Ted Moores (born June 25, 1943) is a Canadian boat builder, author, and educator. His book ''Canoecraft'' has sold over 300,000 copies worldwide. Moores is best known for duplicating a method of building canoes first developed in Minnesota by Irvin C. Peterson, Karl Ketter, and Eugene B. Jensen using woodstrip epoxy techniques, a style well-suited to the home builder. By applying thin layers of fibreglass to either side of a wooden hull, Moores' canoes employ the principles of core-composite construction in a design that is both durable and lighter than traditional rib-and-plank construction.

Life and work

Moores began his canoe building career in 1972, working with Greavette Boat Works of

Gravenhurst, Ontario Gravenhurst is a town in the Muskoka Region of Ontario, Canada. It is located approximately south of Bracebridge, Ontario. Mayor Paul Kelly was . The Town of Gravenhurst includes a large area of the District of Muskoka, known to Ontarians as ...

. He opened his first business, Sundance Canoe Company, in 1972. He sold Sundance a year later and founded Bear Mountain Boats in 1977. Initially based in Chisholm township, the company eventually moved to

Peterborough, Ontario Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...

, before relocating to Westport, Ontario in 2017. It continues to operate under the management of Moores and his partner Joan Barrett, selling boat building materials and hosting educational workshops. In 1983, Moores released ''Canoecraft'', a how-to manual for home canoe builders, which has been called "the definitive guide to wood-strip canoe construction." In 2010, woodworker and actor

Nick Offerman Nicholas David Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, writer, comedian, producer, and carpenter. He is best known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom ''Parks and Recreation'', for which he received the Television Critics A ...

appeared in the video ''Fine Woodstrip Canoebuilding'', a visual companion piece to ''Canoecraft''. Other instructional books by Moores include ''Kayakcraft'' and ''Kayaks You Can Build''. Writing as a historian, he contributed a chapter on the evolution of canoe manufacturing in Canada to the anthology ''The Canoe: A Living Tradition''. He has also worked as an instructor for WoodenBoat School and the San Francisco Maritime Museum. Moores has been an important figure in the development of the Canadian C4 and C15 racing canoes, supplying over 85 sprint canoe clubs nationally. He has experimented with solar-powered designs on his 30' fantail launch Sparks and worked on some high-profile restorations, including a hydroplane speedboat, Tempo VII, which had been owned and piloted by

Guy Lombardo Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was an Italian-Canadian-American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer. Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and othe ...

. A canoe built by Moores was presented as a wedding gift from Canadian prime minister

Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada The prime mini ...

to celebrate the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

Selected publications

* ''Canoecraft: An Illustrated Guide to Fine Woodstrip Construction'' * ''Kayakcraft: Fine Woodstrip Kayak Construction'' * ''Kayaks You Can Build: An Illustrated Guide to Plywood Construction'' * ''The Canoe: A Living Tradition'' (chapter, "From Forest to Factory: Innovations and Mass Production")

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moores, Ted 1943 births Canadian businesspeople Living people