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woodswoman
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# Posted: 29 May 2014 09:09
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Wow, this is really awesome davestreck! I love the rugged coastline - I spend a few days in a cabin on Grand Manan island each year to paint so I totally envy you!
My cabin is in central New Brunswick so no ocean nearby, though lots of streams and some rolling hills! We are not as ambitious as you are and will simply be redoing an old cabin. Because it is only about 30 min from our house door-to-door though, we can spend lots of time out there even if it's just for a few hours at a time (we have yet to sleep in our cabin but hope to be able to do so by the end of summer).
I also wanted to say how great it is to see your son enjoying the cabin so much! We have a 9 and an 11 year old who, when home, spend most of their time in front of a screen. But at the camp, they cannot get enough of exploring the area whether it's catching frogs and bugs or identifying animal tracks or just chilling at the camp. It's great to see the kids appreciate a simpler life and engaging with the outdoors! Every kid should get that chance. We'd live in a better world if they did.
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davestreck
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# Posted: 20 Sep 2014 17:04 - Edited by: davestreck
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We just got back from our latest trip. We got the solar system installed and running, wired for the fridge, and made some improvements to the kitchen area. I also finally finished shingling the outside of the cabin, including the new storage room. Here are some pics:
New kitchen cabinets coming together
Kitchen countertop. I decided against building a traditional set of cabinets and opted for an open design which is easier to carry through the woods. We use big plastic totes to store pots and pans, and these fit under the countertop. The top itself is African mahogany which I had left over from a boat planking job. I'm really happy with how it looks stained and varnished.
Loaded up. 750 miles to go.
First morning on the island.
Small 30w solar panel installed. I used a satellite dish mounting bracket I found on eBay plus some aluminum angle, which worked great.
100w panel on its homemade cradle, about 40 feet from the cabin.
Getting the new kitchen furniture over.
Cabinets and countertop in place.
Shingling finally complete. Its a great feeling to know that the place is finally buttoned up and weathertight.
Finally, a few random pics:
I cant wait for next year's trip. I'll be adding gutters and downspouts and putting in a rainwater cistern, building an outhouse (on the cliff!) for our composting toilet, and installing the propane system. At that point I'll probably want to move up there full time!
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beachman
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# Posted: 20 Sep 2014 17:37
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Davestreck, what a beautiful spot you have. So much work and attention to detail. VERY nice! I see you have to boat everything in, just like us. I also see you have a whaler with Mass. numbers, just like us. Great boats for lugging. There is always more to do.
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davestreck
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# Posted: 21 Sep 2014 19:45
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Beachman,
I just re-read your cabin thread. Very nice yourself! Now that's a cabin I could live in year-round. Well done.
Do you commute from Mass too?
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2014 15:59
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all i can say is what a beautiful get away.just wonderful.
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beachman
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# Posted: 23 Sep 2014 17:51
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Davestreck, I used to commute from Newton, but ended up living in NB. Married a Canadian but still get to Mass every so often to visit family there.
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nvt2012
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# Posted: 10 Aug 2015 13:57
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Davestreck, great posts! I am new to the forum, but live in NS and I am looking to get going on a similar project in the near future. Love the detailed photos and comments. I really like the set up you have. Glad you are enjoying this province!
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davestreck
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# Posted: 10 Aug 2015 21:20
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nvt,
We love NS. We've been going up there for 9 years now, and have met some great folks, and the Eastern Shore is beautiful and almost completely unspoiled. We're lucky to have found such a perfect spot.
We head back up for another 2 week stay in just a few days, and I have been busy as hell getting ready. We're expanding the solar system, putting up an outhouse and building a rainwater collection cistern, among some other projects. I can't wait!
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davestreck
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# Posted: 30 Aug 2015 15:36 - Edited by: davestreck
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We made some additions to the cabin this year:
Sawbuck, out of white oak. This has really helped with firewood processing around camp. The bowsaw I made out of black locust (but I usually cheat and use the chainsaw instead).
