About Me

I spent my youth paddling the rivers of Northern Wisconsin and sailing on Lake Michigan.  While attending Carleton College, I began paddling Minnesota’s Boundary Waters and sailing the collegiate racing circuit.  After spending a summer teaching sailing at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle, I became a hobby boat builder. While working as an affordable housing project manager, I built a canoe, a pram and remodeled an RV trailer. 

Finally I decided I had my fill of management life and needed to be using my hands on a daily basis. In 2016, I enrolled at the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building near Port Townsend, Washington. My year of school culminated in a third place finish for my team at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival’s 3 day Boat Building Challenge! 

In the past 4 years I have redesigned and prototyped a 24′ Voyageur canoe for Wilderness Inquiry, and served as an Artist in Residence at North House Folk School.  At North House studied craft endemic to Minnesota and built boats in collaboration with the local Chamber of Commerce and Historical Society.  

At the end of 2021 I relocated to the twin cities where I have also made the decision to focus on cabinetry and in home carpentry in addition to boat building.  I love to build cabinets as well as custom built in seating, shelving and storage.  I enjoy using locally sourced wood products as much as possible, but can build with whatever you prefer.  I can design with the homeowner or build to an architects plans.  I can also build decks, pergolas, gazebos or other outbuildings.

If you are interested in custom woodwork for your home, or would like to comission a boat, please email me at  josh@manywatersboats.com.  You can also come see my shop, in a space called The Guild which hosts several independant craftspeople in Minneapolis.  You’ll find the Guild’s building and my studio at 2933 N Second Street, Minneapolis, 55411

Press

Northern Wilds

Josh Tolkan: Building Wooden Boats, Supporting Community

Josh Tolkan crafts handmade wooden boats, including canoes, skiffs, and sailboats. He is an artist-in-residence at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, and is the owner and founder of Manywaters Boatworks, a small business dedicated to the craft of wooden boatbuilding.

Making It Up North

Crafting a Life

Discover the future of craft in Grand Marais, MN. The Artisan Development Program at North House Folk School nurtures the next generation of makers. Explore the program and meet makers of felted items, boats, brooms, and chairs.

WTIP North Shore Community Radio

Historic herring skiff will preserve North Shore boating and fishing culture

A team of students and staff were busy at North House Folk School the week of Jan. 6-12 building a replica of a herring skiff previously stationed in Colvill on the North Shore in the 1940s.

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with North House Resident Artisan Josh Tolkan about this project.