Canoe Paddle Carving!

Well, we did it! We completed the carving of two paddles for our family in one day!

Quite an intro to our canoe-building-process!

I'm hoping that if I can make it through canoe paddle carving, building a canoe will be a piece of cake! hmmm

For those of you who do not know, our family has decided to build a cedar strip canoe this winter at Carlisle Canoe Company in Freelton with the guidance and mentorship of Roger Foster, the owner, craftsman and artisan.

Roger has had over 20 years of experience building and restoring canoes. His demeanor is approachable, calm and light-hearted. When we walked into his workshop and saw a finished 16 foot Prospector that had been built by another family, we were blown away and fell in love right on the spot!

Our whole family can fit in the Prospector as it holds up to 950 pounds and weighs less than 50... Perfect!

It will take us about two to three months to build, depending on how much time we can devote to it... extra helping hands will speed up the process too!

Jeff and I think this will be an invaluable learning and bonding experience for our family. What is especially wonderful is that building the canoe is just the start of the adventure...when it's done, we hope to spend many hours on the water together!

I haven't decided if I will chronicle this process here or in a new blog. I'll let you know. We start our canoe on Saturday-wish us luck!