Breakfast on the new picnic table. The frame is douglas fir, which I built ahead of time. All the joints are lapped and screwed, which meant the the pieces could stack flat for easier packing. The top and seats are just lumberyard PT, which I bought up there. We love being able to eat overlooking the water.
The "chuck box" is set up by the fire pit. I built it out of marine ply sheathed in fiberglass and epoxy, with gasketed seals and stainless hardware. Its designed to sit on 4 removable legs, but one of the legs broke in transit so we had to set it on these folding benches, which puts the work surface lower than I intended. Still, it was a huge improvement to our outdoor kitchen. Its basically water-tight, and kept all our gear totally dry through some pretty good downpours. I'll make a replacement leg this winter.
The new 150 watt solar panels set up. We got so little sun on this trip that they never had much chance to show their full potential. Still, it was nice to have the additional power. The old 100 watt panel was offline this trip, but next year I'll add another charge controller and re-install it. At that point we will have 430 watts of solar for our 315Ah battery bank. That should take care of most of our needs.
The new AC mini fridge is in, set up next to the 12v chest cooler. We decided to go with AC refrigeration because its so much cheaper (the fridge was $140 on sale), and this model is supposed to use only 720Wh per day. We found that running it on our cheap inverter worked fine, but the inverter's fan was so noisy that we may upgrade to a better one next year. The fridge will live in the cabin full time. I'm going to build a cabinet for it to sit on, which will bring it to a more convenient height, and give us some more storage underneath. We'll continue to use the 12v cooler for the car ride to Nova Scotia, but instead of loading it in the boat and lugging it all the way to camp we'll leave it in the car during our stay. Carrying that cooler filled with food and drinks all the way to the cabin was always the hardest job of the trip.
Finally, the new outhouse, which my wife has been asking for for years, is up and running.
I pre-built the floor, the door and window, and most of the framing at home, so it went together pretty quickly. The main 4x4 frame members are cedar, and the floor is marine ply coated in epoxy paint. It sits on pre-cast concrete deck blocks resting on bedrock. We use a "lovable loo" sawdust toilet, which works great. The dutch door gives a nice view out over the water. I ran out of time this trip, but next year I'll finish the trim and side it with cedar shingles so it matches the cabin.
That was it for 2015. Next year I'll hopefully get to some of the things I didn't have time for this year, like the rainwater cistern and the LED lighting.
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davestreck
Member
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# Posted: 30 Aug 2015 16:51
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A few more pics:
I think I may have overloaded the trailer a bit. This snapped axle cost us $400 and half a day to get fixed. Not a good start to the trip.
Swingin' in the hammock on one of the few sunny days we had.
Getting the new fridge up to camp.
The cove at low tide.
Relaxing on the porch.
Dry-run to check the view.
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skootamattaschmidty
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# Posted: 30 Aug 2015 19:52
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Wow that is beautiful! I spent four years at STFX university in Antigonish Nova Scotia and absolutely loved the area. You have some very impressive woodworking skills. Great job!
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tichalet
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2015 20:39
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Just seeing this, and my goodness, is it ever glorious - straight out of a storybook and your boy gets to live it. I'm an adult woman & I'll be fantasizing about this one, that's for sure!
And I agree with skootamattaschmidty, the craftsmanship is outstanding. Serious carpentry skills at work here, you can see it in the photos.
Major kudos to your wife for hauling all your materials & masterpieces up to the site from the cove, too!
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davestreck
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# Posted: 28 Oct 2015 20:21
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Thanks skoot and tichalet, for the kind words.
I think the most satisfying thing about this 10 year project (and counting!) is that I have been able to build our cabin exactly the way I wanted to. Exactly the way I think it should be built. I'm not rich by any measure, but the cabin is small enough that I can afford to use high-quality materials, and not have to skimp too much. I'd rather build a tiny cabin with good materials than a larger one with cheap modern ones.
