This afternoon we got an opportunity to paddle a hand carved Haida canoe here in Kasaan Bay!
This is the first canoe built by Stormy Hamar (head carver on the longhouse project), and he plans to make more (which is great, because they’re super fun to paddle). It’s a little tippy when you first get in, but as you get used to it and relax (and get moving) it begins to feel pretty easy. This is a smaller, single-person version, carved from red cedar with a decorative, yellow cedar edge. If you want to see other examples of Haida canoes, check out this link to some images.
What a cool thing to be able to do! Thanks Stormy!!
