I'm not saying a great paddle, just something that will move a boat.

: Will just make a couple of Greenland paddles when I get back from the trip.

Nope, nope nope. Do them now.

Get an 8 foot 2x4 or 2x6 and lay out the center 24 inches for the loom. the rest is blades.

Measure 3 feet from each end. (You can cheat and use a yardstick if you have loaned out your tapemeasure) In the middle two feet of the board draw parallel lines for where you'll rough out the loom. On a 2x4 you'll come in an inch from each side. On a 2 by 6 you'll come in tow inches from each side. That should leave you a strip that is about 1 1/2 inches wide for your loom. Now take a sabre saw and cut out the two waste pieces you've just outlined.

You now have a paddle with blades that are 1 1/2 inches thick, and a loom with a roughly square cross section.

Set up your table saw so the outside of the blade is 1/2 inch from the fence. if you can get the blade high enough to clear the 3 1/2 inch thickness of the 2x4, great. Otherwise, get it up at least 2 inches. Now feed the paddle ends along your fence, ripping off a bit less than 1/2 inch from the thickness of the blade. Do this for 2 feet and 8 inches. You want to stop about 4 inches short of where the blade would contact the loom.

Flip the paddle over and do the other side of the blade. Then do the same at the other end of the paddle.

If you were working with a 2x6 or your sawblade did not come high enough to go through the 2x4, then you'll need to reposition your fence and make 4 more passes through the saw to completely cut out the blade thickness.

A few gentle crosscuts with a hand saw and the extra material can be removed, revealing a blade of about 1/2 inch thickness, with a blob of wood at the end, where it joins the loom, and then continues on to a blob, and a blade.

Get out the jigsaw again and round off the ends of the blades.

A few minutes with a hand plane will thin and taper the edges of the paddle, and you can also round the loom a bit.

Bingo, one hour and one paddle.

At any time in the future you can refine things. You can seal the wood with boiled linseed oil, or any other favorite treatment.

That blob at the transition between the blade and the loom can be whittled down with a pocket knife, or removed with a hand plane. You can shape it as you want for a strong transition between the loom and the blades.

If you want the blades thinner, go for it. Again, a few strokes with a hand plane will do the job rather quickly.

Hope this helps. You are the last guy I'd want to see "up the creek without a paddle"

PGJ