Mark Morgen gathered a crowd of about 35 people in the Chik-Wauk’s Nature Center building at the end of the Gunflint Trail on Sunday afternoon. After decades as an engineer for 3M, Morgen has spent his recent years building wooden canoes. 

During his presentation, he summarized the history of various boat-building techniques that are still relevant to those living near or visiting the Boundary Waters. Wood canvas canoes were the boat of choice in the early to mid-20th century. After WWII, aluminum canoes were developed with residual airplane manufacturing processes. A couple of decades later, the fiberglass canoe took the forefront, which eventually led to the Kevlar canoes that we enjoy today. 

Wood canvas canoes are not light, and Morgen estimates his boat to be about 70 pounds. Although they may be more difficult to portage than their Kevlar counterparts, they remain relevant due to their smooth paddling, repairability, and class. The wood canvas canoe can be built and repaired with local materials and glides silently in choppy waters. 

In addition to recent canoe history, Morgan explained each step of the labor-intensive building process that goes into creating a wood canvas canoe, followed by a Q&A about the process compared to other styles of canoes that he has built. 

Bonnie Schudy is the Chik-Wauk's director and she said that Sunday’s canoe talk was typical attendance for one of their talks. They usually bring in an impressive 30-45 people to the end of the Gunflint for their speaker events. 

The Chik-WaukMuseum and Nature Center is open to the public through late October. There are several events planned for the coming weeks, including an old fashion pie and ice cream fundraiser on September 3rd. To see all upcoming events go to: https://gunflinthistory.org/events 

 Morgen shows the rib material used in his wood canvas canoes. He uses white cedar that is steamed or soaked to be able to bend around the canoe form.

 Mark Morgen explains how the canvas stretching device works.

 The materials that go into a canvas boat were passed around for the audience to see and feel.

 Morgen's white oak bow deck with his logo inlay

 Morgen talks about his boat-building experiences with a guest at the talk.

 A variety of canoes on display