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Build or buy?

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Feb 1, 2013
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Location
Geraldton, Ontario
So I need a new solo, something on the light side (40 pounds or less). Thinking about building, but really don't want to go through the process of finding wood, making strips, all that jazz again. Looking at buying pre-made strips, calculate that if i do that, the canoe will probably come in around 1500 Canadian by the time I finish.

Anyone selling a light, used solo? I could be convinced to buy one if the price is right.
 
What about a canoe on consignment? Maybe there is a member here who would build one on your specs? Cash and/or gear trade? Just a thought. I am sure some kind of shuttle could be arranged for delivery-pick up. There are enough curious and helpful folks between you and there to make a new canoe "portage" doable in car top pauses. I don't mind a drive between the border and say Gilli's truck stop in New Liskeard. You can buy me breakfast.
What design are you interested in?
 
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I think at this point, design is secondary to weight. I don't need a big canoe now that i'm 50 pounds lighter, lol. Maybe I should just whip together another osprey.
 
If you value your time at all ?
Buy !

Spend some time on the net, you will surely find what you need, cheaper also !

Besides ! At your age ? Better to spend your time Paddling, than Building Ha !

Jim
 
What? A sub-40 pound canoe? For you? That 50 pounds you lost must have been all your muscle.

At the weight you're looking for I'd say spend the bucks and buy something. Are you coming to the BWCA expo again this year? Minneapolis and northern Minnesota is a great used canoe market.

For real congrats on the weight loss. Buying yourself a canoe seems like a proper reward.

Alan
 
If you value your time at all ?
Buy !
Spend some time on the net, you will surely find what you need, cheaper also !
Besides ! At your age ? Better to spend your time Paddling, than Building Ha !

At the weight you're looking for I'd say spend the bucks and buy something. Are you coming to the BWCA expo again this year? Minneapolis and northern Minnesota is a great used canoe market.

Mem, I second and third that. You have other boats, and can spend time looking used, although I don’t know what the availability and market is up your way without a long roadtrip. Ain’t you footloose retired?

A used, light-weight composite solo in need of some TLC would seem ideal.

Buy two while you’re at it; I’m still looking.
 
Buy two while you’re at it; I’m still looking.

If anything can get you on Facebook this might be it. I haven't looked for used canoes in a long time. I just checked Craigslist and thought, "where did all the canoes go?" Then I went to Facebook Marketplace and found them all.

Hey Mem, I've got a Barracuda you might be able to talk me out of. Only 30 pounds. I'll throw in some quinoa.

Alan
 
The used canoe market down here should really pick up soon since Spring is close.

If if you want to pop down to SW Michigan I might sell you my Swift Shearwater for a price within your budget since I'm a nice guy. I've never weighed it but it's a bit over 40 pounds. I'd only sell it because I'd order another one in a super lightweight lay-up to keep forever as my last solo. Shearwater does like to have some weight in it...like over 200 pounds.

If you have the skills to whip together an Osprey that can't be a bad choice. I love my Osprey.
 
If anything can get you on Facebook this might be it. I haven't looked for used canoes in a long time. I just checked Craigslist and thought, "where did all the canoes go?" Then I went to Facebook Marketplace and found them all.

Hey Mem, I've got a Barracuda you might be able to talk me out of. Only 30 pounds. I'll throw in some quinoa.

Alan

Quinoa makes great ballast.
 
Easy choice...BUILD.
Trying to find a suitable solo on the used market is like playing the Lotto or scratch-off's. Sure you might get lucky and find something you can live with, but is that the standard you want "live with"?
Why settle, build what you know works for you and be done with it.

That's my purely neutral, unbiased opinion!
 
I am just starting a new solo build and part of the plan is to document the actual facts of certain stages ... one of those stages is the build or buy strips question.

The reality is I spent $89 on sufficient NWC for the build, buying strips would cost around $1200 canadian .... I could buy the wood, buy a new router, bits, planer, skillsaw and blade, pay myself $20/hr and still have money left over from the difference. So to me, making your own strips is almost mandatory from a cost and satisfaction PoV.

I built 2 Freedom Solo from BearMountain in the 16'3" flavour and they are great boats, the last one weighed in at 39 pounds.

I suspect you could do a 15'3" version and stay below 40 #s pretty easily.

Brian
 
If I build, it will either be the Osprey or the Raven, I've built both before, the Osprey multiple times. I can get very nice western red strips with finger joints for about 850 bucks. Shipping is 200 of that cost. If I find some local cedar, which is getting harder to do, I could make my own for under a hundred. But I'm really tired of making strips, I've done it for over 30 boats, the thought of it is almost soul crushing, lol. I'm still waiting for a response from Noahs, I could get enough red cedar strips for around 500, but they quoted me 200 for shipping, waiting for clarification, seems kinda steep just from Toronto. And there are no used solo boats in Northern Ontario. So, I will keep looking for pre-made strips I guess.
 
Noah's got back to me. I can get WRC strips fully milled in 6 to 7 foot lengths for around 550. That's not bad, considering the rough lumber up here would probably cost me close to 300. They sell basic kits for around 1500 delivered, trying to see if they will send one without gunwales and stems. Lots of fun, spending money!
 
Mem, it sounds like you are somewhere in northern Ontario, there should be small mills around where you could grab some nice northern white cedar reasonably priced, I know I did
 
Ya there are lots of places to get cedar, but as I said, I dont want to make strips again. Let's see, I'm thinking I've made strips for around 35 boats, three of them 20 footers, the last one being a particularly challenging devil, so a conservative estimate would be around 40 to 50 thousand linear feet of strips cut and bead and coved.

I just dont want to do it again, lol.

If I can get fiberglass and pre cut strips for around a1000 bucks, I'll probably do it. Or I'll hope that a real deal pops up somewhere within five hours of me.
 
If you were a little closer, I'd come and machine strips for you !

I've done that a few times. It's a busy day, but I can cut, and bead and cove in one trip. My trusty Skilsaw and Router table, is about all I need. Oh and a good dust mask.

As Cruiser states, rolling your own is a big savings.

Hoping you find a good deal on a canoe ! Thinking in Canada, they'ed be all over the place !

Good Luck !

Jim
 
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