Ashes Still Water Boats

Work by Caleb Gess who's converting a Tandem Day from strip construction to skin on frame. I think this is quite interesting and I'll be very curious to see the final results as he's also built a stripped version of the same boat making side to side comparisons more possible. The last correspondence we had was that this boat might weigh in at 30lbs + which for a boat this size is pretty good. Anyway, I'll share more pics and info as Caleb sends it over. Or, for those interested in viewing his work directly (and some great shots of his Tandem Day on the water), visit his insta ... https://www.instagram.com/caleb_gess_design/

Hello all. I've just uploaded a pdf with thwart, yoke and handle templates. Might there be some kind folks here who might take a critical look and point out all those spelling mistakes I'm certain to have included ... or other obvious to all but me, mistakes ... :) https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/yoke-and-thwart-templates/... Much appreciated cuz ... well, you know ... I can only handle so much embarrassment due to poor editing skills in one life.

AW 15 Skin on Frame Scaled to 30 inches. 3mm Baltic Birch and Cedar Contact Trevor (or leave a note here) if you'd like laser cut parts (doesn't include skinning material).... Assembly sequence and 3D model here: https://ashesstillwaterboats.com//assembling-a-skin-on-fr/

Another duo - plans as always at http://ashesstillwaterboats.com

Designer, Trevor Paetkau, with an Anglers Day ... not this fall, pic was taken 3 or 4 years by Deborah Dewbury (@larksnest). It was a nice enough day and if the image doesn't show it, Bella spent as much time in the water as out of it. It has to be below -10C before she stops swimming. She never really was a boat dog, always preferring to swim or run the banks. I didn't mind particularly as she never lost her puppy energy and never sat still for more than a few minutes. Thing is no matter how hard she tried she couldn't swim as fast as those solo boats. I never lost her though.

The season is closing all over. Reservoirs are drained. Leaves are off the trees. Light is dimming. Where we are in SW Ontario there's wet snow coming down and that damp chill is seeping through every crack and crevice and it sure was hard to climb out from under the covers this morning.... I'm getting pics from friends and customers who are still on the water, this one from Honza Chobotnice Basta. And I know some others of you will paddle all year. Me, I've got the fatbike out and I'm headed for a lap in the snow this afternoon and then some steeped and bitter hibiscus tea and maybe a game of Go with my son before dinner. See more

Meant to post this to your page earlier but forgot. Sorry... Today was final prep day for fiberglass on the top half tomorrow. Some final light sanding in a few... places then I fiberglass! Started in February and finished stripping at the end of May. Had to take a break to move and setup a new shop but happy to be back at it again. #allwater15 #backatitagain See more

Just a reminder ... we design beautiful boats.

Since we're being all face-booky about this boat, ain't technology the bomb. Link will take you to a rotatable 3D model, the rendering of which has a hard chine. It presents a nice shadow line and certain elegance, but to date, no builders have shared pics of the hard-chined option. In any event, the plans come with both the hard and soft tumblehome options. And as an afterthought, anybody promising to build the hard-chined options and send us pics along with their post-build... thoughts, I'll give them a 50% discount on the digital plans. Seriously. Send me an email via the website ... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-pl/the-anglers-trip/ https://skfb.ly/6vWUL

Further to the pics of Francois's Anglers Trip from two days ago ... these pics showing her in the shop and out of the shop. Brave man trusting those horses ... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-pl/the-anglers-trip/

An Anglers Day stretched to 16 feet. This is Glenn Town's 9th boat and at least 2nd Angler from Ashes. More on the design, and addition pics here: https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe/anglers-special-day/

Beautiful boat from Francois Piganeau. An Anglers Trip showing her classic lines. More info here: https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-pl/the-anglers-trip/

If the Solo Trip just posted below doesn't appeal, perhaps something shorter. This, a recently finished 13 footer, the Solo Pack by Ottoffy Zoltan. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-pla/ashes-solo-pack/

A new Solo Trip from Ted Rung ... Specs at: https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-pla/ashes-solo-trip/ Click on the "Statistics" tab.

