Here's an idea for an interesting family reunion

Ok, I will be making a skin on frame kayak within the next year. I will be making an Aleut paddle tomorrow. There is a man named Corey Freedman who lives in Anacortes, the jumping off place for the San Juan Islands. He teaches classes at the Center for Wooden Boats on making skin on frame (Aleut) or the misnomer of Russian (colonist) origin, Baidarkas and Aleut paddles. The classes cost $1100 when you take them at his shop in Anacortes, you can camp on the grounds, $1100 at the Center for Wooden Boats if you are a member, or $1300 at the CWB if you are not. (membership is $35 a year) If you take the class at the CWB it is a 9 day class. if you take the class in Anacortes, you can do it on weekends and take all the time you need. At the end of the class, you have a skin on frame kayak to keep. Actually, if you have priced good kayaks, that's not bad, and you have made the kayak yourself. and its beautiful and unsusual and will get a LOT of comments when you take it out.

So. I am going to make a skin on frame kayak next summer. If I do it alone, I will do it in Anacortes on weekends and do the family reunion wherever it happens. If enough of you want to do the class, we could do it together at the CWB or in Anacortes. On the last day we would make the Aleut paddles.

If you want to check it out, his website if skinonframeboats.com I think. If not I will put his website in the blog when I get home.

I paddled around Lake Union Monday and Friday in a skin on frame boat and an Aleut paddle. Aleut paddles are so much more ergonomically designed than "Euro" paddles I just have no words. It is so much easier on the shoulders
and takes much less energy to paddle. Skin on frame (sof) kayaks maneuver well, are lightweight, and go fast. Your kayak will be customised for you.

Can you imaging the family kayaking on Oakland Bay together in sof kayaks we have built ourselves? I can. I feels good. please let me know if you are interested in doing a class together.

Que Areste