Tammy and I went up to Vancouver for the weekend to visit relatives, so I thought I'd swing by MEC and the Brewery Creek Small Boat Shop while we were up there. When we got to the boat shop, Robert Morris was on the phone with Chris Cunningham. We talked to Louis and Mark before talking with Robert. We found out that Robert's book was about to be released! The Party was that night, and they invited us. We showed up and got to talk kayak building with LOTS of builders. They had food and beer and live Celtic music. Robert spoke some, he read the moving dedication and the acknowledgements, then started selling and signing his books. I picked up a copy and had it signed, "Mike and Tammy, You can never have enough boats and money spent on tools is never wasted. Robert Morris" We ahd a great time, but left early to get back to my bother-in-law's where we were staying.

I started reading Robert's book "Building Skin-on-Frame Boats" as soon as we got back. I let Tammy drive back from Canada back to Tacoma while I devoured the new book. It is wonderful. He tells how to build a toatal of 10 boats (5 kayaks, 2 canoes, a pram, a riverboat, and a coracle) in the book. You could build any of these boats just by reading the book (all 271 pages). I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and see that at least one of these kayaks is in my future. Robert has a great sense of humor, and my non-boatbuilding relatives enjoyed the excerts that I read to them. But what I am truly amazed at was how well he described how to build the kayaks.

The kayaks in the shop were also quite nice. They had various Greenland kayaks and Baidarkas, plus their Reteaval and Recovery kaykas. I was very disappointed that I did not bring my kayaks up there. They invited me to go paddling with them on Saturday afternoon. It would have been a great time. Next time I go up there the kayaks will be coming with me.

By all means go out and buy the book. The actual cover of the book has a picture of a Greenland Kayak above the title.

Mike