Boat Aquisition

[Kayaker]

Howdy,

I've been lurking the last few days getting ideas and arming myself for what will most likely become my next project. I've been reading Stelmok and Thurlow and will become a member shortly. Before I embark on this adventure I would like solicit a few opinions. I'm headed down to see the wood and canvas boat Saturday and have been supplied a few pictures prior to my visit.

My first question is: I'm a little confused about what is going on with the inwhales as they pass the deck. At both the bow and stern they appear to be in several segments. Additionally the gunwhales appear closed at the decks, and there is a faint hint of a rail cap that might have existed at one point. Any ideas?

#2: Those can't be original seats? Someone didn't want to recane them, yeah?

#3: Since there are pictures, I might as well broach the topic now. Any one have a hint as to what I might be looking at? The current owner says it is pre-1920's and there are no manufacturers markings. She is the second owner.

Thanks for the help. Looking forward to picking your minds...

 

[Kathryn Klos]

seats

Your second question is the only one I feel able to address:

"Those can't be original seats? Someone didn't want to recane them, yeah?"

It can be interesting and amusing to see the ways that folks have avoided recaning a seat. I used to do chair seats for an antique shop, and the plywood with holes was a common "answer". There were companies that made replacement seats of plywood, leather, cardboard, etc for chairs... and the idea transferred to canoe seats.

If you feel the underside of a seat with your fingers, you may find the holes that were used in the original caning. You may only have to remove the replacement seat and then proceed with caning. Some canoes originally had the seven step pattern that is used on furniture, while some originally had a "canoe weave" that skips a weaving-step.

I have a 1946 Penn Yan with seats that have plywood inserts. I can feel holes on the underside, yet I know this canoe had the plywood inserts from the get-go... so it seems a decision was made to have a solid seat, and seats that had been prepared with holes for caning were plywooded at the factory. But your canoe appears to be from the era when a cane seat seems most likely.

Interesting boat! I'm curious to see what others here think it is--

~Kathy

 

[Dan Miller]

I have a 1946 Penn Yan with seats that have plywood inserts. I can feel holes on the underside, yet I know this canoe had the plywood inserts from the get-go... so it seems a decision was made to have a solid seat, and seats that had been prepared with holes for caning were plywooded at the factory. But your canoe appears to be from the era when a cane seat seems most likely.

Kathy is exactly right, the plywood seats on your canoe are make-do replacements. Seen it a lot... The plywood seats on Penn Yan canoes started, I believe, during WWII. I had a '46 Penn Yan with seats the same way. During the war, cane was not available, so different companies met their needs in different ways - Penn Yan with plywood, Old Town used slats, etc...

The canoe you are looking at has been worked on considerably in the past - the inwale repairs at the deck, for example. The thwarts appear to be replacements, and it would not have had seats on cleats and drops at the same time. Still, it looks like a decent canoe worthy of restoration.

 

[Kayaker]

Thanks

Appreciate the ideas. I'm a little ahead of myself. For the past few days I've been thinking of it as "my canoe" and I haven't even seen it in person. Then I had buyers remorse... Funny, that.

I'm sure I'll be posting more questions.

Out of curiosity what makes you say that the Thwarts are replacements? An eye for details aquired over time?

Chris