In 1995 I helped my friend Sam Johnson build a cold-molded Kayak in his father’s cramped garage, driveway, and front yard.  As a reference, Sam was using a book entitled “Building a Strip Canoe,” by Gil Gilpatrick.  I asked if I could borrow the book.  Inevitably, I built my first canoe on the budget of a bookstore clerk, and thus the seed of Woodenboats West was sown! (See article below).  I made a great many mistakes, but kept at it, and next built a canoe shelf of my own design for a co-worker.  Then, for my mother’s 46th birthday, I made a far superior canoe shelf (see pics).  It is a modified Redbird design from Ted Moore’s book Canoecraft, utilizing “Mac” MacCarthy’s no-staple technique found in his book Featherweight boatbuilding.

In the winter of 2004 I decided that my family needed a boat to cruise the Grand River.  I wanted a boat that was stable and could easily fit my family of 6 (including the dog).  I chose a simple design by Jim Michalak, the Jonsboat, from his book, Boatbuilding for Beginners and Beyond; a 16-footer with a 5 foot beam fore to aft.

Out of a desire to expand my craft, I began an apprenticeship with expert lapstrake/clinker boatbuilder Mike Kiefer in South Haven, Michigan.  Armed with my new knowledge and a vast collection of boatbuilding books, I decided to officially launch Woodenboats West in January of 2007.  I have since finished a “Mac” McCarthy-designed Wee Lassie canoe, a 16' tandem Prospector canoe and have begun construction on The Mouse Pram , a 7’9” boat for row & sail by renowned Australian/Scottish designer Iain Oughtred. 

October 1995