The canoe is constructed from two sheets of plywood and a few pieces of dimensional lumber. When assembled with epoxied and fiber glassed seams, it remains leak-free from the moment it hits the water. The course is conducted over a five-day period and is suitable for builders both young and old. Younger students are encouraged to share the project with a parent or older friend. The basic design of the kayak is a Greenland-style, hard chine hull which lends itself well to the Lake Superior paddling environment.
Odyssey kayaks offer conventional features like bulkheads, hatches, recessed fittings, skeggs, etc.
While the instructor, Peter Pestalozzi, has produced a number of Odyssey kayaks in his downtown Duluth workshop, this is a first-time course offering at North House. Each Odyssey kayak is custom-designed using a computer program and templates from which the boat is built are plotted for each individual. This produces a very strong and lightweight craft. Cost of the class covers all design work and materials for the basic boat which includes foots pegs, two composite hatches, Voyageur recessed fittings and straps, foam seat, and back band. All aspects of the subject will be covered, from transferring bevels to making molds.