Contact me at: rrcp@mts.net or by phone 204.878.2524

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Lots of stuff goes on in this shop, located in Lorette, Manitoba.

Primarily it's the building and repair of classic wood & canvas canoes, and the making of premium canoe paddles. I also do custom boat building, composite fabrication, and special projects. A growing passion of mine is the making of classical guitars, I'll post about that, too.

I want to be able to share with my clients the progress of their commissioned work. Later I started thinking that there might be other people who are interested in what goes on inside a wooden canoe shop operated by an artist and a recovering teacher.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me by email, phone, or by post. My mailing address is:

Red River Canoe & Paddle
24249 River Rd
Lorette, Manitoba
Canada
R5K 0Z6




Thursday 26 March 2009

The new canoe is off of the mold, and it is time to start closing it up. First step is to install the decks and fit the stem. I work in the tradition of Peterborough and Chestnut. One of the details that this sets up is the mortise and tenon stem-gunnel joint.

There are many ways that builders have addressed this joint. The tradition that I work within has the tip of the stem trimmed down from the wedge shape to a rectangular tenon which fits into a mortise that is formed where the gunnel tips meet. The mortise is cut into the gunnels while the parts are secured to the mold. This ensures that when it comes off of the mold everything lines up as it should.

Its always a thrill when a new canoe comes off of the mold!

The pipe clamps hold the gunnels from spreading the canoe out & the packing tape holds the stem in place until the planking ends are secured. It looks pretty floppy at this stage, and it is, until all the parts are secured.

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