New to canoes and I bought a Chestnut today at auction Have some questions

[tmacdonald]

I have never owned a canoe and I was at a auction and there was a bunch of canoes including several Chestnuts so I ended up buying one. To me it looks really nice but I don't know a thing about them. Could somebody tell me how original it looks? It has been redone at some point by the look of it. It has brass robby screws in it. Would they be original? I am not sure how to measure it but the longest point to point is 18' and the top point to point is about 17'3" the center is about 36 1/2" wide and about 13 1/2 " deep. Can any body tell me aprox the year and model of it? and last for insurance purpose what would it be worth? Hopefully some good news because I paid a high price for it(I think)

 

[Larry Meyer]

From the wide center thwart and closely spaced ribs, you have an Ogilvy model.

 

[Murat V]

Not sure about value and quality of the restoration...I'll let the more senior members here chime in on that.

From the width of the ribs and the large flat center thwart board...it looks to be a Chestnut Ogilvy just like Larry said. In the meantime if you search the site for other threads on "Ogilvy" you might see some similar pics. These were heavy duty built canoes specializing in poling the rocky rivers in New Brunswick and used by guides for salmon fishing. The flat board had some sort of special purpose I believe...something about guides sitting in that position to hold the canoe stationary in a current while their customers fished the shallows. Think I recall some earlier posts on the site with the canoe in action.

In the meantime, here's one thread on a restoration of a similar canoe...
http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?7069-68-20-Ogilvy-restoration

 

[Easternrivers]

Not sure about value and quality of the restoration...I'll let the more senior members here chime in on that.

From the width of the ribs and the large flat center thwart board...it looks to be a Chestnut Ogilvy just like Larry said. In the meantime if you search the site for other threads on "Ogilvy" you might see some similar pics. These were heavy duty built canoes specializing in poling the rocky rivers in New Brunswick and used by guides for salmon fishing. The flat board had some sort of special purpose I believe...something about guides sitting in that position to hold the canoe stationary in a current while their customers fished the shallows. Think I recall some earlier posts on the site with the canoe in action.

In the meantime, here's one thread on a restoration of a similar canoe...
http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?7069-68-20-Ogilvy-restoration

My first impression is Ogilvy as well.
Age is likely pre-1973 since it has the Fredericton decal instead of Oromocto.

 

[tmacdonald]

Thank you all for the info it is much appreciated. My mom said my Grandfather had 1 just like it and my uncle has it now. She still has the receipt from where he bought it for $75. I am not sure what the story is on all of the ones that were at the auction. Is was a government auction in Fredericton NB so maybe they were seized but not really sure. Again if somebody could give me a rough idea of the value and rarity it would be much appreciated.

 

[Larry Meyer]

Not all that valuable and not all that rare. If the canvas is still good and its ready to go for years yet, I would say $800-1000. Its heavy, 80 plus pounds, and kind of a specialized canoe.

 

[tmacdonald]

Right on. This is the area of what I paid so that is nice to hear. It looks to be good to go. I have not got it in the water yet but hopefully soon

 

[Easternrivers]

Be sure to check out the tube for good paddling techniques if this is your first canoe. Enjoy.

 

[greyghost]

I was also at that auction today . You bought one of the two 18' Ogilvys that were there today.
It has been redone at some point , it has fiberglass on it now instead of the original canvas . These canoes would have been used by DNR or Fisheries and Oceans originally .
I left with the 22' V stern Ogilvy , my project for the summer .

 

[tmacdonald]

I was also at that auction today . You bought one of the two 18' Ogilvys that were there today.
It has been redone at some point , it has fiberglass on it now instead of the original canvas . These canoes would have been used by DNR or Fisheries and Oceans originally .
I left with the 22' V stern Ogilvy , my project for the summer .

I got #199. it look to be the best of them. In you opinion after seeing it in person did I get it for a fair price?

 

[greyghost]

All the Chestnuts there had issues , some more than others .
The price you paid was a fair price .

 

[Larry Meyer]

While most WCHA members would not go looking for a glassed canoe (or prefer glass to canvas), if the canoe is perfectly serviceable as is and the glass job technically well done, then I think you’ve done all right for yourself. Mind, you don’t have a canoe that is destined to be around 100 years from now. But Chestnut made a lot of canoes and a lot of Ogilvy models are out there for the purists and traditionalists to latch on to. If the majority end up as kindling in the bush, that’s all right, so long as their owners have had a good time canoeing.
The Ogilvy is a very heavily built canoe, with ribs double what is normal. It’s very flat bottomed with about the best “initial stability” possible. Almost a raft with sides. Standing up in them was common. NB guides wanted a stable platform for their customers to fish from and a canoe they didn’t have to replace or repair every couple years. It’s not nimble, maneuverable, or fast, however. Yours has a big shoe keel, it appears, which is overkill in so far as adding strength to the hull and straight-ahead to the tracking is concerned. I expect its really stiff, standing still and tracking.

 

[tmacdonald]

Great. I want to thank you all for the info. It is greatly appreciated.