Salish Canoe

For more than 5,000 years, the Salish Indians have inhabited the inland seas from Olympia, Washington, to Vancouver, British Columbia. Red cedar dugout canoes were an integral part of their culture and were used for fishing, hunting, trading and social visits. CWB's canoe is a hunting type for one or two paddlers and some gear, built probably around 1880. Common characteristics are the sharp entrance, high sweeping bow, flat bottom and carved, flaring gunwale. These vessels were fast, silent and seaworthy. This is typical of the canoes built by Chief Chi-Siak-Ka of the Duwamish Tribe at his longhouse on Portage Bay, about two miles northwest of CWB. This canoe was found in poor condition by the Reed family on Salmon Beach (Tacoma Narrows) in 1912, at which time the frames were added to prevent further splitting. This boat was donated to us by Lloyd Reed in 1983, after 70 years of use as a family boat.

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Nootka Canoe

This canoe was found on Fidalgo Island, which is on the eastern side of the San Juan Islands. This is the territory of the Samish people, who are part of the Salish language group. The lower portion of this canoe is a carved cedar log, with cedar planks added to provide necessary freeboard. It was likely a transitional style of construction, reflecting the shortage of large-diameter cedar logs after commercial logging began. The bow and stern are Nootka-style.

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Umiak

The Umiak is a very traditional boat in its culture. It was first made by Arctic natives of many different islands who often times sailed from Siberia to Greenland in search of food. The Umiak was used to transfer large quantities of people and supplies. Amazingly, this 26’ long and 6’ wide boat can hold up to 15 people and 10,000 pounds. This creative floating device was made from driftwood and lashed together with sinew; walrus hide covered the frame. In present day, Umiaks are made from oak, yellow and red cedar and Douglas fir, with coated nylon to cover the frame. Chopsticks are used to bolt it together! Yes, chopsticks. A Umiak may be sailed or rowed.

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Eskimo Kayak

This is the ancient framework of a Bering Sea kayak. The lashing is strips of baleen. These boats were light, flexible, and unbelievably fast.

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Greenland Kayak

This is a typical vessel of the Northwest Coast of Greenland, used for hunting seal, walrus and narwhal. Its shape was designed for speed and silence in quiet water. It was meant for long distance paddling and load carrying. The frame was originally made from driftwood which floated from Siberia, but our builder used oak battens. The fastenings are either lashings of hemp twine or wooden pegs. The covering is flax canvas coated with a mixture of linseed oil and several powdered minerals. This "filler" is then painted after a 30-day curing period, making for a very smooth, fast surface. This particular boat was built in the summer of 1994 at The Center for Wooden Boats by two German visitors - Jens and Betina. Jens was a student of the Danish instructor, Sven Ulstrup, renowned for his knowledge of Greenland Kayaks.

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Pygmy Kayak

The Pygmy Kayak is plywood of sewn seam construction. It is one of many kits made by the Pygmy Kayak Company of Port Townsend, all based on traditional types of human powered boats.

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