>> FOR THE PAST 16 YEARS, DYLAN AND EMILY SHOETZEL HAVE MADE A
LIVING BUILDING WOOD-CANVAS CANOES FROM SCRATCH, AND
REPAIRING SMALL WOODEN BOATS.
THEY RUN SALMON FALLS CANOE IN AN OLD POST-AND-BEAM BARN BEHIN
THEIR SHELBURNE HOME.
THEIR CUSTOMERS COME FROM ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY AND THEY DO COMMISSION WORK FOR PEOPLE IN ALMOST ALL 50
STATES AND FROM CANADA, EUROPE, AND JAPAN.
PRODUCER DAVE FRASER CAUGHT UP WITH THE COUPLE
RECENTLY, AND SHARES THEIR STORY.
>> IT'S A PRETTY NICE THING TO DO AS SOON AS YOU PUT THAT CANOE
IN THE WATER AND JUMP IN IT AND LAUNCH OFF, YOU FORGET ABOUT
EVERYTHING ELSE.
>> I LIKE IT TO ENTER THE SLOW LANE ON THE HIGHWAY AND BEING
REALLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT TAKING YOUR TIME AND GIVING YOURSELF AN
HOUR OR TWO.
>> YOU CAN PUT YOUR DAILY LIFE ASIDE AND IT'S JUST MAYBE YOU OR
THE PEOPLE YOU ARE WITH AND THAT CANOE.
>> I THINK JUST NATURALLY GROWING UP AROUND THEM AS A KID
I WAS INTERESTED IN HOW THEY WERE BUILT.
SO WHEN I GRADUATED COLLEGE I HAD A LIST OF THINGS TO DO AND
ONE OF THOSE THINGS ON THE LIST WAS LEARNING HOW TO BUILD A WOOD
CANVAS CANOE.
THAT'S WHAT I DID FIRST AND THAT'S AS FAR AS I MADE IT ON
THAT LIST.
>> I WAS A FINE ARTS MAJOR IN COLLEGE SO I REALLY LIKE WORKING
WITH MY HANDS.
THE SATISFACTION REALLY OF JUST BUILDING SOMETHING FROM SCRATCH
AND THEN BEING ABLE TO PUT THAT IN THE HANDS OF SOMEONE WHO ALSO
APPRECIATES IT.
IT'S PRETTY AWESOME.
>> OUR SHOP IS LOCATED IN THIS OLD BARN THAT WAS ONE OF THE
BARNS WAS BUILT ABOUT 1850.
THE OTHER ONE WAS BUILT ABOUT 1920.
AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR -- LOOKING TO MOVE OUR BUSINESS
INTO AND WE CAME ACROSS THIS AND WE JUST -- WE KNEW IT WAS GOING
TO BE A GOOD FIT.
>> WE WERE LOOKING FOR A HAPPY MEDIUM BETWEEN WHERE OUR PARENTS
LIVED AND WE KIND OF LUCKED INTO SHELLBURN.
AS THE YEARS WENT BY AND SETTLED IN AND REALIZED HOW RICH AND
DIVERSE IT IS WITH OTHER CRAFTS PEOPLE AND ARTISTS WE THOUGHT
HOW LUCKY WE WERE THAT WE STUMBLED INTO THIS TOWN.
WE WERE RAISING OUR FAMILY HERE AND COULDN'T BE MORE PLEASED TO
BE MORE SURROUNDED AND THE BEAUTY AND THE COMFORTABLENESS
OF THIS LIFE IN RURAL MASSACHUSETTS.
>> EMILY AND I OWN THE BUSINESS TOGETHER.
WHEN I SET OFF ON MY OWN, I HAD A LOT OF WORK AND I NEEDED
HELP.
SO I ASKED HEMLY IF SHE WANTED TO HELP.
-- EMILY IF SHE WANTED TO HELP.
SHE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO BUILD A CANOE AND SHE SAID I WILL GIVE
IT A TRY IF I DON'T LIKE IT AND WE DON'T GET ALONG, I'M OUT.
AND THAT WAS NEARLY 17 YEARS AGO.
>> WE UNDERSTAND HOW TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY AND THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE
TO BALANCE.
WE MAKE A GOOD TEAM.
AND IF WE DIDN'T WE WOULDN'T BE DOING IT BECAUSE WE HAVE A
FAMILY THAT WE ARE RAISING, AND A LOT OF OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
IN LIFE.
SO THIS HAS TO BE GOOD FOR US TO CONTINUE IT.
WOODWORKING IN GENERAL IS DONE BY MEN.
BUT IT IS A SKILL THAT WOMEN ARE GETTING INTO.
THERE ARE OTHER WOMEN WHO ARE NEW BUILDERS.
I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW MANY THESE DAYS DO IT FULL TIME, BUT
IT'S WHAT I DO WITH MYSELF FULL TIME.
>> WE WILL HEAT THAT WATER UP A LITTLE BIT AND CREATE A LITTLE
BIT OF STEAM AND THAT SOFTENS THE WOOD UP.
SO THEN WE CAN TAKE THIS PLANK AND BEND IT AROUND THE CURVE OF
THE HULL WITHOUT IT SPLITTING.
>> I THINK THERE IS A LEVEL OF SHOCK WHEN PEOPLE FIND OUT WHAT
WE DO FOR A LIVING.
ONE IS LIKE, YOU STILL DO THAT?
THAT'S STILL BEING DONE BECAUSE IT'S A RARE THING NOW.
CANOES USED TO BE MASS PRODUCED.
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF CANOES WERE BUILT BY MANUFACTURERS IN A
YEAR OR THOUSANDS AND NOW IT'S FOR US IT'S BETWEEN TEN AND 12
NEW CANOES WILL BE BUILT DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR WHICH IS
JUST RIGHT FOR US.
WE DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY DO MORE THAN THAT.
EVEN THOUGH WE BUILD CANOES AND RESTORE WOODEN BOATS, WE DON'T
SPEND NEARLY ENOUGH TIME ON THE WATER.
I MISS IT AS SOON AS I LEFT IT AND I EAGERLY WAIT FOR THE TIME
WHEN I CAN GET BACK TO THE WATER.