Build a Standup Paddle Board  NEW

Brian is a retired primary school and TAFE teacher who is passionate about building boats and getting out on the water, be it sailing, steaming or paddling. He has built dinghies, canoes, kayaks and stand up paddleboards with men’s groups, youth at risk, indigenous girls, and TAFE, Primary and High School students. He has seen the tremendous sense of pride and self-worth that building their own craft has brought to them- for many students it has been their first success at school. He has built stitch and glue canoes with students in high schools, TAFE, the National Maritime Museum in Sydney, the Wooden Boat Festivals in Hobart and Rhyll (Phillip Island), and 73 at Camp Creative, bringing the total number of these canoes afloat to 185. He has also built boats for himself, including canoes and kayaks, sailing dinghies, a 7m steamboat, and a 1920’s design speedboat. His aim is to show as many people as possible how easy it is to get afloat in a craft they have built themselves.

As Ratty said to Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s ‘The Wind in the Willows’… “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing… as messing about in boats.”

Paul has done the Canoe course twice before at Camp Creative, building canoes with his two sons, who enjoyed the course immensely…and turned out a couple of very impressive canoes! Paul has recently retired and is trying his hand at farming in the local district. Paul has been doing woodwork and technical drawing for 40 years, and is bringing his skills to an enlarged course that will see both canoes and SUP’s being built in the one location at CC.