Book/Video

[Blackwaterforge]

Hello
I am new here. I have owned a couple of Old Town (Royalex) canoes.
I am fixin to buy a wood and canvas to restore. What are the best books/videos for someone that is new to canoe restoration?
Thank You!

 

[Greg Nolan]

Welcome to the WCHA -- you've come to the right place generally for wooden canoes, and particularly for restoring one.

"The Wood and Canvas Canoe" by Rollin Thurlow and Jeryy Stelmok, and/or "Building the Maine Guide Canoe" by Jerry Stelmok, and if you end up with an Old Town canoe, you will find "The Old Town Canoe Company" by Susan Audette and David Baker of great interest.

The first is often called the "bible" of canoe repair, restoration, and maintenance; the second is an execellent study of the wooden/canvas canoe, and the third is a great history of the company and its canoes. These are available from the WCHA store, are often on eBay, or from Amazon. Sue Audette also sells her book directly ( http://www.thebaglady.tv/ ).

I'm sure Kathy Klos will be along to steer you to some videos.

And when you get a canoe to restore, send us pictures -- we all love pictures -- before, during, and after restoration.

 

[Blackwaterforge]

Thanks for the welcome and the info.
I will take pictures of the canoe after I pick it up Monday.

 

[WoodNCanvas]

You should also check out these resources:

1) Mike Elliot's website for Kettle River Canoes, http://www.canoeshop.ca/, and his blog, http://canoeguybc.wordpress.com/

2) Pam Wedd's Bearwood Canoes for great articles about finish, painting, restoration and care & maintenance, http://users.vianet.ca/bearwood/pages/articles.html

Both Mike and Pam are WCHA members. I found this info very useful in my own canoe refinishing. If you want to see some videos and other useful info, you might want to check out links (down left side) to my blog, http://reflectionsoutdoors.wordpress.com/, under Wood Canoes

 

[Blackwaterforge]

Pictures

Picked canoe up last night.
mfg by St. Louis Boat and Canoe Company
Stem # 2502-17

 

[Kathryn Klos]

The WCHA Chapter in St. Louis keeps a database of these canoes and may have build record information for you. There is also a very thorough discussion of this company in a back issue of Wooden Canoe. Contact the chapter:

Valley of the Meramec Chapter (St. Louis area)

John and Dorothy Strasser
1837 Lafayette Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63104
314-664-3565
Email: dorthstrass@yahoo.com