The Bear Mountain Boat Shop

Hi, Chris, the white pine I used was for the inwales while the hull was done in white cedar. After varnishing with Interlux Schooner, the inwales became a very light-toned yellow because of the color that this traditional varnish has. The white cedar was darker overall but the sapwood strips were st...

Randy, varnish darkening will give you a tanned look with time... :wink The varnish on my Huron seems to be darker after several years, especially with the white pine and white cedar. Removing age-darkened varnish may lighten the appearance of the boat, according to this book: http://books.google.ca...

I'd simply build the Freedom 17 and forget any modifications to the end stations... it solos very well if you are paddling Canadian-style, kneeling and heeled over. The lower load limit is 150 pounds... from Brian Hansel's website, http://www.nessmuking.com/articles/bryans-homebuilt-boats-from-2004-...

For me, sanding the hull, especially the interior, took a lot of time, and I was glad I used the softest and lightest wood available here (eastern white cedar). My scraper skills aren't great and I could have possibly saved some time with a good scraper applied properly. If I build with a harder woo...

A test that might be useful.... apply the varnish to a previously varnished surface (eg. an old paddle) after cleaning and sanding and see if it remains tacky the same way in the same drying location. If it cures AOK, then the difference in the epoxy on the canoe is probably causing the problems... ...

The evening pic canoeing on Buckskin lake looks great... glad to hear that all the work was worth it!

I had slow drying with Interlux Schooner varnish.... 3-4 days and still tacky. That happened in a cool basement with temps about 10C, 50F. The varnish eventually did dry, although warmer temps could have helped. Here in Canada IIRC Benjamin Moore's 440 is labelled Sunbar because of the UV blockers a...

Prospector is a good all-round design... it is popular enough so that you might be able to test-paddle one to make sure that it is roomy enough for two plus gear along with everything else. Check that the rental is the same length and width... NovaCraft's Prospector is a good match with the Canoecra...

For the rest of the boat, I need to clean it with acetone or laquer thinner, then soap and water, then sand. If the epoxy is not completely cured, acetone or lacquer thinner could turn it a translucent milky white. I've had this happen on a paddle after only a day's cure time.... the epoxy had to b...

Usually the first varnish coat is slower-drying than the remaining coats... maybe some additional drying time is needed. It's probably better to thin at first and then thin less with each additional varnish coat. With Epifanes, I thought the recommended thinning was 10%... I used Interlux Schooner i...

I wouldn't try it (inability to predict results)... if a more rockered canoe is wanted why not shorten a Prospector down to fifteen feet? This has been done by manufacturers with good results. The lines may have been faired with the aid of a computer for more efficient hydrodynamics and altering the...

Are the strips now so thin that they bend inward easily? Structurally, the bilge area is rigid because of the curves and thin areas in the flatter parts of the hull, along the keel line and along the sides, might be more critical. If the bilge area feels soft when some pressure is applied, extra thi...

I used sassafras for inwales and outwales which may turn out to be a little too soft so I want them to be removeable (replaceable). I wonder if a non silicone caulk would work ok for a bedding material? I used an even softer wood, white pine, for my inwales... they were glued in with thickened epox...

Dawne, maple is usually strong and flexible, and the seat should be able to take some flexing without breaking. An easy test is to take a piece of maple the same dimensions as the crossmember, place it on some blocks spaced the right distance apart and then give it some weight. Sitting, and standing...

Dawne, If you aren't wearing spike heels, your cedarstrip hull will be fine. Soft-soled footwear will be best. The bolts supporting the seat will support heavier paddlers in your canoe... I tested an inwale section epoxied to a piece of plywood and the single bolt supported my entire weight without ...