Monday, November 28, 2016

I am thankful for canoes!

Welcome back to the blog!

We have seen snow, we've eaten turkey and we have once again assured our family members that yes, it is true:
We build canoes for a living.

I am so thankful for my work, my co-workers and all of the customers of Northwoods Canoe Company. For the past three years, I have been learning about white cedar and steam-bending, stretching canvas and clinching (thousands of) tacks. And getting paid for it! Can you believe my luck?

I apologize: enough about feelings!

Here's what appears to be going on in the shop. I was absent last week as I drove the winding and beautiful and never-ending Route 2 to Vermont, but Stephen and Rollin kept things moving.


Stephen is sanding a boat that is one family's only transport to their camp.
The sander with its vacuum attachment is a great tool!


In the shop, we have a number of canoes. The (temporarily) transom-less boat in the center is an Old Town belonging to Mr. Perkins. Keep watching this week for transom installation! Rollin is working on the ribs and rails of the canoe to the left, making sure that all the woodwork is finished before canvassing. It often happens that once we begin working on a canoe, we find much more to do than it seemed from first glance... I believe the canoe to the left was one of those! One step at a time...


Happy Thanksgiving, happy building and happy reading!

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