RON "This is July, 2006--much later in Tom's kayak building. After completion of #1 (as detailled in this album), he built a second at home."

RON "The two kayaks have apermanent home on Georgian Bay which is a kayaker's paradise.
Truly gorgeous boats!"

It sure feels dumb to be spending all this time spokeshaving a stick--what gives here ?

Finally, Ron allows me to work on the boat. I am grateful for the skills practice now that I am actually spokeshaving the inner stems.

I am wishing Ron had talked me into a less intricate accent strip. It is slow going through this stage, each piece needs to be fitted and glued.

I have enlisted my artistically inclined daughter Mara to help. Here we are finishing the accent strip.

Making sure all the pieces are lined up

Ron has a huge selection of strips to choose from, Mara helps me with colour matching, We have chosen darker cedar to give us a contrast with the basswood accent strip.

As we start adding strips in the chine section, it is a big help to have someone hold the strips while I staple.

Mara and I are checking to make sure we are installing the strips past the centerline of the kayak.

With the strips on one side complete, I am cutting along the centerline marked with a fishline. I am also beginning to wonder if I need reading glasses to focus on the marked line!

Each strip needs to be custom cut and fitted. Certain now that I need those glasses.

More fitting

Before installing the outer stems, the bow and stern must be shaped with a spokeshave. Need to be careful to make a square end and not to split the strips.

The outstems are installed into a bed of epoxy

Back to closing in the bottom. Progress is slow as each strip is planed to fit. Fortunately cedar is a very easy material to work with.

Here I am shaping the outstems. This freehand work with the spokeshave is the most demanding work so far on this project. The shaping requires constant checking to make sure the angles are consistent.

have finally got to the stage of closing in the hull. My friend and mentor Bob Dorey has come to help. Bob is booked to do his own Endeavor Kayak as soon as I vacate the mold to make way for him.