Cape Falcon “66” Canoe
I have been building canoes such as the Cape Falcon F1 kayak designed by Brian Schulz of Cape Falcon Kayaks at my home on the banks of the Derwent River, Hobart Tasmania. The “66” canoe is a great alternative to the sea-going kayak. It is the same lashed construction with a hard-wearing nylon skin and has the added advantage of being able to be made in “nesting” pairs which makes storage a whole lot easier…
Canadian “Peterborough Prospector” Canoe
This is a traditional Canadian-style canoe best described in the books by Jerry Stolmek and Rollin Thurlow. Built of King Billy planking with Huon Pine ribs and Myrtle gunwales it is both beautiful and functional. With a skin of nylon rather than canvas, all the problems of rotting associated with these canoes have been addressed and the purchase of one of these crafts should be seen as something to pass on to the grandchildren…
Geodesic Airolites
The late Platt Monfort came up with the idea of using Ultralite aircraft technology to create a beautiful, lightweight, yet strong watercraft.
Basically, the craft consists of a wooden lattice style framework, complemented by a crisscrossing Kevlar roving and then covered with Dacron which is then heat shrunk to form the finished work.
His designs focus on canoes and small rowing/sailing skiffs. I have built several of these designs and have studied in detail most of the various plans. I continue to be intrigued by the sheer delight these designs give me.
My heartfelt thanks always to Platt and the people at gaboats that continue to support his ideals.
Percy Blandford PBKs
These canoes or open kayaks were very popular in their day and are often found in poor condition with rotted canvas or damaged woodwork. I can refurbish anything that you find and have done so a number of times.
For new builds, my chosen design is the PBK57 as it uses bent ribs rather than full plywood stations to form the shape of the hull. This design can be built as a lightweight river boat or with a heavy-duty skin for seagoing work.
Send me a message via the Contact Page or call me. (Mobile number on the Contact Page).
