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TuesdayNovember25201410HowtobuildyourowncanvascanoeByDALICARMICHAELRichardMercrediknewhehadtoxuphisfathersoldredcanoewhichtookitsrstvoyagesometimeinthe1970salmost40yearsago.Mercrediisverygoodwithhishandsalong-timetrapperwhobuilthisownhouseheguredhecouldlearnhowtobuildandxacanoewithouttoomuchtroubleandlookedfarandwideforcanoe-buildingworkshopswherehecouldlearntheskillstorefurbishhisfathersoldboat.AfteranonlinesearchhefoundtwosuchclassesoneinBritishColumbiaandtheotherinOntario.ButuponlearningthattheprograminB.C.ranonalotterysystemandthathemightnotgettokeepthecraftafterputtingatonofworkintoithedecidedtoSteponeSoakingandsteamingthecedarWeddhadtwoChester-stylecanoemouldsavailableforhercustomersonefora15-footboatandonefora16-footer.TheMercredischosethelatter.Thenightbeforeconstructioncommencedtheysoakedlongcedarplanksinwaterwhichwouldeventuallybecometheribsoftheboat.Oncetheboardswereswollentheyweresteamedforhalfanhoursoften-ingthewoodsoitwasmalleableandcouldbendtotthecanoemould.Oncethewoodwasdryitwassandeddowntocreateanevenroundshape.SteptwoFittingtheribsOncethewoodwaspliabletheMercredishadtotittothemould.Runningalongthetopofthemouldwasaseriesofinsertsindicatingwheretheribsneededtobeplaced.TheMercredisworkedtogethertobendtheslatsofcedarcinchingtheminplaceandnailingthepiecestotheoutsidegunnelofthecanoethenarrowsticksthatwouldeventuallybe-cometheedgesoftheboat.Theyrammedwedgesbetweentheinsertslotsandtheribsmakingsureeverythingstayedtightandinplaceuntilthewoodwasdry.Thistookupaboutoneafternoon.StepthreePlankingthesidesMercredisaidthetoughestpartofthejobwasttingtogethertheplanksthatwouldmakeuptheoutsideoftheboat.Likeapuzzleallthepieceshadtotjustright.Anygapscouldmeantakingonwaterintheirboat.Theyspentthreedaysplaningtheirwoodshavingittotexactlyasitshould.Theyheldeverythinginplacewithsmallbrassnails.Partwaythroughthisstagetheyneededtolifttheboatoffthemouldtotsomeofthecantsribsthatarecutinsteadofmouldedtotatthenarrowendsinsideoftheboat.ThemotioncreatedastartlingcrackaccordingtoMercredi.Whentheshellwasremovedtheendswerenailedtogetheragain.Oncetheboatwasplankedandcoatedwithalayerofvarnishtheysandedthesidesoftheboatinpreparationforthecanvas.StepfourCoveringwithcanvasBeforetheycouldsliptheouterlayerofcanvasovertheboattheMercredisneededtofolditinhalfandstretchitoutensuringtherewasnttheslightestwrinkleinthesheet.Ashortstickinthemiddlepriedthecanvasopenallowingthebuilderstosliptheshelloftheboatintoitssheath.Theyshimmiedtheboatintoplaceusingtwolongjackpolesbetweentheceilingandthebottomoftheboattopushthestructureintotheverycornersofthecanvas.Thecanvaswasthenstapledinplacealongtheinnergun-nel.Withattentiontodetailtheypainstakinglynailedalongthefrontandbackedgesofthecanoeagainkeepingthesheetsmoothbeforetrimmingawaytheexcesscanvas.StepveFinishingtouchesWiththeboatcovereditwastimetoaddthenaltouches.Theexcessribsweretrimmedandsandedsothattheywerelevelwiththegunnels.Barbaramadetwoseatsusingacaningweaveoneforeachendofthecanoe.Theywedgedatriangulardeckhandleatthebowandsternandayokeinthemiddleforeasycarrying.Theybentandscrewedinplaceabrassstembandateitherendofthecanoeanextrasteptokeeptheircanvasinplace.Finallywithsomesandingprimingandpaintingthecanvasthecanoewouldbecomplete.WithalltheexcitementandactivityofsummertheMercredishaveyettonishtheircanoebuttheyareclose.Withsomesandingafewcoatsofprimerredpaintandanalsealinglayertheirveryowncanoewillbereadyfortheopenwaterassoonasspringcomes.PhotoscourtesyofRichardandBarbaraMercrediARTSCULTURECANOECRAFTINGgotoBearwoodCanoeinOrvilleOnt.justnorthofPerrySound.HisinstructorPamWeddshouseremindedhimofhome.Offthebeatenpathinnorth-ernOntariothewoodcabintheystayedinwassurroundedbybushwithacreekqui-etlyrunningthroughthebackyard.Mer-crediandhiswifeBarbaratooktheirtimedrivingtothislittlehavenjustoutsideofOrvillestoppingalongthewaytovisitfam-ilyandfriendsbutfortheninedaysittookforthemtobuildtheirowncanoeitwasstrictlybusiness.TwootherteamsworkedalongsidetheMercrediseachtendingtotheirownproj-ectswiththesolidarityoftheirfellowboatbuildersprovidingasupportivecomfort.Thisishowtheybuilttheircanoe.