Wild Rivers Expeditions of Bluff Utah, the foremost (and only real) San Juan River outfitter since 1957, has asked me to build a replica of the old Norman Nevills San Juan punt. They were a simple boat built in Mexican Hat for use on the San Juan from the Hat through Glen Canyon to Lee’s Ferry from the late 1930s through the 1950s.  Here’s a shot of an original punt

Andy Hutchinson and I took a bunch of measurements off of a few originals at Nevills’s grandson Cam Staveley’s place—one living boat and a couple that are reuniting with the earth.

I ordered up a pile of plywood and scarfed up the 5×16 foot floor and the 4×16 foot panel from which to cut the sides.

And laminated up the transoms.

Today RJ, Zeke and I ripped down and planed a pile of Monterey Cypress, and built the two transoms and five frames.

And Margeaux and Chelsea stopped by and got roped into sanding.

Tomorrow, with luck, we’ll pull the hull together.