Thank you all for your comments. We will be taking this down the Clarion river in PA sometime before the weather turns bad. That will be a good test for sturdy. For those of you that dont know the Clarion its very rocky, but one of the most beautiful rivers I've ever seen. I'll be showing him everyones comments. My DH is a Mechanic, and was reluctant to make this canoe. It took a bit of pushing on my part to get him to consider working with wood. He kept telling me "I'm a mechanic not a body work man" He's hooked and talking about making another, I think its kinda like quilting, you get a bug! Thanks again.