Canadian Canoe Museum Raises Sails With CSM

Built around what is now the world’s largest collection of canoes and kayaks, Peterborough, Ontario’s Canadian Canoe Museum tells the story of Canada like no other museum or cultural institution in the country. Rotating permanent exhibits, with ever-changing temporary installations, supported by presentations, workshops and award-winning education programs create a living context for visitors to experience the Canadian canoe tradition in its many dimensions. From massive ocean-going West Coast whaling dugouts to the delicate intricacies of a fur trade canoe made of pure silver to decked and open sailing canoes, The Canadian Canoe Museum welcomes visitors from all across Canada and around the world, each of whom have found or forged often surprising personal connections to Canada and its waterways through its rich and diverse canoeing traditions. For paddlers, a visit to The Canadian Canoe Museum is like a trip to the source. For others, it is a beginning, a discovery of one of the true wonders of Canada, that often continues with a hop back to the waterway for a paddle or a boat trip on the very waters where the Canadian canoeing tradition began. For directions, details and hours of operation go to www.canoemuseum.ca.

Canoe Sailing Magazine Contributing Editor, John Summers, is the General Manager of The Canadian Canoe Museum

A First Time Builder Builds a Modern Sailing Canoe

Old designs keep resurfacing in modern materials

Gary DeJong, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

One day in the fall of 2006 I dreamt of combining my interests in sailing, engineering design and building projects in wood. Over the years I have experienced the joys of sailing windsurfers, dinghies and cruising sailboats to 27 feet long. The small car-topped boat has been a favourite. My dream was to build a sailboat that would be within a reasonable budget, be completed within a year and be suitable for a first time builder.

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John Summers Comes Onboard as Contributing Editor

General Manager of The Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, joins a stellar staff

During more than two decades in the maritime museum field, John Summers has worked as a curator, historian, boat builder and educator, and has written, lectured and published extensively about watercraft history. He has particular interests in the history of yachting and pleasure boating, sailing canoes and pleasure boat advertising. Although a childhood ambition to be a naval architect was thwarted when he discovered that the profession involved doing math, Summers has continued to dabble with designing and documenting small craft. As well as designing the new 16-30 and building Somethin’ Else, 16-30 hull #2, he is restoring IC USA 132 Jelly Roll, a King Ferry Canoe Company International 10 Square Metre sailing canoe; he previously owned IC US 151. A veteran user of a wide variety of small rowing, paddling and sailing boats, John is a US Sailing-certified Level I instructor.