Dave Wermuth
Who hid my paddle?
Well, I think it's probably a playmate according to dimensions and Dan Miller.
It is a later canoe and came to me for repairs in original un restored but beat up shape. It had a vinyl covering. Lots of planking was busted and I've replaced about 15 feet or so. Only six ribs were broken. No rot. The interesting thing is that the ribs were 3/8" thick and the planking only 1/8". The canoe was a bit lumpy and I can see why. The thick rib and thin plank combination make for an unbalanced structure in my opinion.
The canoe also had a center thwart that was about an inch too short making the gunnels somewhat pinched in hourglass style. I put in an inch longer thwart and most of the hourglass is gone. I considered replacing all the planking but that doesn't seem right.
The man I am fixing it for bought it new and it's never been worked on before. As I leisurely work on this canoe I think about the hard working professionals that built it. Pressed for time, trying to make a living building wonderful Chestnuts, in a losing battle against aluminum and plastic. Short on materials. Try to make a lightweight and can't find 1/4" ribs. Well, we'll have to use this thicker stock. OR, was it trying to make a tripper weight with heay ribs and then find out, where's the thick planking? Oh well, I guess we'll have to use this thinner stuff. Who planed this stock anyway? For me, it's a hobby, For them it was financial life or death.
It is a later canoe and came to me for repairs in original un restored but beat up shape. It had a vinyl covering. Lots of planking was busted and I've replaced about 15 feet or so. Only six ribs were broken. No rot. The interesting thing is that the ribs were 3/8" thick and the planking only 1/8". The canoe was a bit lumpy and I can see why. The thick rib and thin plank combination make for an unbalanced structure in my opinion.
The canoe also had a center thwart that was about an inch too short making the gunnels somewhat pinched in hourglass style. I put in an inch longer thwart and most of the hourglass is gone. I considered replacing all the planking but that doesn't seem right.
The man I am fixing it for bought it new and it's never been worked on before. As I leisurely work on this canoe I think about the hard working professionals that built it. Pressed for time, trying to make a living building wonderful Chestnuts, in a losing battle against aluminum and plastic. Short on materials. Try to make a lightweight and can't find 1/4" ribs. Well, we'll have to use this thicker stock. OR, was it trying to make a tripper weight with heay ribs and then find out, where's the thick planking? Oh well, I guess we'll have to use this thinner stuff. Who planed this stock anyway? For me, it's a hobby, For them it was financial life or death.
