Frank Turner and his family—wife Rena and sons Daniel and John—live in Savannah, Georgia, where he is a petroleum dispensing systems technician (he keeps gas pumps in working order) and an avid and prolific woodworker. Over the years, he had built a lot of furniture, but, he says, “there are only so many coffee tables and bookshelves you can stuff into one house.” He had grown tired of furniture making, all straight lines and right angles, and thought making a canoe would provide new and engaging challenges and produce something his whole family could enjoy.In May 2014, Frank began work on a 16′ Prospector from Bear Mountain Boats. He bought the plans rather than a kit, eager to try his hand at milling the strips, and picked up cedar from the lumber yard. Building the canoe from boards to boat took 18 months, working in the garage shop on and off; it was christened THE BEAST.
Photographs courtesy of the Turner familyJohn, Daniel, and Frank (left to right) pose proudly with THE BEAST, the first of Frank's canoes. A skull over crossed paddles adorns the bow of an otherwise undecorated hull. Each subsequent canoe would get fancier.
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It has been amazing to watch each canoe come out with refinements and improvements to each vessel. What is left out of the article is that Frank has also been sharing his talents with others as well as family. When the Troop 1 flotilla hits the water the first thing everyone comments on is the beautiful Turner boats.
That’s awesome!
A beautiful fleet. Thanks for sharing the story and photos of the family creativity.
This article showcases what recreational boat building is all about. If you can’t have fun doing it, what’s the point? Wood is the perfect material for personal expression.