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Small project that should prove useful for my most common paddling partner. My dad's not really a paddler, but he's always been a good sport, and come out with me for short durations, as long as there's a chance of some fishing. However, he's always been uncomfortable in a canoe. After a bit of...

I've had some poor luck with various Vacuum Insulated drink containers. My latest ($17 TAL from wal-mart) was decent until it took a header off of the workbench. It tapped a piece of timber on the way down, and took a small dent that breached the stainless outer wall. No more Vacuum. Anyone...

I'm not sure if this is new - possibly related to the recent site update - or if it's baked into the theme. (Frankly, I didn't realize that there were selectable themes until the site changed the default one under me.) If you insert a link using the "Insert Link" function in the editor and...

I took a little test paddle Thursday to check some of my outfitting before taking a canoe-camp trip. One of the things that became apparent is that I need at least one more paddle - my current paddles are good when seated and moving at a moderate pace. They are not so useful when kneeling and...

So, my last couple of shop days I've been spending some time on a new build Solo Daytripper. I was somewhat disappointed in my previous solo build, and have found that even with ballast and careful trimming my tandem is far too large for me to daytrip comfortably. I sketched up a new design...

Anyone ever done a cold-mold (wood layup) build? How did it go? Any advice? I'm continuing my quest for a different approach to light canoe builds with less-than-perfect woods. I can currently get Eastern White pine in reasonable quantities for a half-way decent price. (US$1.50/bf) I've been...

I've recently become aware of a couple of (large) chunks of state land within a few hours of me that feature paddle-in camping. The surrounding mainlands with be open for archery whitetail deer starting in September. This is very tempting, assuming my bow skills are up to snuff by then...

Question maybe for the WC restorers here: How do you select a length for Clinch nails? I've been looking into them for a project, and can't get a straight answer. Several sources agree that a nail that is too long is almost as bad as one that is too short. What I can't tell is how to define...

Possibly a bit of an ironic topic, considering that Where I'm at, we're currently looking at record highs. One thing that I would like to improve before I trip in cooler weather is my recovery gear. I'm reasonably confident that I'd survive a capsize, and make it to shore with my gear intact...

Took my light SOF build out on a new creek the other day, and created a bit of a pickle. The creek I selected is a little pushier than what is normal in my area, due to an unusually high rate of drop. I tried to run the pictured riffle, and you can see the results below. (Stream is 25' wide...

Was prepping for my test trip last year, an realized that I did not have a tent of any description. I don't really want to borrow my parents' dome, and I don't want to put a ton of cash into something. I've been looking at tarp-tents, etc for a bit, and realize "Hey! I have about 13' of 60"...

(Note that this trip was late September, 2019. I've been without in-home broadband for a while, so did not get around to posting) Looking for a place to get away for a day or two, fish or test out gear? Lake Chippewa Flowage might be just what you are looking for. I spent three days/two nights...

I'd been wanting to build my latest hull idea, but was not willing to commit to the time (& cash expense!) of another stripper at this time. Happened to meet Nick Schade at Canoecopia, and took some interest in his current project, a skin-on-frame kayak kit. I took some inspiration from there...

Was browsing my local craigslist, and found this. Not mine, and I've not been in contact with the seller. Thought that some of the CT users might be interested.

Most of the canoe builds that you see around are based on the old reliable 6oz. and 4oz. plain weave e-glass fabrics. Has anyone experimented with other glass options? We sometimes see various twill fabrics listed, usually in heavier weights. Browsing the Raka site, I found something called...

Hope this one is not too far off topic for the site. If so, please let me know. This may be far from the tastes of many on the site, but if you would like to do something in a canoe around other people, the friends of Readstown Wisconsin is putting on a fundraiser to improve their local parks...

Anyone interested in checking out a Swift Canoe in person in the midwest might want to go to Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison WI this Saturday. Apparently, Swift is delivering a truckload of boats that were ordered during this year's Canoecopia event. Staff at Rutabaga stated that they will...

My last strip build was intended as a sort of all-around canoe for the sort of things that I expected to do, both solo and tandem. During the design discussion I was told by a couple of people that I would probably be happier with two boats - a solo, and a tandem. After a summer with "The...

So, I've had a summer to digest what I learned from my experimental build last winter/spring, and overall, I think I'm ready to improve on the next one. Many things went right, many more went wrong and were corrected. Then, there's this: I'm very disappointed with the way the interior...

The various polls got me wondering: When single-blading in calm water, how often do you switch sides? For purposes fo this question, calm = smooth enough that you could safely paddle from either side. I know whitewater guys will have to switch constantly, depending on conditions, and that's not...