boatbuilding student canoist needs experience

Greetings all.

You get one exotic contact from wales, UK, improbable enough, and then two.

I'm a joiner's mate/academic philosopher from wales whose love of the canoe and working with wood has taken me now to boatbuilding college: http://www.pembrokeshire.ac.uk/mitec/index.html

It's a two year full time foundation course in which the first year workshop emphasis is on hand tools with wood, and having started there in September I'd love to send you pictures of things I've already made, like a fully functioning bollow plane, various frames and boxes, oar, etc. (maybe I need my own snazzy website for this sort of thing, pictures of me piroetting with paddles I've made with crook knifes and all that?)

I'm going to have two months in the summer free to do fun boaty things and I'm hoping there may be some possibility of working on wooden canoes. Realistically I suppose oportunities for working on the old cedar strippers will be rare, but an opportunity to take part in the wood canvas renaissance would be very welcome. Perhaps members or guests may have some suggestion (have toolbox, will travel).

Perhaps someone will be bright enough to suggest that I contact you previous correspondent and help my compatriot with his 14ft wood-canvas that he has just bought! I guess that might be worth thinking about, serendipity and all that.

If I did that I'd be armed with books (including 'the wood and canvas canoe') and tools, and one year's foundation at Mitec. But I wouldn't be hanging around with persons experiemced in wood-canvas, and would therefore be very dependant on advice at a distance.

Examining my options, does anyone know of possibilities for helping out with experienced builders, the sort of people I would dream of working for?

Is there somewhere in particular on this site that I should post a thread 'summer project / apprenticing?'

Any thoughts?

Regards all,

David Robjant, Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales, UK

 

Re Project

Hello again David,
I hadn,t read this post when I replied to your PM.
I now realise you are quite the professional !
I do hope you get the chance to come and look at my canoe ,as I,d like your opinions as to the best way to proceed with the refurbishment,
and of course I,d be delighted if you decided to commit some time to working with me on the project,
I would be able to offer board and lodging if you wanted to stay over,
I look forward to meeting you ,
seasons regards Noel