BUILDING A RANGELEY-STYLE ROWBOAT
Traditional cedar-and-canvas construction of a distinctive American sporting boat.
- BILL SHAMEL — JUNE 22–28
The Rangeley boat originated in the Rangeley Lakes region of western Maine around 1870. Like other boats and canoes that were developed in Maine to serve a specific purpose and operate in conditions unique to a particular area, the Rangeley boat is no exception. Maine’s expansive and often wind-blown lakes fed by swift-moving, shallow streams required nimble yet seaworthy watercraft. The Rangeley boat’s sole purpose in life was to provide a lightweight, easily manageable, stable platform for guides to carry fly fishermen in search of Maine’s legendary salmon. Over the course of its development, the Rangeley boat was built in several styles utilizing various building methods. With obvious influences from Adirondack guideboats and St. Lawrence skiffs, the Rangeley boat took its own distinctive characteristics and appearance.
The boat students will build in this course is unique in that it utilizes canvas-covered plank-over-rib canoe construction, built over a solid building mold, rather than the lapstrake construction generally associated with other Rangeley boats. Bill and his son, Jon, took the lines of a boat brought to their shop in Grand Lake Stream, Maine, for restoration. While the origin and builder of the boat are unknown, its lines are those of a classic double-ended Rangeley boat, while its construction is old-school cedar-and-canvas. The main advantages of this method are speed of construction and weight. With a length of 16' and beam of 47", the finished boat weighs less than 90 lbs, and takes a fraction of the time to build than a traditional Rangeley boat.
In this six-day course, students will have the opportunity to work alongside Bill Shamel who has been building and restoring canoes since 1969. Beginning with steam-bending cedar ribs onto the building mold, students will soon be fitting and fastening the select Northern white cedar planking onto the ribs. Inwales, outwales, stern, decks, thwarts, and seat frames will keep everyone busy during the middle of the course, and by the end of the week you’ll be ready to canvas the hull and apply canvas filler in the traditional manner. If you can handle basic hand tools, you will truly enjoy this week with a master builder and wonderful teacher.
Tuition: $700
Note: This is a six-day course ending on Saturday afternoon.