Just to be clear, I'm no master craftsman. I'm just a bit of a perfectionist with access to a great woodworking shop and a huge pile of beautiful wood to work with.
And yes, there is no way I could have done it without my wife. She's a badass!
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abby
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# Posted: 29 Oct 2015 09:09
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just so beautiful. love the property, and love the cabin. 
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davestreck
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# Posted: 5 Sep 2016 13:11 - Edited by: davestreck
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The camp continues to get more comfortable every year. Its a nice feeling knowing that most of the really hard work is done, and that we don't have to bust our humps from sunup to sundown every day packing in materials and supplies. We still do a good amount of carrying, especially during the first few days, but now we have a lot more time for relaxing and enjoying camp life.
One of the main chores that remains is hauling water. We get all our water from a friend's well on the mainland and bring it to camp in 5 gallon containers. The new 35 gallon storage tank and 12v pump are now installed, which adds a ton of convenience but means we use quite a bit more water than we used to. We averaged about 5-7 gallons per day for the 3 of us, not including drinking water. At 8 pounds per gallon that adds up to a lot of weight over a two week trip. My back still hurts. All the pieces are in place for the rainwater cistern that I plan to build, but time ran out on this trip. I hope to have it up and running next year.
Weather this year was great. There were only two days of rain over the 2 weeks we were there. The rest of the time it was sunny and dry, great weather for exploring, hiking, swinging in the hammock, etc. The solar panels were really able to show off what they can do. The change controller usually went into float mode by 1pm on sunny days. We never had to run the genny at all.
Some of the improvements we added this year include a new Ecotemp outdoor shower, a new inverter-charger for the solar system, a second Ikea bunk bed (we can now sleep 6 in a pinch), more kitchen shelving, some new furniture, etc. We also finished shingling the outhouse, cleared an area for a new tent platform/outdoor deck right on the edge of the cliff, widened and improved the trail, and cut a ton of firewood for next year.
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davestreck
Member
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# Posted: 5 Sep 2016 13:21 - Edited by: davestreck
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Here are some pics from this year's trip:
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Absolutely
Member
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# Posted: 5 Sep 2016 13:34
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Wow, your place is stunning!
Would you mind sharing details on shingling your cabin? Specifically, where did you go to buy them? I've used cove and clapboard on my cottage and cabin but I'm interested in trying the cedar shingles.
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davestreck
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# Posted: 5 Sep 2016 14:08 - Edited by: davestreck
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More pics:
Hammock time
Getting ready for movie night
Reflector oven pizza
A really high tide makes unloading so much easier
Exploring the shoreline
Roasting the perfect marshmalllow
Filming dolphins right in front of the cabin
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davestreck
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# Posted: 5 Sep 2016 15:18 - Edited by: davestreck
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I used Eastern white cedar shingles over 30# felt paper. I got mine at my local Home Hardware. For the cabin I used the clear grade, which are pretty pricey ($75 CAD per bundle IIRC). For the shed and the outhouse I used a lower grade with more exposed knots ($25 per bundle). Honestly next time I'd go with the clears even with the price difference. They look better and are easier to work with. 4 bundles covered 1 square at typical 4.5" exposure. I attached them with 1" stainless steel ring shank nails. The 1" length was a special order but they won't poke through into the inside of my cabin (sheathing is nominal 1" t&g spruce) and they hold just fine.
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Absolutely
Member
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# Posted: 5 Sep 2016 15:42
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Thanks for that. Your place looks gorgeous. My family got tired of staining the clapboard so the shingles look like a great alternative.
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tichalet
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# Posted: 5 Sep 2016 18:04
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So idyllic. Of all my fantasy cabins here, this one's still the champ - numero uno at the tip-top of the heap.
And I can't get over how much your son has grown in only three pages! 
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davestreck
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# Posted: 5 Sep 2016 20:07
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Quoting: tichalet And I can't get over how much your son has grown in only three pages!
