Custom built boats:

Shearwater Boats Specializes in building unique custom canoes and kayaks. All the custom boats I have built have been designed to meet the owner's needs. We can design and build special features from an integral rudder to a binocular storage hatch to electric outboard motor.

We will gladly build any boat you wish from our plans or yours. This baidarka was built with a cedar strip deck with matching veneer sheer stripe. It has a one piece integral rudder and an Orca veneer inlay on the deck.

Veneer inlays:

All our boats are decorated in some way, with distinctive strip patterns and veneer inlays. We use veneer to create birds or other graphics to bring out the character of the boat. When ordering a custom boat you can choose the artwork for your boat

Construction Techniques:

I can build you a boat plain or fancy. The photos above show two of the fancy boats. The left hand boat is a cedar strip built boat that I did for Dick Gamble of Essex, Connecticut.

The boat on the right is a stitch and glue Merganser with a veneer pattern stripe along the sheer line. I enjoy decorating a boat to suit your tastes and desires.

Strip built kayaks and canoes are very beautiful, showing smooth compound curves and beautiful contrasting woods. Stitch and glue boats tend to have a simpler look to them and have faceted shapes with crisp lines. They can be plain with varnished or painted finish, or decorated with veneer additions or contrasting plywoods.

Updated on February 8, 2010

by Shearwater Boats
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