I'm in a boat Archives - Page 2 of 2

Sand. Vacuum. Resin.

We arrived at the Northwest Maritime Center Boatshop at a bit past 8:30 am. The canoe was waiting for us. Every time I see it, I have to take a minute to admire the texture, lines, and shape of this beautiful boat. I remind it how pretty it is; talking to inanimate objects is a trait I inherited from my mother.

Did You Think This Through?

For the next week, we will camp out in the boat shop at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, Washington, breathing epoxy fumes and embedding fiberglass in our fingers. This is the almost-final step towards finishing the wood-strip canoe started ten years ago by our friend, Matthew Mattson.

Matthew started this project as a senior in high school. He built a form, then applied strips of cedar to the form, then went to college, then moved to New York to be an architect. His parents consented to store the unfinished boat in the family garage, not realizing this would be a long-term commitment and would occupy the space otherwise given over to a ping-pong table.