail

Click on image for link to article.

April 23rd. Making good progress...

Some boats are getting skinned, some frames still being varnished today.  The sea kayak has both its decks, but will now have a lot of 'detail' work to be done.  The Oxford Shell is almost ready for its decks.

Loosely applied skin in the back; tightened skin in foreground.

Row of staples holding the skin on the gunwale

Foredeck wrestled into place.

...and glued and nail on.

Oxford Shell in the background.

Off to Spring Break...

Five of the nine boats to be completed by graduation.

Installing inwales.

End-of January Status

Ribs are roughly one-half done.

Almost ready to come of of the forms.

First boat off the forms.

Chesapeake LT 17  Sea Kayak

Oxford Shell

FIrst 3-D Printing.

3-D Printed cutting guide for trimming stringer ends.

Trimmed stringer.

Triming the stringer ends is always a bit difficult.  Ideally, they are trimmed so that the angled cut allows the end of the stringer lays flat onthe side of the stem.  They have to be short enough not to extend past the stem, but not so short that they can be lashed to the stem.  The sharp angle means that a small error left or right can significantly change the 'landing' point of the stringer.