Hi
Yes it is a Prospector -We cut about 1&1/2" out of the "freeboard" and tapered it upto the ends. When the hull went together it looked a bit like a supertanker ! We may have improved the look, but I think I'd leave it in next time.
The prospector is a brilliant design of canoe, I have paddled various versions of it in plastic and roylex, and enjoyed them all. None as much as this wooden one which is a joy to paddle. It tracks (goes in a straight line) really nicely, so is ideal for cruising. I chose it as the ideal boat for touring -2 people + camping duffel + the dog, and still has load capacity to spare.
She also paddles really nicely solo. She is such a light boat, that it requires very little effort and just glides along silently.
The hardest part for us was definitely the epoxy. We had all sorts of problems with it. Tapes wrinkling up, epoxy going off exothermically like a volcano !, fillers turning white or pink (the second boat got nic named the pink panther) and the epoxy generally going cloudy/milky not clear. - Epoxy doesn't like cold or damp, and the best filler according to the boat builders I spoke to is clean saw dust.
The other tricky bit was the where the gunwhales and deck join, we tried to be a bit flash and blend one into the other with a nice curve. it proved very tricky, as the sides of the boat move until stiffened with the gunwhales, so the angles keep changing.
The plans are excellent, the description on how to put it together is er lacking to say the least. We think this is written for someone with experience of boat building (by someone with experience), not us complete novices. You will have to use your head, and be creative in a few places.
I hope that helps, any questions/advice feel free to ask.
I have lots of photos of the early stages of the build, so i'll try and put something together.
Cheers
Rich
