Yorktown Man, Passionate About Kayaking, Builds Three Boats

Dan Thaler, an auto mechanic who lives in Yorktown, remembers the first time he got into a kayak more than a decade ago. But since he was unsatisfied with the kayaks he had used, he decided to build one on his own. 

After paddling the 13-foot plastic boat he had for a year, he said he started looking for a longer boat. But everything he saw was too expensive and did not all fit him well. He said an old friend's husband had built some boats that he saw pictures of. He thought "I can do that" – and he did.

He has built three boats since 2009 and is currently working on his fourth one. 

For his first one, Thaler started doing the research and settled on the Shearwater 17 hybrid from Chesapeake Light Craft.

"It is a hybrid in that the hull is plywood assembled with 'stitch and glue' technique, but the deck is cedar strips which gives you a chance for creativity," he said. "And a chance to test your woodworking skills."

On his blog, he posts pictures of the boat building process and explains how he got to the final product. The second boat he built was for his wife and he said the process was easier since he had already built one.

"That one was a lot of fun," he said. "It was the same model [as the first one], so I knew what I was doing."

Thaler's third boat was different from the others and presented a bigger challenge for him, but one he wanted to take on. He said he wanted a small, stable boat which he could loan out or let his grandson Jude use when he visits.

The all cedar strip Great Auk 14, designed by Nick Schade and sold as a kit from Chesapeake Light Craft, took him about a year to build. Because of the curvy shape, he said had to make sure all the strips lined up and conformed.

Thaler, who has lived in Yorktown almost all of his life, said he was amazed by the Hudson Valley's incredible natural beauty, which can be seen when you're on the water. 

"Seeing the Hudson Valley from the water is amazing," he said. "You get to see all the wildlife, the birds, the fish, it's incredible."

He and his wife Susan, who works at the Riverfront Library in Yonkers, joined the Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club last year. Because of the close proximity of their jobs to the Club, he said it's an easy spot for them to meet and paddle in the evenings. Thaler said he places his kayak on top of his car and would try to go kayaking at least a couple of times a week. 

"We enjoy it," he said of his love for kayaking and said that people who might not have been kayaking before can rent a boat and take a tour, which Cortlandt Manor's Atlantic Kayak Tours offers. 

"There are a lot of people who don't want to go because they're afraid they might fall in or the water is dirty, it's not," he said and added that everyone is required to wear a life jacket. "It's not scary. Just to be able to see the area that we live in, to be able to get out on something that doesn't make noise is incredible."

In May 2011, he and his wife went to Okoumefest, a boat show in Maryland, where one of Thaler's kayaks won the best in show. 

"That was exteremely gratifying," he said. "I wasn't expecting it at all."

The handyman, who has done all the carpentry work at his house and has worked on the windows and kitchen, said boat building, as time consuming and pricey as it can get, has become a bit of an obsession for him.

"It's also gotten to a point to where it's relaxing," Thaler said. "To watch it take shape, it's kind of cool."

He said he enjoys building the kayaks and is open to commissions to build for other people as well. Thaler said he takes his own boats on the river and is not afraid to get them dirty or scratched.

His wife's boat, or the second one he built, will be on display at the kayak exhibit at the Riverfront Library in Yonkers. 

"The public will see historic racing kayaks from the Yonkers Canoe Club and owner built boats from the boat building program of the YPRC, along with store bought boats used in the public program at the JFK marina and ones you can buy," he said. 

By attending the exhibit, people could also learn how to get started, what to wear and where to paddle along the Hudson River.

The exhibit at the Riverfront Library in Yonkers is free and it runs through Feb. 29. You can view the exhibit Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

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