: but I really want to do cedar or redwood
: gunwales instead of ash. I doubt if I would bash this boat on
: rocks, but I was wondering if anyone here has done a canoe this
: way, and if so, how well did it hold up? I know this is a very
: subjective question because use and care make the biggest
: difference.

: Any thoughts?

: Bryan K

Bryan-
I built a couple of canoes with basswood gunwales (coated with epoxy) and they stood up OK, though I never gave them really hard use.
Cedar and redwood both can be a bit 'splintery/splitty' IME; basswood tends to get a bit fuzzy if abused. It was also reasonably cheap at the time.

I also found that the gunwale dimensions could be reduced a bit, though you still want to keep that under-bevel on the gunwale. The inwales can follow the traditional wood-canvas 'look' with spacers against the hull and a lighter continuous piece. Stiff, but light. If you attach the seat to the hull rather than hanging from the inwales, the inwales can be less substantial. Some folks feel that hanging seats from the inwales (as in wood-canvas boats) prevents hard spots in the hull, but I don't think this is an issue except in whitewater impacts (where you'd probably be in a plastic boat anyway).

You've built a lovely boat. Nice work!