In brief:

Vermont canoe designer-builder, Peter Macfarlane, presents a line of lightweight cedar strip canoes which he custom builds for the connoisseur. The designs reflect his motto:

"Elegance in form & function".

Simply, he insists that his boats meet two criteria: handling excellence and visual elegance.

Each model has been rigorously tested, and every craft is tailored to the customer. The designer himself hand-builds each boat from raw lumber to the last lick of varnish, ensuring that his original vision is brought to fulfillment and that the craft meets his exacting standards.

The canoes are intended for those who wish to paddle an elegant craft, or who want performance in a lightweight craft without opting for Kevlar or carbon, or for those whose boathouse is not complete without the beauty of a wooden canoe ... or anyone else!

Why choose Otter Creek Smallcraft?

• Otter Creek Smallcraft canoes are beautiful to handle, on and off the water.
  
  
• Of all the beautiful canoes on the market, these designs are available exclusively from Otter Creek Smallcraft. To discover whether my designs suit you, please come for a no-obligation test paddle.
  
  
• Construction of an Otter Creek Smallcraft canoe is adjusted as necessary to ensure that you receive a craft which is custom-built to your requirements.
  
  
• An Otter Creek Smallcraft canoe is built to withstand the rigours of regular use, rather than being kept purely as a showpiece.
  
  
• You may never need or wish to buy another canoe.
  
  
• Buying a canoe from Otter Creek Smallcraft is an expression of support for small businesses.

A quick guide to this site:

Designs:  A review of the available designs and links to a more detailed page on each craft.
Features:  Information about aspects of the designs, as well as some optional accessories.
Paddles:  A well crafted paddle is a joy to handle. See what I can offer.
Pricelist:  How to place an order, together with prices for different sizes of each model and for accessories.
Gallery:  Pictures taken both in my workshop and at various locations that my canoes have carried me.
Contact:  Complete information on how to get in touch.
What Else?:  Boatbuilding does not cover all the bills! Check out what else I do here.

A word of personal introduction from the proprietor:

For reasons which I cannot fully explain, I have a love of boat shapes, gazing at elegant curves where others see merely a "boat". Maybe my penchant stems from spending many years in kayaks, competing in both slalom and marathon racing, as well as extensive canoe touring. Whatever, I have spent considerable time and effort propelling hulls through water. That experience now informs the designs of my own hulls.

Where it all started ...

The transformation illustrated in these pictures (left: rescued quite literally from a neighbour's woodpile; right: the result of many hours) provided a canoe which has carried us on many camping trips into the Adirondack wilderness, a canoe which tracks beautifully, cruises easily ... and, before re-trimming, weighed too much to portage with any degree of comfort! Nevertheless, she turns many a head.

A canoe from Otter Creek Smallcraft, in addition to sporting elegant lines and paddling like a dream, is built to be light, ensuring ease of handling both on and off the water.