Okay paddle makers, let's see what you've got. 650 of you have downloaded plans for the templates since April. This is a particularly nice rendering from @Mike Schuit. Send yours, or download at ... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com//straight-shaft-paddle-t/

If only we all had such beautiful paddling environs ... ! A Solo Pack from @Ottóffy Zoltán built to 13 kilos (under 30lbs!)

Nice boat report our friends in the Czech Republic ... a Tandem Trip built by Honza Basta. You'll have to run it through Google Translate but will be worth it for those considering a build. Click pic for article. Click link for boat specs. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-plans/tandem-trip/ https://www.padlovani.cz/tandem_trip_recenze/

This from Chris Bollins on Instagram. A Solo Day in limewood and walnut. Anybody want to guess how long? https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-plans/ashes-solo-day/

It's been awhile since we've posted. There's been a whole lot of reasons and boy-o-boy don't they all add to a novel. The good news is we've received a bunch of great photos from builders over the last few weeks. Here's a great one from Caleb Gess who's working on a Tandem Day. More here ... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-pl/tandem-ashes-day/

A different glyph from the same doodling session. This one a phoenix if that weren't obvious. Suffers from some of the same flaws. Whilst being sorta "Ashes" not boaty, and the triangle doesn't quite register as an "A". Won't print on a hat either so not really in the running but still ...

We're going to get some hats and jerseys made I think. Ignore the coffee stains; these ideas have been percolating for awhile. Any preferences?

Completed the hull on my AW15 and rotated. Ready for decking!

Another pic of Keith Sappington's Solo Quick. I tried linking to his page, but FB had other ideas. None-the-less, if you'd like to dialogue with him you could probably find him by scrolling thru the Cedar Strip page ... https://www.facebook.com/groups/486558078049296/ . In any event, this is what he posted about the hull.... "I launched last weekend. It was amazing to paddle this thing. One training 'lap' that I typically time is about 1.75 miles which this thing allowed me to knock an entire 8 minutes off my time on the first attempt, proving hull speed is a real thing and i chose the right boat for me. It's the perfect balance of stability for me to complete the 340 mile race accross MO which has been the entire goal of this build." https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/cano/the-ashes-solo-quick/

Keith's Solo Quick with seat installed ... I remember years ago a fellow paddling by seated in one of those folding lawn chairs. I think maybe he had a tiny stay sail installed too. And I remember thinking that was probably the most comfortable set up for a lazy paddle I'd ever seen. This reminds me of that. But much much nicer ...

Another picture of Keith's Solo Quick. A teaser really. I'd promised a shot of his seat, but here are the foot braces instead. Whilst I'm not a double paddle fellow myself, for those of you who might be, this would be a textbook example of how to create a sympathetic bracing system. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/cano/the-ashes-solo-quick/

Keith Sappington's recently completed Solo Quick. Some of you may have already seen this as he posted it on the Cedar Strip group. He's done a particularly nice job of the seat, which I'll share in subsequent posts ... In the meantime, her stats can be found at https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/cano/the-ashes-solo-quick/

More progress on Paul Fergusons AW 15.

It strikes me that many of you have only interacted with Ashes as a business entity. Given the current climate and how we've all been affected, no matter which country or continent, I thought I'd share the personal reflections I've been posting on my personal feed. For context, we've just left Brazil for our home in Canada and we're 7 days into our 14 day quarantine. Be kind. Be safe. And reach out if you wish ... ...Continue reading

Stan Truby and his AW 17 ... is that whiskey or is that wine my friend? https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak/all-water-seventeen/

For those who've been considering a Pack Boat, I've put together a list of the plans currently available. I published it a few months ago, but thought I might post the link again for those who might have missed it ... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/building-a-pack-boat-choo/ Enjoy browsing ... and maybe leave your thoughts if you've built one or more of them.

Double paddled Solo Day ... #ashesbuilt #solocanoe #canoe #kayak

Paul Ferguson has shared a picture on the Cedar Strip group showing the start of his All Water 15 ... this picture shows the hard centre chine quite nicely; the design of which has the dual advantage of slightly increased initital stability and a playful edge to carve against.

