Bill Riviere's canoe

[Abenakirgn]

Last Oct. I aquired a 16' Chestnut Prospector that had been previously owned by outdoor author and Maine Guide Bill Riviere. This spring I recanvassed it after replacing a couple of cracked planks, stripping and revarnishing the interior, making and caneing new seats (I refinished the original slat seats but opted to store them away for possible future installation as I find them uncomfortable), refastening ribs to inwales, gunnels, and thwarts and seats with silicon bronze as all the original fastenings were steel and pretty wasted.
When I got it the canvas had many layers of dark green, but I was able to find a few traces or the original Chestnut Gray. The canoe appears in several photos in Bill's book Pole, Paddle, and Portage. While those photos are black & white, the canoe appears too light to have been dark green. I used Kirby's Gray Green as it seem a very close match to the color I found hidden in places.
Before removing the gunnels I noticed they appeared very flat in the area of the carry thwart. After measuring the thwart and comparing to dimensions given in two different publications of the Chestnut Co. and their canoes, I found the thwart was 1" too short. After making and installing a new, 1" longer thwart, the gunnels assumed a fair line. I wonder if a thwart for a different model was inadvertantly installed? It certainly appeared to be original to the canoe.
Anyway, she's now ready to return to the Maine rivers.
Dave

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Great looking boat - i've had many chestnuts that flattened out due to short thwarts, with the exception of camp boats that were modified they were all factory installed. They sure look better with a fair curve back in them, thats for sure!

 

[jlarrabee]

Great to see the canoe redone! You actually bought the canoe from my father! That color looks amazing! Well Done Sir!

 

[Perry]

Last Oct. I aquired a 16' Chestnut Prospector that had been previously owned by outdoor author and Maine Guide Bill Riviere. This spring I recanvassed it after replacing a couple of cracked planks, stripping and revarnishing the interior, making and caneing new seats (I refinished the original slat seats but opted to store them away for possible future installation as I find them uncomfortable), refastening ribs to inwales, gunnels, and thwarts and seats with silicon bronze as all the original fastenings were steel and pretty wasted.
When I got it the canvas had many layers of dark green, but I was able to find a few traces or the original Chestnut Gray. The canoe appears in several photos in Bill's book Pole, Paddle, and Portage. While those photos are black & white, the canoe appears too light to have been dark green. I used Kirby's Gray Green as it seem a very close match to the color I found hidden in places.
Before removing the gunnels I noticed they appeared very flat in the area of the carry thwart. After measuring the thwart and comparing to dimensions given in two different publications of the Chestnut Co. and their canoes, I found the thwart was 1" too short. After making and installing a new, 1" longer thwart, the gunnels assumed a fair line. I wonder if a thwart for a different model was inadvertantly installed? It certainly appeared to be original to the canoe.
Anyway, she's now ready to return to the Maine rivers.
DaveView attachment 35151View attachment 35152View attachment 35150

Nice