why should I trust this man with my boat?
reliability and dedication
That’s a fair question. You spent a lot of time and money researching, purchasing and outfitting your vision of perfection for quality paddling time on the water. Now something unforeseen has happened and your boat is requiring some gentle love to get it safely back on the water. So why trust this stoic bearded man with your pride and joy? I mean look at him, you don’t know whether he’s going to help you with your boat or throw it at you. Two reasons – RELIABILITY, DEDICATION and SKILL. Wait that’s three reasons…ummm… Well, let’s say skill is implied with dedication.
DEDICATION: Jim doesn’t just like to paddle, he lives to paddle. Look at the expression on his face, look at that form, … you know this crazy man lives boats. He’s one of the few people I know who has actually paddled to work. Jim grew up among the summer camps of northern Wisconsin using his outdoor skills with canoe and kayak first in recreation then as a camp counselor, encouraging youth in the quiet sports for many years. He eventually migrated to Madison and became heavily involved in the paddling community through employment at Rutabaga, the world’s largest paddle sports outfitter, sharpening his repair skills on all manner of bad decisions and accidents. Canoes, kayaks, whitewater boats, he’s seen it all.
RELIABILITY: Jim’s the most reliable person I know. Literally. He takes pride in every aspect of his work, from a simple thwart replacement to fixing that large hole when you thought raging down the Brule in a kevlar canoe was a good idea. He’ll put all of the pride, appreciation and joy he has into making your craft not only paddle worthy but looking as close to original as possible. You made a mistake, but don’t worry, Jim is there for your boat, he’ll treat it like an orphaned puppy.
Repair / Upgrade Services
Canoe Repair / Upgrades
No matter how terrible your choice of mistakes, Jim can hit the “undo” button on your damage. Cracks, chips, gouges or road rash… Jim has seen it all. Let’s talk …
Kayak Repair / Upgrades
Didn’t realize your expensive sea kayak doesn’t belong on a river? Saw that youtube video of a waterfall drop and thought you’d give it a try? Never fear, Jim is …
Consultation
Intelligent questions will get you free intelligent answers. As degrees of common sense descend so will Jim’s sense of humor. Good ahead and ask the question though, he won’t laugh …
Samples of Jim's work
Featured Projects
Gel Coat Patching
Plastic Welding
Gunwale Replacement
Client Testimonials
Justin SStomach that walks like a man Can't read a map
What I thought was a portage trail ended up being a hiking trail. I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me during the first mile and a quarter. Needless to say my canoe suffered numerous dings and scratches. Jim was able to cover up my incredible error in judgement.
Bob K.I haven't seen dawn in twenty years Canoe vs Snowplow. Canoe lost.
Leaving a royalex canoe in the parking lot seemed reasonable. It’s royalex right? The plow will just bounce off. Not the case and I was left with a large plow shaped hole in the side of my canoe. Being a poor hippy I needed a cheap fix. Jim was able to get it paddle worthy for a minimal cost.
Shawn P.He probably doesn't like you I like to do things last minute
I wanted to replace the nasty metal gunwales on my solo canoe with the sweet, sweet wooden goodness. I brought it to Jim last minute and he was able to finish it up the night before my trip. My lack of consideration paid off and Jim’s patience won out.