You too can become a headturner in your new boat
Some eternal questions… Nature or Nurture? Ginger or Mary Ann? Yoo-Hoo or NesQuik? Now add Buy or Build, courtesy of Ben Barnhart, boatbuilder and sole proprietor of Santa Cruz Wooden Boats.
Behind proverbial "door number one" is the option to have Ben design and build you own custom, hand-made wooden boat. There are hundreds of options including sea kayaks, canoes, oar boats, and sailboats—fit for bay cruising or durable enough to circumnavigate around the globe. Barnhart’s boats are one-of-a-kind headturners with workmanship worthy of a Smithsonian showcase… except the Barnhart boats love the water and even maritime museums are landlocked.
And behind "door number two" is the option to build your own skin-on-frame kayak under the direction of Barnhart. Ok, you might not be a master craftsman. But former students with limited to absolute zero woodworking experience constructed their very own kayak from start to finish. (Photographic evidence at right.) The boatbuilding course typically requires 9 full days, with a few of the classes hosted under the sun near the Santa Cruz Lighthouse. Graduation takes place at the “super secret rolling pond”—everyone should learn how to Eskimo roll. Building your own kayak is a feat, but paddling your own boat is a transformative spiritual experience.
If you mention “Mister Archer,” Ben will include an Inuit paddle featuring reinforced blade tips with the cost of the class. There are other deals for those currently unemployed.
Till next time!
~Mister Archer
The Details:
Santa Cruz Wooden Boats
2608 Mission Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 430-6103
SantaCruzWoodenBoats.com
