UP FRONT ENCORE
Floating His Boats
Plainwell man creates custom wooden watercraft by
LISA MACKINDER
C
ary Mannaberg can generally be found in one of two places: on a Southwest Michigan waterway paddling a canoe or kayak or rowing a boat, or inside his shop, Gun Lake Wooden Watercraft in Plainwell, building and restoring wooden watercraft. Which begs the question: Exactly how many seaworthy vessels does a boatbuilder have at his disposal at any given time? “A lot,” admits the 61-year-old Mannaberg, chuckling and shaking his head.
14 | ENCORE JULY 2019
Above: Cary Mannaberg stands amid the many watercraft he’s building or restoring in his Plainwell shop. Right: A canvas canoe he is working on for a customer.
In 2014, Mannaberg launched Gun Lake Wooden Watercraft after retiring from Kentwood Public Schools, where he taught wood shop, drafting and electrical engineering. He enjoyed teaching and engineering — a subject he urged students to consider studying in college. But that could be a tough sell.