Blog - Tales From The River & Workshop

As someone who specializes in canoe restoration and craftsmanship, I couldn’t resist diving into this beautiful project...

On the sides of the Canoe are scenes depicting the wildlife you might see around our rivers in the UK. There is a fabulous otter at one end.

After leaving the paint a few days to dry my next task was to load up the canoe and take it to my Sister, Artist Sarah Burt for the artwork.

When using Zinsser Watertite to fill a canoe it doesn’t take as long to dry as with traditional fillers but it is still best to leave it...

With the canvas covering the canoe and closed at both ends the next stage is to fill it. On close inspection the weave of the canvas has...

The canoe is sitting in its canvas envelope but the ends of the canvas must be closed and sealed to prevent water getting in. You may...

The next part of the build is one of the more exciting aspects, canvassing. For some time I have paddled with friends in the W.C.H.A who...

Cant ribs are the last few at each end of the canoe and they are made in two parts as opposed to being bent at the stem. Mainly because...

The stem to gunwale joints can be made in a variety of ways but it is usually some form of open tenon or bridle joint. Even so to many...

To begin with I continued planking. I found it helped if I wetted the planks well and left them overnight to soak and for some pieces I...