Hi Pete

I contacted another timber yard today and asked about WRC - he checked with the supplier and looks like it is the choice - said they regularly get requests for it to make kayak paddles!! Wonder where these builders are. I've called local clubs etc and none of them admit to knowing any kayak builders. Pity.

I'm still going to investigate meranti to see what it is like but looks like WRC will be it.

Hmm, crocs, great whites, can't take my money with me. You're not trying to scare me out of taking up kayaking are you? Anyway, crocs are north, great whites are (mostly) south, I'm hopefully safe in the middle - plenty of smaller sharks though - tiger, grey nurse, bronze whaler, reef shark, etc ..... Now I'm scaring myself!

Thanks

pjr

Peter Robinson
Brisbane
Australia

: Yo Pete

: I made my first greenland paddle out of a $30 NZ piece of western red cedar 4
: x 2 x 8 feet long that was a 'second'. It had worm holes all through it
: and I figured that would give it a rustic character and me a license to be
: less than a perfectionist in making the paddle (my first one). I ripped
: the major cuts as perscribed by Chuck Holst out on the bandsaw at work and
: dealt to it remorslessly with a surform then finished of with a jolly good
: ravage with my beltsander and a liberal dose of Deks olje oil about a day
: before we went away on christmas holidays. It works really well, seems
: more than strong enough and should last a lifetime. I use it all the time.

: At the same time I got a premium $60 NZ piece of western red cedar same size.
: I am just about to whittle that down. Sure $90 NZ sounds like alot of
: money for two paddles, but that pales in comparison to the $170 NZ I paid
: for a carbon/poly composite which I don't use much these days.

: The western red cedar is light and easy to work with. Mind you the Jarra
: would be good for fending off those bloody great white sharks and
: crocodiles you have around your home waters

: Go for it. Spend your money on your boat and paddles - you can't take money
: with you when you die!

: Cheers Pete