Very nice boat. I hope that you only use bamboo rods and fish with classic flies when you fish out of it When I worked for N.H. Fish and Game Department (about 34 years ago) I actually got to help make and repair canoes just like those during the winter. We provided each Game Warden with his/her own canoe and you would not believe the rough treatment some of those guys would give those beauties. They came back with rips/tears and broken ribs all the time. We would take them apart and repair them in between making new ones. To bend the ribs, we used a ten foot piece of 2 inch steel pipe about 1/4 filled with water. One end of the pipe went into the big pot-bellied wood stove and when the steam was coming out the end of the pipe, we'd slide in a piece of wood to be used as a rib. After steaming it for about 30-45 minutes, we'd take it our and put it into the home made jig and clamp it in to get the desired shape. It was knid of primitive, but the man that taught me was a master carpenter and the canoes he made were beautifully made, super light and handled great. I'd love to have one now, but I think I'd be afraid to use it. I tend to like to by/use equipment that is utilitarian like graphit rods vs bamboo. Anyway, thanks for posting the photos as it brought back some nice memories.

Jim Smith