Month: April 2011

Edo canoe enquiry

EDO canoe 4

EDO canoe 2 EDO canoe 3 EDO canoe 3

Someone called Marianne has written from the USA to ask if anyone can tell her more about a kayak she acquired recently. It bears the brand Edo Western Corp, Salt Lake City, UT, Model#8102, Serial #148.

From the Wikipedia and elsewhere she has learned that company founder Earl Dodge Osborn developed floats for seaplanes, among other boats, but has not been able to find out anything about this particular product, including when it was made – Marianne suspects it was made in the 1940’s or 50’s, although the person who sold kayak said it dated from 1963?

I think it’s a wonderful period piece by the way – just look at those handles at bows and stern! As usual, if you can help, please either email me at gmatkin@gmail.com or use the comment link below.

 

A beautiful and touching short video made by friends of Ben Crawshaw

Ben launching Onawind Blue video

 

This is a lovely piece of film, but don’t let that distract you from noticing how Ben Crawshaw has the art of launching down pat – or the way he uses a topping lift to enable him to row efficiently. This fella has something to teach us.

And, as usual, he has his boat looking great, and the low sun looks even better on the sparkling water of Spain’s Mediterranean coast in January this year.

I found the Vimeo link on Ben’s website a bit difficult – if you have trouble making it work well, look out for a button that takes you to a YouTube presentation of the same snatch of film.

Film of Nick Smith and pals timbering out the steam launch Puffin

Nick Smith and friends timbering out a clinker built hull - in this case for the steam launch Puffin

This piece of YouTube film shows how Nick Smith and his colleagues timber out a clinker built hull using green oak steamed in a steam chest in Nick’s workshop.

It looks like damned hard work to me, but no-one can say the result isn’t worth the effort.

The only other thing I’ll say is that I edited this down from some film Nick sent over – and this will be the last time I’ll use Windows Live Movie Maker. It froze and crashed so many times I couldn’t count them, the only thing that got the software working each time was to go into the task manager and close it down that way. It quite spoiled my day – but hey, now we can all see how the professionals do this kind of thing (timber out a boat, I mean, not edit a YouTube clip!).

Nick comes from Devon, learned boatbuilding the traditional way and specialises in new builds in clinker and carvel for sail, motor and rowing power from 8ft to 28ft with a special emphasis on West Country style and design, and also takes on repairs and refits from 25ft to 50ft. These days he’s based in Hampshire, and can be contacted by email at nick_smith_boatbuilder@yahoo.com and by phone on 07786 693370.