Biography:
Craig Addis has been captivated by wooden boats since being dropped into the middle of a wood and canvas canoe wearing an orange canvas life jacket as a very small boy. During the week, Craig works as a mechanical engineer but spends his weekends teaching the construction of cedar strip canoes at Hill Institute. In addition to teaching others the art of cedar strip canoe construction at Hill Institute, Craig has also taught this subject at the WoodenBoat School in Brooklin, Maine. When not paddling canoes, building canoes, teaching canoe building or reading about canoes, Craig enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, cooking and making fine furniture.

Course Description:
Some of the finest wooden canoe designs ever created were those of the legendary J. Henry Rushton of Canton, New York. Among the canoes that Rushton may be best remembered for were the double-paddle canoes of incredibly small size and light weight that were made for George Washington Sears who wrote for Forest and Stream under the pen-name of Nessmuk. These canoes are paddled very much like a kayak from a seat set low in the canoe. In Sears’ first letter published by Forest and Stream in 1880, he wrote of one of Rushton’s canoes:

“She’s all my fancy painted her, she’s lovely, she is light. She waltzes on the waves by day and rests with me at night.”

While the original canoes were flush lapstrake construction with elm ribs, Henry “Mac” McCarthy has re-interpreted the hull design of the Wee Lassie canoe for cedar strip construction. There are two designs that we currently offer at Hill Instutute – The Wee Lassie and the Wee Lassie II. Mac’s Wee Lassie design is 11 feet 6 inches long and about 28 inches in beam with a V-shaped, asymmetrical hull for better tracking and performance in shallow water. It’s not unreasonable to expect the finished boat to weigh in around 25 pounds. The Wee Lassie II design is a slightly larger boat, 13 feet 6 inches long and also about 28 inches in beam. This boat is intended for the larger paddler or the paddler who wants to carry some gear in the canoe. Finished boat weight for the Wee Lassie II is about 30 pounds. These are both solo canoes intended for a single paddler.

The Wee Lassie will quickly become a favorite. Her light weight makes her easily transported and handled at the put-in. Do not think, however, that light weight means a fragile boat - the fiberglass and epoxy reinforcement makes for a strong and durable canoe. In the water, she tracks well and paddles almost effortlessly, letting the miles slip by easily. The Wee Lassie is a small canoe and is best used in sheltered waters of ponds, rivers, lakes and sheltered bays and coves.

These small canoes are chosen because we have limited shop space to build and store canoes. Up to 6 canoes may be being built during a class session. It should be noted that all of the skills required to make a larger canoe are learned building the Wee Lassie.

During this busy and rewarding class, students will assemble their forms, mill strips, laminate stems, strip, fair and fiberglass the hull. The boats will be finished with beautiful hardwood trim and caned or taped seats. Because each student will be building their own Wee Lassie canoe, they should be conscientious about attending class on a regular basis. It should be noted that you can expect to spend a minimum of a fall and spring semester to complete a canoe. Still, nothing beats the excitement and satisfaction of building a beautiful, lightweight canoe with your own hands.

Costs for materials are broken up over the course of the year to make it more affordable for students. However, you can expect to spend about $600-$800 in materials. Some small hand tools will also be required.

Prior experience with woodworking practices and tools is helpful, but not required.