Tacoma, WA
In a previous life I designed and made fine wood furniture. I own a Mariner Express and have always wanted a Coaster. Decades ago I attempted to design a skin on frame Coaster from offsets. When I discovered Brian’s Cape Falcon work, it was a Godsend. His wisdom gathered from thousands of iterations , design, methods, techniques, have proven unquestionably invaluable. The process alone, working with these old fashioned even “primitive” methods, are such a gift to share with my son, it will forever remain a cherished memory and experience. The kicker is that we have ended up with my two of my favorite kayaks of all time. The boats are sublime, lovely and quiet, and they track, handle, and paddle so nice.
My best friend had been recently diagnosed with a brain cancer and had less than a year to live. My mentor who I apprenticed with as a fine furniture designer and maker was also approaching the end of life . I wanted my son to have more time with these two special and wonderful men. Both lived on Vashon Island, so we began our build over my sons college break using my mentors shop and studio on Vashon.
Our F1 builds provided us the opportunity to spend time with my best friend —Will’s godfather, and my mentor as they both approached the end of life. In our hearts they are a tribute and a celebration of their character and their lives.
