Detailed plans and instructions on making, finishing and repairing wooden canoe paddles.

A small canoe carved by an Indian boy makes a journey from Lake Superior all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

After years of adventuring around the globe – running, kayaking, hitchhiking, exploring – Beau Miles came back to his block in country Victoria. Staying put for the first time in years, Beau developed a new kind of lifestyle as the Backyard Adventurer. Whether it was walking 90km to work with no provisions, building a canoe paddle out of scavenged scrap or running a disused railway line through properties, blackberry thickets and past inquiring police officers, Beau has been finding ways to satisfy his adventurous spirit close to home. This book is about conscious experimentation with adventure, making meaning and inspiration out of tins of beans, bits of rubbish and elbow grease. Beau’s Backyard exploits are funny, authentic, insightful and being copied all over the world by everyday people. YouTuber, new dad, and self-described oddball who needs to shower more, Beau is what happens when you cross Bear Grylls with Bush Tucker Man. With a PhD in Outdoor Education, a string of successful short films under his belt and a boundless passion for discovery, Beau is the real deal.

When restoring a wood-canvas canoe, you don't work on it, you work with it. In This Old Canoe: How To Restore Your Wood-Canvas Canoe, Mike Elliott guides you through the process of bringing your classic heirloom back to life. He takes you step-by-step through all aspects of a canoe restoration from assessment to the finishing touches. Concise instructions clearly illustrated, provide the passport you need to embark on this unique adventure.

Making a Bent Shaft Laminated Canoe Paddle is all about the very enjoyable process of making your own paddle. Laminating is all about using epoxy to join weak wood strips into amazingly strong paddle shafts and blades. This book walks the reader through the setup, materials, tools, and the workflow to turn out your own wood canoe paddles. Hand tools, especially a spokeshave, but also a block plane and scrapers allow for even the beginning woodworker to turn out a beautiful paddle that is every bit as functional as it is art worthy. The setup portion includes a plan and materials list for a paddle form that simplifies adding the bend to the shaft and aligning the shaft pieces. The materials portion includes discussions of shaft, handle and blade as well as epoxy for shaft and blade and fiberglass for the blade. The tool segment discusses how spokeshave, block plane, scraper and an assortment of sandpaper are frequently used, as well as other optional tools like a Japanese pull saw, an Xacto knife, and other sanding tools. The workflow of paddle making is basically the whole book. Broadly speaking there is an assembly portion of a paddle project and a shaping portion. But in the garage during the reality of making a paddle both assembly and shaping are mixed together. Sometimes it is easier to do shaping prior to assembling something else. Sometimes it is easier to skip part of the shaping bit and go e.g., use the paddle to get a better sense of length and then come back to the shop and complete the shaft and the handle. Many options exist within the workflow of paddle making. It can be a flexible process. It's a great feeling to go paddling. It's even better when you are using one of your very own hand made paddles!

It was crazy. It was unthinkable. It was the adventure of a lifetime. When Don and Dana Starkell left Winnipeg in a tiny three-seater canoe, they had no idea of the dangers that lay ahead. Two years and 12,180 miles later, father and son had each paddled nearly twenty million strokes, slept on beaches, in jungles and fields, dined on tapir, shark, and heaps of roasted ants. They encountered piranhas, wild pigs, and hungry alligators. They were arrested, shot at, taken for spies and drug smugglers, and set upon by pirates. They had lived through terrifying hurricanes, food poisoning, and near starvation. And at the same time they had set a record for a thrilling, unforgettable voyage of discovery and old-fashioned adventure. "Courageous . . . Exciting and always immediate." -- The New York Times Book Review