Cedar strip canoe
27th December 2011
In life you have many wants, as you grow older and wiser these wants change either by there cost or there do ability and the time that they take. At one point in my life I wanted to fly and learnt a good deal about flying small single engine aircraft, nearly got there. But cost is a big factor in flying and something well beyond my means I soon discovered.
So now I turn my wants to a more affordable want, but not entirely with out some cost on the outset. Canoeing comes in different forms, there is the fast and furious and there is the gentle calm and relaxed. I, reaching the forty to fifty something, opt for the calm and gentle, take in the nature, sort of canoeing. So with one days canoeing course under my belt and the odd day spent out with some other liked minded people in north Devon, I hanker after my own canoe, my wife agreeing that one day it would be nice, never thinking that day would come so soon. So there I am thinking that what I want is a really nice canoe because if you are going to get one you might as well get a good one. Something with class, looks and finesse. Luckily for me my work brings lots of auction catalogues from around the world and flipping through one such catalogue from Paris I see what looks like a turn of the century cedar strip canoe 200-300 euros and another one not illustrated. What to do? 200 – 300 euros is not a lot for a cedar strip. So with the aid of a colleague in France I bid and lose as it goes for 1300 euros but then I decide to bid on the unseen canoe and before I know what I’ve done, I’ve bought it for 450 euros. Next I have it delivered to my home. My wife being the first to see as I have no idea what it looks like or if it floats or indeed anything about it.
My first view of what I’ve bought is text to me from wife!
Not so bad I think some work required, surely something well within my do ability.
So now my project begins to restore this cedar strip canoe to its former glory.
Here are some other photos
guy sawers 