The Legend of Father and Otter:
The Creation of a Triple Kayak.
In November 2007, Heather and Bruce Neilson began building a wooden kayak from scratch in their basement in British Columbia, Canada. They followed the Osprey Triple pattern from Pygmy Boats. Bruce passed away after a year-long battle with metastasized colon cancer in September 2008, but Heather has continued to work on the kayak, with help from her boyfriend Chris and her mother Christine. Kayak construction is still in progress, so check back often to see how this inspiring story unfolds. Once the website and the kayak are complete, you will be able to look through a photo gallery for each stage of the kayak-building process.
Click to sponsor the Father and Otter team!
Kayak for a Cure - Aug. 30, 2009
Click on each photo below to see more photos from each step of the process.
Step 1. Drawing and cutting out the pieces
Step 2. Assembling the hull
Step 3. Fibreglassing the hull
Step 4. Assembling the deck
Step 5. Joining the hull and the deck
Step 6. Cockpit coamings and finishing (In Progress)
Step 7. Installing the rudder system and deck rigging
Media Coverage:
CTV - BC
Daughter fundraises in memory of her father (Aug 30, 6 o'clock news)
The Province
Kayak a family testament to cancer victim (Aug 31)
Click here to make a donation to the Colo-rectal Cancer Association of Canada through CanadaHelps.org in honour of Bruce, Heather and their journey to create through adversity.
Heather plans to finish the kayak this summer, and she and Christine will be participating in Kayak for a Cure. You can sponsor them by clicking here, or by searching for Heather or Christine Neilson on the Kayak for a Cure website. You can also join their team, and kayak along with them on August 30th, 2009.
The moral of the story is that from adversity, we can create joy: we can start from a terrible tragedy, and create something that will be enjoyed for years to come.
Site by Jenn Neilson. Updated: Aug. 10, 2009