What I'm Building These Days - Sailing Canoe

Sometimes we like to take a break from sharpening news and tell you a little bit about ourselves. After all, important as they are, there is more to life than sharp edges. And I know the question that is on the minds of many of our frequent visitors. That is, just what does Dan do when he's not sharpening, testing sharpening equipment or giving advice on sharpening?

The answer, of course, is that I build a boat. What else would I do?

The John Theodore in progress. The hull is formed, here I'm preparing to work on the deck supports.

Why a Boat?

So, more years ago than I care to admit to, I helped my father build a canoe. It was a nice little canoe and he enjoyed building and using it. He decided to return the favor by building a canoe for me.

Of course, I didn't want just a simple canoe, I chose a sailing canoe. It's a bit more complicated than a standard canoe, with a deck and two masts, and it can be paddled or sailed.

It takes a lot of clamps.

A Long Term Project

So my father and I started working on a sailing canoe. But as too often happens, life got in the way of a good project and it stalled. Then, sadly, my father passed away before we got back to it.

Bulkheads, deck and floor supports have been added. The mast steps and enclosures are in progress.

Carrying On

So now I've picked it up again. Remembering my father as I work to finish what we started. I do get to use my sharpening skills as well. There's block planes and chisels involved, and as my father taught me long ago, those work best when they're sharp.

The decking underway. The blue masking is temporary. It prevents the glue from getting all over and will be removed before the decking is permanently attached.

Like all projects, this one is taking longer than expected. I'm looking forward to posting the completed project, whether it is a few months or a year from now.

I've posted an update, see the article Sailing Canoe".

Dan