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Kinuso family builds boat in their yard
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This is the view of one side of the boat, which measures 70 feet long.
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Theresa Seraphim
For Spotlight
People driving past Casey Davidson’s place in Kinuso could be forgiven for blinking and looking twice.
But they’re not hallucinating – that is an old-fashioned riverboat on Davidson’s lot.
The flat-bottomed boat has been in the process for about 10 years, said Davdison’s wife, Chris Matin.
Matin said the couple wanted a lakeside lot but when that didn’t work out, decided to make their own by building the 70 foot-by-20-foot boat.
“We’ve got seating inside,” said Matin, adding about 100 people can be accommodated.
Since the couple is also rebuilding an old house, they are pacing themselves with the timing and, especially, the cost of building the boat.
“The house comes first. We don’t want to be lots of money in the hole,” said Matin.
For that reason, and because the project is still in process, the final cost is yet to be determined, said Martin.
The couple gets much of their material from Slave Lake or from Edmonton, which has helped financially.
“We started with metal before the big jump in metal prices,” said Matin.
The main body of the boat is steel, with metal siding, and the plan is to make the inside hardwood, to make it as realistic as possible.
Matin and Davidson hope eventually to take the boat to the water – the method hasn’t been decided yet, but perhaps by crane or trailer – and provide rides, perhaps evening rides which would include supper.
“Being flat bottomed, it should be stable,” said Matin.
Martin’s daughter, Deanna Davidson, pointed out an escape hatch with a pull-down ladder to help get people out of the boat. Also, she said, there are little squares with metal and would fill small compartments, helping to ensure the boat wouldn’t sink.
“We’re going to put a railing around (the upper deck) so the kids don’t go too far,” said Davidson.
The boat is already a fixture in Kinuso.
“It’s surprising how many people take pictures,” said Matin.
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