I'm working on cutting files for the Solo Quick. Should take about a week or two. If anybody here is interested give me a shout ... $65 USD for the files and a single licence. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/cano/the-ashes-solo-quick/

Another nice pic of Glenn's Solo Quick. There have been a number of winter builds this year of which I'll post pictures as they come in. Meanwhile, stats etal at https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/cano/the-ashes-solo-quick/

A nice Solo Quick from Glenn Goldfarb ... Alaskan yellow, poplar and ash. 16.5' x 26" https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/cano/the-ashes-solo-quick/

Drawing boats. With coffee.

Share your pictures!

After a long long walk-about we're back at it and contemplating the next year. So I have a question. Currently the plans catalogue has a nice selection of canoe plans of which the only significant gap would be large tripping canoes. I suppose there are also a variety of niche boats such as a Tandem Quick that could be added, but for the most part, I'm feeling like the catalogue is almost complete.... But anyway, the question ... if it were you, what would you add? More kayaks? Different construction techniques? Skin-on-frame boats? Panel boats (stitch-n-glue)? Kits? Models? Any thoughts, much appreciated.

Let's just say you were to get that last picture untangled. This is what you'd end up with. Sort of. Hydrostatics the same. Interior dimensions smoothed and engineered according to stressors. Don't get dizzy.

Anybody think they can make a boat from this ...

Ashes Built on vacation.

Introducing the All Water 17 - Day 11 For further comparison, here's an animation of the 13 footer. She's 4 inches wider than the AW 17, and carries with her the extra stability you'd presume. Clearly, the boats are intended for different users and whilst their broad strokes look very similar, there are a host of subtle design changes to make both function at their particular lengths, breadth, and displacements.... The boats can be compared by visiting Ashes' Kayak page here: https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak-plans/

Oh oh.The Black Friday and Cyber Week sales are over. So what's a lad or lassie to do? Well, don't be sad, download some paddle templates and go make a blade. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com//straight-shaft-paddle-t/

Introducing the All Water 17 - Day 9 This boat using an"additive" coaming method. It's built from 4 1/4" plywood rings which are laminated in place (but not glued to hull until shaped). It's simple but does require a fair amount of material. If you do choose to order plans, they will full size templates for a recommended cockpit opening. Naturally, each paddler is a different size and has different needs so the opening can be adjusted accordingly. In all cases though, the c...onstruction method will work just fine. And as always, more drawings and more info at: https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak/all-water-seventeen/ And just for added incentive, keep in mind that today is the LAST day for the Cyber Week discount ... code " Cyber Week 2019 " Have at it!

Introducing the All Water 17 - Day 8 There's no secret where Ashes gets its inspiration. Sheesh, just look at all the anatomical references all over our stuff. These pictures show the bones of a juvenile grackle laid beside over the All Water's strongback. A family of them were trapped in the chimney over the previous winters, and spring clean-out coincided with laying up an AW in the barn.... Anyway, builders starting out their adventure might also benefit from his pic as it shows the lay-out of the frames, strongback and spine. Remember, just two more day to take advantage of the cyber week specials. Use code "Cyber Week 2019" to redeem 33" discount. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak-plans/

Introducing the All Water 17 - Day 7 A single paddle. It's no secret that I prefer a single blade. Even in a kayak. I'm posting these pictures here to encourage those die-hard canoeists who may never have considered this as an option.... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak/all-water-seventeen/ Whilst giving up some efficiency, the paddler benefits from greater control. I use an otter-tail and find that all the strokes that apply in an open boat apply equally to the longer closed hull of a boat like the AW 17. Now, in moving water, I'd want to have a rethink, but in protected or still-water bays and lakes, the rhythms are wonderfully familiar, and well, if you're not wearing a skirt, your lap stays dry! And for those of you who have scrolled this far down, and are either subscribers, or would otherwise like in on a secret; tomorrow I'll send out the last Cyber Week email with the Subscribers Gift. It will be your last chance at the "gift" ... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/black-friday-2019-subscri/

Introducing the All Water 17 - Day 6 One of the bigger challenges builders of strip kayaks have is figuring out the deck/hull join lines. Most plans will indicate where the separation point is best drawn, however a host of other questions remain; strip orientation being one of them. Careful examination of these pictures will show how two different builders handled the sweep of the sheer.... Four more days, btw, to take advantage of Cyber Week discounts. Code is " Cyber Week 2019 " when checking out. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak/all-water-seventeen/ Enjoy! And happy building!

