'67 Chestnut Prospector History & Value?

[J_Mc]

Hi,

I recently came across a 1967 Chestnut Prospector. I don't know much about canvas cedar canoes and was looking for help on determining the quality and value of this canoe. The description that was provided to me is,

Prospector shape; 16' long; 34 1/2 inches wide across the center thwart. 14 inches deep at the center. 5 inches of rocker at the bow, and 3 inches at the stern. It's serial number is 45515. The measurements appear to identify it as a "Fort" model, built around 1967.

I am hopeful someone can verify this for me and shed some light on what the value is and background on the boat. I know chestnut canoes are quite popular so more info would be great. My guess is the canvas was recently redone. There appear to be two small pieces of cedar missing, not sure if that would affect anything and appears to be more a minor cosmetic concern than anything functional.

Also, curious about using a canoe of this age. It seems to be in good condition and I think my paranoia may shy me away from using it as frequently as I would another canoe. I know care and maintenance is paramount for a canoe like this.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome and congratulations on your find. The information at http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/57/ should help you value it. There are some similar ones shown at http://www.wcha.org/classifieds?tid=All&combine=chestnut which may also help. There aren't any known Chestnut serial number records available so no one here can tell you much more about the specific history of this canoe. It seems to be functional so you probably don't need to be overly paranoid about using it. Many of us regularly use canoes that are more than twice as old as this one. Typical maintenance is paint and varnish when necessary. The canvas will eventually need to be replaced and the two small pieces of missing cedar planking can be easily fixed at that time. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[mccloud]

The WCHA Assembly is at Trent University in Peterborough this year, 17-21 July. The featured builder is Chestnut. You will likely see a couple dozen restored Chestnuts there and be able to talk to a few Chestnut-knowledgable people. Consider hauling your canoe up there and let the experts look at it.