First Day
The first stage in the process is to cut out the marine ply panels, and sew these together using cable ties as seen here. This is a fun stage, and you quickly see your canoe coming together. Children often opt to be involved at this stage. Not all children decide to be with us for the slower paced sections of the build.
Second Day
The second day is mainly taken up with cutting, planing, sanding and fitting the seats ( the Thwarts). At the end of the second day we aim to apply the first coat of resin, to the inside of your canoe, along with glassfibre tape ro reinforce the seams.
Third Day
Most of the third day is taken up with preparing the outside of your canoe for the resin and tape. This involves a lot of patient planing and sanding, The whole boat gets two coats of resin inside and out, and all the seams are reinforced with glassfibre tape on the outside too. If the weather is nice, we like to apply the resin outdoors, as seen here.
Who can help?
Some people arrive with three generations of the family, and at some points everyone gets involved. At other times it might be just one of you. We generally say bring the family or a small group of friends, but you will be fine building your canoe on your own. We will give you as much ( or as little) help as you feel you need.
Pace
You will complete your canoe in about 21-24 actual hours of work. This typically spans three days, but we try to assure all our guests that you must set your own pace, and not feel rushed at any point. We offer the 3 day course for people who believe me that it will take 3 days, and the 6 day holiday for those who feel it would be impossible to complete a canoe in 3 days. In both cases, the canoes tend to be completed in 3 days! However, families may prefer the 6 day option so they can take the children out occasionally
Ideas and Suggestions
One very important thing to say is that we are always very keen to hear your ideas and suggestions.This could b about the canoe building process, the accommodation, or any other relevant topic.I will do my best to act on any suggestion, and you will see lots of examples of good ideas from past canoe builders and guests. Similarly, if during your canoe building you have a comment to make, please don't leave it unsaid. We really want all our guests to enjoy their time here, and would encourage you to say something if you are concerned, or maybe if you just want to know why we do things in a particular way. Sometimes, there will be a good reason,and other times there will be an opportunity for us to learn something new.
