All I want for Christmas is a hand-crafted wooden boat. At this point, it is between a canoe from Klassen or a kayak from previously featured Guillemot Kayaks. Both produce stunning craft, equally suited to hitting the water or conspicuous display. Klassen, run by John Klassen, incorporates magnificent inlay in the canoe design. Needless from a boat building point of view, fantastic from an aesthetic one.

Klassen was inspired by his grandfather, an accomplished carpenter, and father, a canoe guide, and began building boats 30 years ago. Located in Whitefish, MT, each Klassen boat is built from 200 hours of John’s devoted attention.

In short, boats like these are the American made product that really make my mouth water.

Detailed images of wicked canoes after the jump.

Call them boats or yachts, these are mega machines on the waterways. Yatzer gets deep into the Frauscher family of watercrafts and for good reason!  ”Engelbert Frauscher quickly gained an excellent reputation and in the 1930s crafted O-Yawls for the Olympic Games. Nevertheless, war broke through and things froze for a while to restart in 1945 in Gmunden, where tradition went on and on.  In the ‘50s the first electric and motor boats left that very yard and ever since, Engelbert’s sons and grandsons and their kids continuously advanced the development. Today, their diamonds of boats are being distributed and loved in more than 14 countries.” These must be seen – check the 717 GT.

More looks at the Frauscher 717 GT Boat after the click.