The above photo was taken on the third day of our Canoeing trip on the Loire River in France. The two black canoes didn’t even exist a week ago.

When I wrote the original article on Disposable Canoeing I had no idea at all what it would lead to me and a bunch of adventurers, wine and cheese connoisseurs. Most of us didn’t even know each other! The picture above is the result of this adventurism, but what happened to make it happen?

What technology was involved to make the boats faster to build than most stitch and glue boats and what weather conditions did we have to overcome to make it all happen.

How much fibreglass is really necessary to prevent damage to a plywood boat for most users?

For a long time I’ve been suspicious that both designers and builders are in a never ending spiral of more and more heavier fibreglass.

I argue, with data from the Turner designed Jarcat, that the weights of glass are clearly excessive for most uses and users of small boats.

Csaba is my agent in Hungary.

He has translated several of my plans to Hungarian.

This is some of his promotional material in Hungarian.

Jack is rather happy with his newly launched Eureka Canoe.

He has built it as a woodworking project over the last couple of years as time became available from his busy architectural practice.

Anyway … a bunch of nice photos and some of Jack’s writing.

Michael Storer will be attending the 2011 Woodenboat Show in Mystic Seaport. He will be running a workshop for families building the Quick Canoe – choice of either the electric or the paddling versions along with Duckworks and J.O. Woodworking.

You can pay money for dry bags to store gear in when canoeing, kayaking or sailing. Or pay even more for buoyancy bags that keep you boat afloat after capsize.

Here Ian tells us how we can make our own cheaply.

A nice little reverie from Clinton who built a Quick Canoe this year.

After a hectic day in the city he paddled out into the middle of the lake to watch the eclipse in his $300 canoe.

A new plan specifically for an electric trolling motor. 5 to 6mph from a 34lb thrust Minn Kota.

This is a purpose designed low power boat for daytrips and fishing. The plans are $30 and many will be able to build the boat for less than $200.

An economics graph on a wooden boat plan website?

I am talking about getting out on the water in hard economic times – wooden boats can be very cheap and very, very good.

Do a Huck Finn and drift down the Mississippi in a light and simple plywood canoe or sailboat. Adventuring is cheap!

I am currently helping at the twice yearly duck flat boatbuilding school in Adelaide.

There are boats designed by me, Oughtred, CLC Kayaks, Joel White and Woodenboat.

People are from Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Perth.

There are a number of different suppliers in different areas. You can of course build direct from the plan and mark out the shapes. We have a system that minimises the chance of errors. However these suppliers all produce very good kits for Storerboats.

A video of the Quick Canoe in action.

My Agent in Hungary who sells plans in both English and Hungarian has launched the first Quick Canoe in those parts. It is designed as a very simple and easy to build boat. It is not a perfect high performance boat, but the numbers have been worked out to give good performance despite the simple shape. It won’t be as good as the best fibreglass canoe, but it will be better than many average ones. And much cheaper and lighter.

John Owen Woodworks in the USA is now producing kits for the Quick Canoe 155.

This boat is designed to be a real alternative to a basic fibreglass canoe, but will be lighter and usually much cheaper.

Some have built one in very few hours.

Robert Hoffman has been busy using his BETH sailing canoe that he built over a cold Polish winter.

There are now videos. I have also linked to all my videos on youtube – so you can see many storerboats sailing.

There is a new website for the Loire trip in France 2011.

It has been a bit traumatic putting it together, but it seems to be working now.

My friends Rob and Jane Hylton run sailing boat and canoe hire on some of my favourite sailing waters – the lower Murray Lakes – just an hour south of Adelaide.

The boat hire is quite cheap but linked with you overnight staying in the small town of Clayton Bay – on the edge of the Murray River. There are a number of different options. My favourite is a tent or an on site caravan on the river’s edge camping area. But there are classier (?) options as well.

Low season is quite cheap and the days down there can be very beautiful in winter with a good weather report. They also offer sailing lessons which can include a picnic and/or a tour of the fascinating Murray wetlands.

I built the Quick Canoe in a day and a half. This is way slower than some of my customers.

It is the first time I have been disappointed building a complete boat this quick.

The risk of high expectations!

But a day and a half with the problems I had is pretty good.

Is it revolutionary?

The Quick Canoe uses Duct tape to hold the plywood together while the glue or glass tape sets up. This can save a huge amount of time.

The Quick Canoe is designed to take maximum advantage from the method.