31. Cranberry Lake

In the first week of October, I took my canoe to Cranberry Lake, in the Adirondacks. It was a good adventure, though the nights were much colder than I expected. Below are a few pictures. The full set of pictures is on Flicker.

Setting off

Putting in

Merganser duck (female?)

This doe let me get very close

Beautiful split rock

30. Looking back on the project

Tom asks:

"I stumbled across your blog and was wondering about your experience building the canoe. Did you ever figure out how much you spent? I can't decide if I want to buy the kit from clc or do it all from scratch. Also honestly as your first boat how easy was it?"

Let's see .. about $45 on the wood, about $140 on epoxy, resin, and pump handles, and $60 on fiberglass cloth? Probably another $50 here and there. So that's about $300. I did not have to buy any tools (I borrowed a few), so that saved some money.

As a first boat, it was neither too hard nor too easy. My only previous woodworking experience was rough carpentry, like house framing, and some simple homemade furniture.

I learned about working with a plane, cutting bevels on the strips. I also learned about laying down epoxy and fiberglass cloth. The article in WoodenBoat was well written and photographed; easy to follow.

29. Sairy Gamp at the Adirondack Museum

On my way home from Little Tupper Lake, I stopped at the Adirondack Museum on Blue Mountain Lake. I was happily surprised to see the famous canoe Sairy Gamp. In the Wooden Boat article that started this project, the author Nick Schade mentions Sairy Gamp as inspiration for my canoe. (See my very first post on this blog)

Sairy Gamp is only 9' long and 10.5 lbs. She is on permanent loan from the Smithsonian.

There were many other Rushton canoes on display (among many other classic boats, including famous speedboats)

Admission was pricy at $16, but the museum is Huge, with many other exhibits, not just boats.

28. Maiden Voyage

This past weekend I took the canoe up to the Adirondacks. She's not done yet (I still need to glass the gunwales and breasthooks, and add a backrest) but she was ready to go in the water.


I decided on Little Tupper Lake, which does not allow motorboats, and has many good campsites.

Also, I was expecting rain all weekend, and cold nights, but I got lucky. It was (relatively) dry, and warm.


Putting in at the launch on the northeast shore, I paddled to the southwest end of Little Tupper, went up the beaver creek to rock pond, and back, camped for the night, and then returned to the launch; about 12 miles total.

I saw a beaver and a pair of loons, and no bears :-)

Beaver out fishing

Beaver dam

Loons

Fall colors

27. Paddle Bag

I've made a happy discovery. This $11 rifle bag fits my paddles perfectly. (For more about these paddles, see post #13 from March)

26. Gunwales

Using leftover cedar strips, I've added inwales and outwales (collectively: gunwales).

If anyone ever tells you that you have too many clamps, don't believe them. The spring clamps work OK, but the small C-clamps can apply more pressure, and I wish I had more of them. After the glue sets up, I will go back and plane down the top of the gunwales, then sand.

Next: Breasthooks

25. Status Report

So, the past three posts catch us up to today. I have started bending the laminate strips for the next outer stem. After I finish installing both stems I will start on the gunwales. I had hoped to be in the water in May, or at least June, but I can see the conclusion approach now, and take heart from it.

This project has never been a chore. When I'm thinking about what I want to do with the next chunk of free time that comes my way, it is common for me to look forward to spending it on the canoe.