Wood craft

Woodworker, kayak outfitter test out the handiwork of

an unsinkable friendship

By Robert Silk -  Free Press Staff

    Key Largo - What do you get when you cross a woodworker with a kayak outfitter?

    Two 17 - foot Atlantic white cedar kayaks, of course, trimmed in mahogany and coated in fiberglass.

    At least that's what happened when Rex Rothing and "Kayak" Bob Clinefelter got together. Rothing is the owner of Key Largo's Woodshop 102, where he cuts wood to order and makes, among other things, picture frames, signs, and furniture, all from wood.

    Clinefelter is the owner/operator of Kayak Bob's Sea Kayak Adventures at the Howard Johnson in Key Largo. He owns 15 kayaks that he rents out for day paddles or takes on overnight excursions, but none of them are like the 17-foot Endeavours that he and Rothing launched last Thursday night, marking the end of a two-year woodworking journey.

    Out on the water, with a semi-obscured setting sun in the background, the wooden kayaks, complete with rudders, glide smoothly thru the water. They're not as light as the high-tech carbon and Kevlar kayaks that dot store shelves and carry four digit price tags. But they carry a prettier image. And more important than that, they float. 

    "We found out tonight that they don't leak," a satisfied Rothing said moments after returning to shore.

    The kayaks started as a seed in the mind of Rothing, who had previously made a handful of wooden paddles and has dabbled in recreational kayaking.

    Once his friend Clinefelter signed on to the idea, Rothing purchased an instructional book called "Kayak Craft" detailing how to put the boats together.

    But after the two friends went to work on the project, Rothing's woodcrafting skills took over, and they strayed frequently from the guidelines in the manual.

    "With his experience it was really easy," Clinefelter said. "We did more by common sense than anything."

    Quickly the kayak making became routine for Rothing and Clinefelter. Every Sunday morning they would meet at WoodShop 102 and go to work for several hours. Then, with the project more than a year old, tragedy struck.

    Last September, Clinefelter and wife Debi had a major boating accident. Though "Kayak Bob" was unscathed, Debi suffered brain damage. For three months Clinefelter stayed by his wife's side in Miami. After that it was another month before he could find the interest to return t the workshop.

    In the meantime, Rothing waited. He and Clinefelter were building the kayaks together.

    "I take pride in our friendship more than anything." Clinefelter said. "He put up with me every Sunday mornig. That's a great feat."

    Back in the workshop, the two began working on the later stages of the kayaks. Shaping the bow and stern were particularly difficult, the two men said. So was applying the fiberglass to the interior of the kayaks.

    All told, Rothing estimates the kayaks cost approximately $300. in materials. Clinefelter said they took about 250 man hours of work.

    As the two launched their boats last Thursday. Rothing marveled at how long it all took.

    "I am still in denial. I can't believe they are done," he said. "It's the end of an era."

     But despite all their efforts both men said they would be willing to part with their new vessels - for a price.

     "With the man hours we put in, we figure they're $1 million kayaks," Rothing said. "So if anyone can come up with the money, they're for sale."

rsilk@keysnews.com