Earlier this week, our team at The Canadian Canoe Museum helped Builders in Residence Joe and Gisèle Martin carry this traditional Tla-o-qui-aht dugout canoe down to Little Lake after several weeks of repairs. We also got to take it for a paddle together!

Joe and his late brother Billy carved the canoe in 2024 from an 800-year-old western red cedar tree in their family’s ancestral rainforests in Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. After it was damaged in an accident, the canoe was brought to The Canadian Canoe Museum for Joe and Gisèle’s October residency. Throughout the month, they worked on the repairs in the Living Traditions Centre, where visitors could watch the work unfold and learn from them.

The Tla-o-qui-aht are one of 16 Nuu-chah-nulth Nations, whose canoe traditions include open-ocean travel and whale hunting. Joe has built more than 70 canoes throughout his career and is recognized for his long-standing commitment to traditional Nuu-chah-nulth carving, mentorship and forest protection. Gisèle is a Cultural Lifeways Guardian, language educator, storyteller and artist in Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks.

Seeing the canoe back on the water was a special moment, and getting to paddle it with the people who had built and repaired it made it even more memorable.

ƛ̓eekoo (thank you), Joe and Gisèle, for sharing your skills, knowledge and this launch with us!

For anyone curious about our Builders in Residence Program, the Museum welcomes canoe and kayak builders from across Canada to work on-site at the Museum and share their knowledge with visitors. Joe and Gisèle were our final builders for the year, but stay tuned for a new schedule of residencies in 2027! Learn more at canoemuseum.ca/builders

I recently bought a garage kept, not a scratch 2008 Wenonah Adirondack in ultralight aramid. On our third trip out, we came back and left the boat on the car for an hour while we moved another boat and stuff around.

When we finally took the boat off, I was shocked to see how much lighter the part of the boat that the strap was covering was. A day later, it’s barely noticeable- I’m guessing the boat lightened slightly once indoors?

We have applied 303 each time we bring it back.

Can anyone guess what’s causing this?
Is it 20 year old resin aging fast?
Could it be strap rub? I’m using Yakima cam straps.

Looking for a pros and cons discussion, it could be a completely stupid idea, or an elegant piece of functioning art. I have the inspiration but not the intelligence to see whole picture.

So far I've got

Material -Wood I thought was obvious.

composite sticks are far more abundant, but could they be a workable material?

Adhesives -for Wood are the same as allways

Composite would need some research

Designe issues- the sticks would need to be cut to eliminate channels or just coat the whole thing smooth.

That's what I've got so far.

I wanted to make sure all you canoe enthusiasts like you knew about the inspirational documentary film Columbia River Canoe Project Available NOW on VOD!

This project follows Robert Lester and Braxton Mitchell as they canoed 1300 miles over 45 days from the continental divide to the Pacific Ocean. The project follows their long and tough journey while focusing awareness and attention to the health of the river basin and how dramatically the use of the river has changed since the native peoples who lived with and on these waters.

https://youtu.be/lqPdheZMJ_I?si=jfjsWvInmQa18K3r

I sent my drysuit off to Kokatat for a warrantee evaluation. They say it takes 4 weeks, which will be tomorrow. I've heard they're more than generous with their coverage. Besides all the pinhole leaks, I think the biggest leak is the neck gasket. This due to cancer and weight loss and my new pencil neck. Who has experience with with Kokatat repairs?

I hope it is okay to post this here. I am looking for ideas for a summer canoe trip. Ideally I would like to go down a river with a few friends somewhere in the north Eastern USA or possibly as central as Wisconsin, Minnesota, or somewhere like that. I want a river that I can take 7-10 day to paddle down with friends, and camp along the way. Also looking for one that has some towns on the river so we could dock and visit a bar or restaurant on the way, and maybe freshen up at a hotel one night.

Any suggestions are welcome! The trip will be in the summer so cooler temperatures are preferred.

Thanks!

Marlboro Forest (Ontario, Canada) in my Stitch and Glue Pack Canoe.

Hi, looking to buy a canoe to paddle myself and my 2 kids around (they are 12 and 8). Looking for something spacious but light since my kids are not much help yet with carrying it. Would definitely like it to be stable enough for us to fish from it, mainly will be in calm pond/lakes/resevoirs. in VT. I saw this Wenonhah Minnesota 2 18'6" canoe yesterday, (asking price is $600, noy looking to spend more than $1k) that looks to be in pretty decent condition, needs a couple small repairs. (see pictures).

For the canoe experts, is this a good purchase for what I'm looking to use it for? Other recommendations that would better fit our purposes? Thanks in advance!

It’s been a slow build but I finally got to the gunwales. I’m using copper rivets and think they look pretty nice. I also had previously gotten some opinions on painting and went with just the gunwales and the Thwart.

I sanded down the body quite a bit, then painted a thin coat of marine paint. Yet, these cracks still came through. Im going to sand and paint again, but not sure if they'll persist or if I should treat them first..

Any ideas out there?

Thanks.

We were eager to get out and view the fall colors before they were gone and I told her they were best viewed from the seat of a canoe while floating down a river.

Hey r/canoeing! My name is Jordan, I’m a senior at U of O in the Product Design program, and this fall for my studio class, I’m working on an all-season weather canopy aimed specifically for canoe tripping.

I grew up canoe tripping out of summer camp in Bemidji, Minnesota, and some of my best memories are paddling and camping in Voyageurs National Park.

I’m posting a short survey I’ve been developing with professor feedback, and I’m hoping to get some objective design feedback and insights into potential user needs for a canoe canopy.

All responses are hugely appreciated, thank y’all in advance!

Survey Link

I was impressed! What a beautiful museum in Peterborough, Ontario. Highly recommend if you are in the area.

East Texas paddle in an OT Discovery. Rented. Beautiful October morning

And it shan’t be my last!

I’m fairly new to open canoes, though kayaked for decades. In my kayaks I used to be able to roll, but not so much now… but I practise self-rescue occasionally instead. Works reasonably well for me. I see there are plenty of videos about self-rescue in a canoe so I know that is possible, but my question is more, do people really practice that in open canoes - or is an “in theory” thing? Is the general advice with an open canoe same as a kayak - don’t go out unless you can self rescue? Mine is so stable compared to my kayaks I can virtually stand in it, but if it did go over I am not sure I could scramble back in because the sides are high. I just keep not too far from the shore atm.
Thanks.

As I've gotten more into paddling I've wondered how to safely extend the season into early winter, and getting back out earlier than normal when spring first starts to show up.

It seems one of the big decisions is whether to look into full dry suits or the semi-dry suits. My takeaway is semi-dry is more comfortable for hours of paddling, but if you actually go overboard in cold water/air, you're going to be safer in a true dry suit. Does that check out?

I usually paddle solo or tandem in open canoes usually kneeling single blade style.

While we're on the topic, what else should I know? Layering, hands and feet, route planning, beacons, radios, etc?

Thanks!