This was our son's fifth summer coming to the cabin with us, and he still calls it his favorite place in the world. He loves nothing better than to spend the day climbing the cliffs, exploring the woods and grabbing some sack time in the hammock. But he's 11 now, and we're wondering how many more summers we're going to have before he decides that he wants to stay home and hang out with his friends instead of going up North with his lame-o parents.
Until that day comes we're just planning on enjoying the times we have. He's such a great kid, and now that he's getting bigger he can help out a lot more. He collects firewood, carries supplies, takes care of the dogs, and so much more. He took it upon himself to get the big 12v cooler down from the cabin to the beach as we were packing up to leave this year. I was doing runs back to the mainland with boatloads of gear, and when I pulled back into the cove I saw him dragging that heavy cooler down the trail all by himself. He told me he didn't want Mom to have to carry it. He's a trooper!
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Rowjr
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# Posted: 27 Oct 2016 23:52
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looking good... please check mine out sometime
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Scotty Dosent Know
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# Posted: 28 Oct 2016 10:04
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Quoting: davestreck But he's 11 now, and we're wondering how many more summers we're going to have before he decides that he wants to stay home and hang out with his friends instead of going up North with his lame-o parents.
If hes anything like me, soon he will be asking if he can go up with out you guys!
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jjr
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2017 14:59
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Wow! You have such a beautiful place. You are a true craftsman.
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davestreck
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# Posted: 5 Feb 2017 10:28 - Edited by: davestreck
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After many years of "flying below the radar", the archipelago off Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore where our island is located is finally being recognized as being in need of conservation. The Nova Scotia Nature Trust is working to acquire over 100 of the offshore islands to keep them in a wild state for perpetuity.
Check out the story of the 100 Wild Islands Campaign here
As landowners within the archipelago, we have been contacted by the Trust and asked to add our property to the reserve. The Trust is hoping that all private landowners within the reserve will either donate their islands, sell them to the Trust, or sign over the development rights so that the entire area will remain free of development in the future.
Our family consider ourselves to be ardent conservationists, we fully support the mission of the Trust, and we are hoping to find a way to contribute to the protection of the islands while still retaining our rights as landowners to use and enjoy our land and our cabin. We're still in the early stages of figuring out how to accomplish that.
Its interesting times for the Eastern Shore. We were lucky to get property there when we did. It looks like we'll be one of the few private landholders remaining within the reserve. The protection of the islands means we won't have to worry about luxury resorts or golf courses being constructed on any of the islands (that was a real proposal a couple of years ago) but its also possible that we'll see an increase in tourism and general interest in the area.
It looks like the splendid isolation we have enjoyed for the last ten years may finally be coming to an end, but we are cautiously optimistic about how it will turn out.
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tichalet
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# Posted: 6 Feb 2017 14:03
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The overhead shots of your paradise over at the conservation campaign's site you linked are utterly magnificent Dave. I'm pretty heartbroken about all this, though, because it means even my mere fantasy of getting to do what you did someday goes pfft & right out the window. 
I just saw your reply about your boy growing up & getting nearer to "that age". If he balks at going out there with you & his Mom as he grows into the typical sullen adolescent-hood (hey, we were all there once), just tell him there's at least one reader on this forum who would be only too happy to get adoption papers drawn up so she can take his place!
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davestreck
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# Posted: 6 Feb 2017 18:44 - Edited by: davestreck
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Quoting: tichalet I'm pretty heartbroken about all this, though, because it means even my mere fantasy of getting to do what you did someday goes pfft & right out the window
There are still hundreds of islands in private hands all up and down the Eastern Shore. Many can be bought for short money. Here's one that already has a cabin on it. Don't give up the dream!
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jakemilne
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# Posted: 27 Feb 2017 12:31
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What a beautiful home! Well done you.
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NorthwoodsGuy
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# Posted: 27 Feb 2017 13:39
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That's some nice craftsmanship. Your sawbuck looks much nicer than mine...
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