Canoe building involves some very precise workmanship. Mistakes can be costly. This is not to scare you off, I simply want your attention. And now that I got it! Anybody with the willingness to take the time to learn the steps involved and, has to a certain degree, a lot of patience can be successfull in building canoes.
There is more than enough help available for newbie's to learn from. There are books, courses, websites, and, of course, other builders to aquire answers from. The most inportant thing is to learn and understand each step thoroughly before you start.
Make sure you have enough space, time, and forgiving neighbours before you start. A garage is fine but can be cramped at times especially considering it could take you over 200 hours to complete your project. Periods of sanding / cutting noise that will last for several hours at a time can easily stress good neighbour relations.
The average canoe will cost you around $1500.00 CAN in materials alone, so make sure your finances are prepared - there is nothing more frustrating than having to stop when you are on a role to wait for materials.
The best part of owning a cedar strip canoe you built, is the experience and satisfaction of knowing you built it yourself. So many things in life these days are mass produced with no pride in its workmanship. Canoe building keeps pridefull workmanship alive.