Introducing the All Water 17 - Day 5 Here are the stats. LOA - 17'... LWL - 16' 2" BOA - 22" BWL - 21.5" Stern Height - 10" Rear Deck Height - 8" Front Deck Height - 12" Bow Height - 14.5" Rocker Stern - 1" Rocker Bow - 2" Displacement at: 3.0" - 140 lbs 3.5" - 180 lbs 4.0" - 222 lbs 4.5" - 265 lbs Max (5") - 310 lbs Centre of Buoyancy - 8' from stern Lateral Wind Surface - 10.8 sq ft Wetted Surface - 21.8 sq ft Interested builders who would like resistance and stability curves are free to have them; just shoot us an email ... [email protected] or visit the boats website ... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak/all-water-seventeen/

Introducing the All Water 17 - Day 4 Another couple of pictures of the All Water's body plan. The first is of the 17 footer, the second is the 15 footer ... along with Trippy standing still :) The hulls are 22", 24" and 26" for the 17, 15 and 13 footers respectively. What this does is keeps their displacement to relatively similar capacities believe it or not. ... Each one will easily accommodate paddlers between 150 and 200 pounds and the 15 footer will take larger paddlers. More info on all the boats can be had at https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak-plans/ And don't forget, the Cyber Week discount (33%) still applies. Enter code " Cyber Week 2019 " when checking out to redeem.

Light. Elegant. And suitable for amateur builders. A perfect gift for those dreaming of building their own heirloom craft. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/cyber-week-2019/

Introducing the All Water 17 - Day 3 One of the reasons the All Waters are so versatile is their central hull chine that runs through their mid-sections. On one hand these flat(ish) sections make for a more stable and playful boat, and on the other hand, they provide a great deal of leeway for experienced paddlers to lean and carve the hull. The attached pic shows the stern sections of the AW 17, but the profile is largely shared by the AW 15 and 13 respectively. The drawings... can be examined more closely on the AW 17 page, and likewise the respective pages for the other boats. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak/all-water-seventeen/

Introducing the All Water 17 - Day 2 A few shots to whet your whistle. Full stats and more pictures along with ordering information is available at: https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak/all-water-seventeen/... And as per yesterday, don't neglect to apply the appropriate discount codes ... "Black Friday 2019" will get you 50% off if you sneak in the order today.

Introducing the All Water 17 - Day 1 I've been playing around the edges of this release for more than a year, but today makes it official. She's an efficient 17 footer with the lines of a thoroughbred. The asymmetric stern eliminates the need for a skeg or rudder and her central chines mean she offers good initial stability for novice paddlers, but will carve an elegant arc at the hands of an experience kayaker.... I'll post pictures, stats etc etc over the next few days so today's link is just here to officially introduce her. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak/all-water-seventeen/ Keep in mind too, that plans for the 17 are eligible for the Black Friday, Cyber Week discounts ... 50% and 33% respectively. An subscribers to the Ashes newsletter should check their inbox for a further treat.

Enter " Black Friday 2019 " when checking out to redeem 50% discount. This weekend only. Go here ... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com And remember, if you're a subscriber, don't forget to open your Ashes newsletter to redeem your free download. If the email isn't in your inbox, check your discard or junk file. ... Enjoy!

Sad news. Free plans for the All Water 15 have been taken down. Good news, plans for the All Water 17 have been posted. And even better news, they're all discounted 50% (use code "Black Friday 2019") until Sunday midnight.... And if you're a subscriber, even better news, but you'll have to wait until this evenings newsletter. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak-plans/

Plans for the All Water 15 will remain FREE until Thursday afternoon. Anybody hoping to get a set needs to head over there now!!! https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak-p/all-water-fifteen/ After the 28th, standard prices will apply - $65 USD for digital plans and $85 USD for printed plans.... Just sayin' ...

Trippy says go check this out ... seventeen feet of goodness. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/kayak/all-water-seventeen/

It ain't your grand daddy's shop anymore. A Tandem Trip in the making ... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-plans/tandem-trip/

Skin-on-frame detail ...

