My name is Rick Crook and Oyster Bay Boats started about 20 years ago; when I needed a boat that I could carry myself to get out on the water near our home in Madeira Park. We had a canoe, and had done a few trips on lakes , on the Frazer river, and on the ocean, but it weighed 80 pounds, and was just too much for me to handle by myself. I found plans for the Wee Lassie canoe, and built it. It was a revelation; thirty pounds meant that I could carry the boat with one hand, and the paddle and lifejacket with the other, stroll down to the water, and just go exploring. Loading on the car was just as easy, thirty pounds over your head is much easier than 80, and now I could go out by myself, at a moments notice, no more trouble that getting out your bicycle and going for a ride. I then built one for my wife, then for my brother, and started to get requests for them from other people. I even taught some evening courses through the community school where we built a boat as a team, so that others could get the feel for the materials and building with cedar strip. Along the way, I built a couple of kayaks, some other canoes and a pram dinghy, and finally one of my night class students built a Cosine Wherry. After trying that, I knew I needed one, in fact I built two, and used them as rentals in Madeira Park, and soon was getting inquiries about them. I have built more than a dozen of those now, for customers both local, and in the United States. This website allows me to offer my boats to other people, and continue to do what I like best, to build what I have found to be a wonderful way to explore the water, either in a little canoe, or in a rowboat more suited to bigger water and more passengers. Along the way, I have refined my process, I now use fishing line to hold the strips in place when building, so as to avoid the staple holes that mar many cedar strip boats. I use locally cut and air-dried cedar, fir, maple, and 4 oz. fiberglass and Ecopoxy.
You can also reach me by phone at 604-741-4272. My mailing address is 13209 Porters Road Madeira Park BC V0N 2H1
Where we Are
My home and shop are on Porters Road in Madeira Park, on the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver. If you are traveling in my area, please feel free to give me a call at 604-741-4272 and I'd be happy to show you my boats and talk about cedar strip construction with you.
Shipping and Delivery
All prices are delivery at my shop. I could meet you in the lower mainland, if that is more convenient for you. Shipping a boat requires a custom built crate, in order to ensure safe delivery. Crates for the cosine wherry have been quoted at $800.00 +. All of the boats are car-top able, but the handliner and cosine wherry require sturdy roof racks (they are 90 lbs) and more than one person to load and unload. Contact me if you have any questions.