The Bear Mountain Boat Shop

Sitting in the stern seat with the front 2/3 of the canoe up in the air will do a few things performance wise. The profile of the canoe as it cuts through the water will be very blunt, as the sharp bow is raised up with the wide hull becoming your cut water. This will require significantly more padd...

As far as the Ranger's initial stability is concerned, I expect you (and your wife) will find it very tippy. I've never paddled one, but I've been in plenty of Prospectors and I understand that "Ranger" is the name for the 15 foot version of the same line of canoes as the Prospector. The P...

Thanks Glen! After reading through those pages (and taking note of your google search) I am satisfied that I can proceed as planned. Armed with knowledge, I can say that my original question might have been "does anyone know if epoxy is compatible with gel-coat?" Thanks again for your time...

I forgot to say that I have tried to contact Evergreen through their website, but have not got a reply.

Hello all, My friend has a kevlar Prospector made by Evergreen. There are a few recent scratches which have exposed (but not penetrated) the weave of the fabric. I want to repair this, and am looking for advice. I propose to use West #105 epoxy with #205 hardener, and #410 filler. I can get all this...

A lot of people recommend low angle. I can't offer much to that debate, but I can say that I have the Stanley block plane sold by Lee Valley and I find the iron moves around very easily. I would recommend a better made plane such as the Veritas planes (pricey but I'm sure they're worth it) or an old...

I've been assembling tools and knowledge for years now, and finally have reached the point where I need to start ripping strips and setting up the strongback. The only thing standing in my way: I have no place to build! I bought my first house last winter, the basement won't work and I have no shed ...

I've never paddled the Bob's Special, but I have paddled the Prospector in a variety of waters. As far as I know, the Bob's Special was intended for exactly what you are describing. On the other hand, the Prospector (by far my favourite) will feel tippy to anyone not used to canoes. It's not that it...

How heavy are:

You and your duck hunting buddy together?

You and your son together?

How much, at the top end, might you expect your deer to weigh?

Can you foresee any possibility of paddling this canoe loaded in high winds with waves?

-Duncan

Thanks very much!

Hello all,

I have a Ridgid 5" ROS. In anticipation of the long awaited prospector build I am looking for a soft pad. This is for sale at Lee Valley:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... at=1,42500

At 3/8" will this interface pad be sufficient?

Thanks!
-Duncan

The Bill Mason books are worth every penny. It is also helpful to take an accredited course. Beginner courses may be only a day or two but will give you a lot to work on. Having the books for reference will help you to stay on track months and years later.

Thanks Glen! I followed your links, I think I'll be calling Larry to talk about the S glass. I plan to paint the outside, so clarity is less of an issue for me. On the matter of strip thickness, how thick can I go before I need a different set of router bits for the bead and cove? I got mine from Le...

I'm hoping to start building a 16' Prospector this winter, and I'll be taking it through better than that, if I have my way. I haven't built before, so I can't give you any empirical feedback, but here's why I think a fiberglass woodstrip canoe is up to that kind of water. 1st, that is not a difficu...

Steve, I should begin by admitting that I'm attached to the Prospector both romantically and practically, take my advice in that light. While on a trip with my brother and 6 of his friends in Kejimkujik National Park, we encountered high winds and driving rain. I was paddling a Prospector based Roya...