One my favourite pics ... really! From David Casaceli. A Tandem Trip in process. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-plans/tandem-trip/

A traditional finish for your canoe paddle. Everything you need to know ... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/making-/applying-a-finish/

I've been meaning to post something about selecting a canoe paddle for awhile but like much in life, I kept second guessing things. In any event, the article is linked below and it includes a discussion of the following: Paddle Shape Surface Area Blade Thickness... Shaft Length Grip Style Balance and Symmetry Center of Effort Materials Finish I'd greatly appreciate your thoughts, both in agreement and contrary to the article and will include any worthwhile bits and pieces in a second edition. Keep in mind that I'm a terrible copy-editor so if you find typos I won't be offended if you point them out! https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/mak/choosing-which-design/

Here's a bunch of nice paddles built by our customers over the years. I'm afraid though that I was remiss when saving them in also saving the names of those who built them. Sooo, what I'd like to do is credit the builders. If you've sent pics in the past or if you have pictures you'd like to send for Ashes to post, please be in contact. I'll create a web-page post credits as/if/when they come through, as well as any new pics and perhaps by the end of it we can have a nice r...epository of beautiful things built by the Ashes family. In the meantime, I know that most of you know that as of last week we're working off the second edition, which changes the shapes based on what we've learned since launching the templates back in February 2016. If you haven't already, take a look at/or download the new shapes at ... https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-paddles/ Best regards, Trevor

We've just released the 2nd Edition of the Ashes straight shaft paddle templates. So what's different? Well, they're still free but: 1/ We've softened the shoulders of each model, effectively moving the center of effort lower on the blade, making them slightly more efficient for the same surface area. 2/ I've hardened the corners a tad making them catch a little earlier and release a little later, giving the paddler a tad more control.... 3/ The grips have been widened and lengthened providing more feel and finesse on one hand, and more options for palm and finger placement on the other hand. 4/ The file has been cleaned up considerably as at some point in the last bit the original was corrupted and the occasional printed file would come back wonky. 5/ And lastly, to my eye, they're much much prettier! The link will provide with an option to download. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe-paddles/

Further to yesterday's post, these pics show two different stripping patterns from two different builders. Same boat ... different builders. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe/anglers-special-day/

Troubles? Some folks have reported glitches downloading the All Water 15 plans. If that's you send me an email at: [email protected] and I'll make sure that we get you a set.

An Anglers Day from Frank Schultz in Leipzig, Germany. I particularly like the rise of the strips towards bow and stern; it's not a pattern I would have thought of but it nicely accentuates the stems fore and aft. More info on the design at https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/canoe/anglers-special-day/

I've spent a couple of days compiling plan sources for small canoes/pack boat. My hopes are that it will provide a comprehensive list for those looking for a small boat. The list is in the link. I'd be appreciative of those who might spend a minute and tell me what I've missed. https://ashesstillwaterboats.com/building-a-pack-boat-choo/... Oh, and that's Trippy by-the-way. I didn't draw him. I found him on the internet and he amuses me.

Okay, apart from the Anglers Pack and All Water 15, both of which we've just released, we've got some others waiting for release. I'm somewhat agnostic about which one could come next. That said, I'm thinking one of the following Tandem Quick - 18.5' x 34" All Water 17 - Strip Kayak... Thoughts? Ps ... Cuz I know somebody is going to ask; I'm working the the 24 Hour Kayak. Promise!!!

Well ... this is cool. Seth Godin gave a shout-out to Ashes yesterday. "I’m imagining that I’m going to build a boat in my garage. Imagining is way better than actually doing it ... and I’ve always been fascinated by how you just take basically 40 pounds of cedar strip scraps and make it into a boat.... Well, there’s this guy, who has built a website where he sells you a tube with plans in it. That’s all you get is a printout. And what I love about it is it’s as if he has the ethos of a $50,000 motorcycle manufacturer. It’s got a style to it. It’s not just here’s the minimum, it’s here’s the maximum, here’s the Rococo Baroque version of a set of plans to make this timeless boat. And it is entirely possible I will never make the boat because I got almost 106% of the satisfaction just by knowing that I could." Podcast here ... https://soundcloud.com/cool-tools/196-seth-godin#t=5:00