st. Lawrence canoe

[David Satter]

I picked up a great St. Lawrence Boatworks canoe. Ogdensburg, NY. 16 feet. I know the company history from a post from Dan Miller March 9th 1998. and info from the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton. I'll try and get some photos up here. This is a really nice canoe, strip planked 5/8 strips down to the garboard planks, those two are over 8'' wide. most of the strips are tight except the garboard ones. This does not get canvas. Does anyone know how rare this canoe is. this is the first one I've seen. Any ideas on swelling the planks other than just putting in the water. I'm probably going to restore it, but I want to do it right. Thanks, Dave

 

[Dan Miller]

It's the first all-0wood St. Lawrence I've seen. They were only built for a few years, and there are a handful of the canvas covered (Whistle Wing nee Indian Girl) around (I just canvased one yesterday).

The history of St.Lawrence Boat Works is a little elusive. It's roots go back to the Spalding St. Lawrence Boat Company of Ogdensburg, NY (which itself was previously the St. Lawrence River Skiff, Canoe and Steam Launch Co. in Clayton, NY). Supervisor Joseph Leyare purchased the company around 1905 and renamed it Leyare Boat Works. Layare is something of a legend along the River for, among other things, the "Number Boats" gentlemen's racers.

During WW1, Leyare closed shop and went to Buffalo to built airplanes with Glen Curtis.

It is sometime after the war that he returns to Ogdensburg and starts St. Lawrence Boat Works, and obtains rights to build Rushton Indian Girl canvas canoes. The all wood boats are descended from the StLRSCSL Co and Spalding canoes.

Brochure page attached.

 

[David Satter]

So Am I understanding this is a Whistler or Cignet as the brochure says all wood canoes. Or did they have canvas on them.? The paper work I have from the Antique Boat Museum ( this is dated 1998) puts the canoe at around the years 1922 to 1925. thanks Dan

 

[mccloud]

most of the strips are tight except the garboard ones. This does not get canvas. Any ideas on swelling the planks other than just putting in the water. Thanks, Dave

I have only limited, but favorable, experience applying ethylene glycol (antifreeze) to an extremely dry all-wood canoe. I mixed it about 50:50 with water and sprayed on several times. The water evaporates but the glycol stays in the wood. It takes time to swell the wood. It makes the canoe heavier, permanently. Tom McCloud