It Floats!!!

[Kerne]

(Perhaps this should be in "Out and about" or under "Transport"?)

Launched my home-built canoe the other day:

And then SWMBO and I had a trip up and down the Gloucester and Sharpness canal for a couple of hours. Sadly no pics as my phone ran out of charge straight after I took the pic above - numpty!:togo:

I built it on a four-day ORCA course then took it home and stripped it down again, re-epoxied it, refitted seats etc. then painted and varnished it umpteen times. It's incredibly light and sits quite high in the water making it initially a bit wobbly until you get used to it. Feels like it could handle a fairly big load of kit. Secondary stability when the first chine digs into the water is great. Nice and easy to paddle and SWMBO is hooked! (Though she does want me to order warmer weather next time - pretty nippy on a windy canal in Dec.) Can't wait to get out and try soloing in it.

BTW the rather nice wooden paddles you might be able to see were my retirement present from my dept. at work - much nicer than those aluminium and plastic things I'm used to.

 

[Graham O]

Very nice. I built one years ago and there is something special about building your own boat/canoe. And they always get lots of admiring glances from others.

 

[Tat2trev]

Very well done top draw skills mate very impressed

 

[Ecoman]

That's a nice looking canoe bud. Well done.

 

[Andy T]

That looks great, well done and can we have some more pics please.

 

[brancho]

I am no canoeist but thats just great you must be chuffed with it.

 

[John Fenna]

That looks great!
My first real canoe was a home built, hard chine 4mm ply model (Alan Bridges Malamut) and it paddled beautifully. It survived many years of hard use as a guide boat for tourist trips on the River Tivy, as a personal pleasure boat on rivers up to grade 2/3 and was eventually retired when it developed dry rot ... but then someone wanted to buy it off me and its use continued for at least another season!
Initially it was just varnished and was known as "Honey" to reflect her looks and paddling temper but after a few seasons and repairs/reinforcements with my poor glassing technique I painted her gloss black and she became known as the Black Joke (complete with skull and bones stickers!
Love your new boat - but do not pamper her - she is tougher than you imagine
Happy paddling!

 

[ammo]

Jim that's amazing, I'm going too make mine in spring. I would absolutely love it to look like that. Is there no end to your talents? Boss that mate.

 

[mrcharly]

Great stuff.

 

[Big Stu 12]

Nice one mate, a few hours fun to be had in that, thanks for showing

 

[demographic]

Stitch and glue? Looks nice.

 

[ozzy1977]

Great stuff, where did you do the course?

 

[Wetneck]

Beautiful, I bet you got a lot of satisfaction from that first trip.

 

[swotty]

That's a really nice job. I would really like to attempt to build one myself, I need to start researching it more.

The Gloucester and Sharpness canal is a lovely place for its maiden voyage too, I've had lots of very pleasant walks along there

 

[Kerne]

Thanks for all the positive comments, folks.

demographic - yes, it's stitch and glue.

ozzy1977 - I did the course with ORCA in the Lake District: http://www.orcadventures.co.uk Very intense but a great course.

Hopefully get out agin soon and then I'll get some more pics. I do have "step by step" pics of the build that I might post if anyone is interested.

It's does feel good to be paddling along in something that started life like this!:

 

[crosslandkelly]

Top job there Kerne. That's a great looking canoe.

 

[mousey]

OOOOooooo

Step by Step pics - definatley

 

[Toddy]

I get great delight in seeing folks make their own boats I really do, and your's looks really trim
Brilliant idea for a course, and I could see there being a lot of interest in any other photos you might have.

I hope you get a great deal of pleasure out and about with her

atb,
Toddy

 

[ammo]

Would love to see some more pics, if you get time mate.

 

[sandbender]

Brilliant, you must be chuffed to bits.