Poetry on the water – wood-canvas canoes are the classic boats of the Northwoods. In this course you are immersed in the complete process of building your own canoe from steam-bending her ribs to stretching and filling her canvas. Participants generally build the 17’6” Atkinson Traveler, but the 16'6" Otter or Lutre models are possibilities as well. Canoes are built, canvassed and filled during the class and then taken home, painted and varnished – and will provide many years of pleasure on the water. Many hands make work light, and students should plan to bring a partner (or two!) to help…this can be a great family project that will result in a lifetime of memories.

Developed in the 1870s with a design based upon the birch bark canoe, wood-canvas canoes feature wide flexible ribs and thin planking covered with a waterproof layer. Built on forms for uniform shape, they soon became the canoe of choice for backcountry travel. Many people today feel that paddling a hand-built wood-canvas canoe, beautiful and quiet on the water, is the only way to travel on wilderness waterways. Due to the large nature of this project, students must bring a partner to help…this can be a great family project. The course offers an intriguing opportunity to develop a solid base of woodworking skills while crafting an elegant and inspiring traditional watercraft. Customizing the canoe is an option, however, some additional costs will apply. This does not include the cost of paint and varnish, though sources for these materials and instruction for how to do this will be covered in the class. Separate tuition payment and cancellation policies apply to this course.

Dates

Sat, May 12, 2012 - Fri, May 25, 2012 Mon, Aug 13, 2012 - Sun, Aug 26, 2012

Course Details

--Select a Start Date-- 08/13/2012