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Sadie was with me when I capsized in a partially frozen lake. Other than being generally unhappy about the situation she didn't seem to be affected. She swam to me when I called and I put her into the partially filled canoe. She wasn't a fan of the idea and pushed off the gunwales and thwart to...

It looks like you had a nice area to work in. Lots of room. Building without staples is pretty ambitious for a first time build but it looks like you did good work. The bottom looks very round. How did the stability feel? Alan

That looks great! Are you happy with how it performed? What does the writing on the bow say? Thanks for the update. Alan

A local farm store was having an after Christmas sale so I picked up a pair of insulated canvas coveralls. I tried them out on our walk tonight. It was about 10 degrees (-12c) with a steady breeze gusting to around 10mph. I was directly exposed to the wind during the walk. I wore them over my...

Sourdough is more than just a recipe; it’s an understanding. So before we dive in, let’s define. Simply put: a sourdough starter is a live fermented culture of fresh flour and water. With adequate time, temperature and care, the culture will begin to ferment and cultivate the natural yeasts...

A few years back all I wanted to do was be in the canoe. 4-5 times/week was not uncommon. Taking a canoe trip was just icing on the cake and a way to put the skills I'd been working on to the test. Now I might paddle lightly 1-2 times per year. Each year I think I'll get back into canoeing and...

I think I'd roast wearing something like that all day and I think it would be too bulky and restrict movement. The shop and office are both well heated and that's where most of my time is spent. I'm in short sleeves or a light jacket when inside. I have no complaints about my daily wear, it's...

I assumed it was Haggis imported from Scotland. I've heard they're ugly little creatures. Alan

That's how most of them seem to be and I don't like it at all. I find tight thermals to be pretty uncomfortable and they don't seem to be as warm either. I had a pair from REI I really liked but when I tried to replace them I found they had changed styles and that the new ones were tight. I...

Yesterday I stopped by a local consignment store and found a pair of wind pants for $8. They're baggy and unzip nearly to the knee so putting them on over shoes/boots should be easy enough. No pockets but the waist is elastic so it's easy to reach into my regular pant pockets. Took them out...

Another day, another pants trial.... Since I like my mid-weight thermals so much I thought I'd try a heavier pair. I bought these from Terramar: https://www.terramarsports.com/collections/mens-warmth-level-4-0/products/4-0-mens-military-expedition-weight-fleece-thermal-pants Initial...

The Dickies temp IQ insulated pants mentioned above seem to be nearly out of stock everywhere. I could not find them in my size. Instead I ordered these Carhartt Flannel pants. Reviews said they were excessively long so I ordered one size shorter than normal and the length was perfect. Today I...

It's lacking in most places in the US as well. I think it's remarkable what they're doing and and that they seem to be making it work. Jim lives in a small, rural, town with no large town/city nearby. I never would have guessed they could find the support to make this work. No doubt much of the...

I agrre with Benson. Most strip canoes are home built. Alan

i know just the boat but unfortunately it's not for sale so you'd have to build your own. https://www.canoetripping.net/threads/composite-bloodvein-build.38693/ Stable enough for fishing and great for day paddles. Easily switch from sitting to kneeling. Good speed and tracking and but handles...

I make mine adjustable because my seat is adjustable. Most of the time the seat remains stationary but sometimes I move it to adjust trim because of load or wind conditions. Also in case someone else paddles the boat for fun or I decide to sell it. Alan

Interesting article, thanks for sharing! Alan

I build all mine as a floor mounted pedestal on aluminum rails. It's easy to slide fore/aft on the fly and I can use it sitting or kneeling. Alan

Cross bar all the way for me. I've never used foot pegs in a canoe but it seems like they would be more restrictive. With the bar I can put my feet in any location. Often I'll tuck one leg under and leave one on the bar. In this scenario I put the one foot in the center of the bar.

My bad. I thought you were joking about the olympic high kneel. I was doing my experiments in a surfski or 19" wide kayak so kneeling would have been....interesting. I've never done much kneeling, especially not for power, so I really don't know how that factors in for me. I do know that...