1st Restoration (Opinion and Advices welcome)

[b.desmarets]

Hey all,

I've just registered on this forum, as I got a week ago, a wooden canoe from a friend, who allowed it to fall into decay.
So, I've started to read articles and watch videos on the internet, about renovation and I realized that, in addition of being something possible, it also looked to be technically reachable in my case...

That's why I'm here, just to evaluate with your help, the magnitude of the work needed, and the level of skills required for it. I've joining here an album of pictures of my canoe. I've tried to put together pictures referring to the same part. I hope you will easily understand about how it is organized and where are the spotted parts.

For sure, you will notice that both bow and stern are seriously damaged. I'm so planning to take off all the mastic (you know, filler), strip the wood, lightly sandpaper and then varnish it back.

However, there is a mastic applied between each strips. So, do you think it is necessary to unscrew all those strips on the side and bottom, take off the mastic, restore them separately and screw them again (isn't there a risk that they change of form?) or a waterproofness test (like putting some water in the canoe and see where there are holes) and detecting gaps between strips when the mastic is all dried is enough?
Also, the inside of the canoe looks in quite good condition, don't you think? I haven't seen any draught proofing with mastic in the inside...

I hope I've been clear (you will notice that my skills in english are limited, even more when it's to talk about canoe...) and that you disapprove the posting of a new thread for my project.

Thanks in advance for your precious help. Till next, b.

 

[pklonowski]

Welcome! You've posted in the right place...

You mentioned pictures of the canoe, but I don't see them attached to the post, or a web address where they reside. Pictures will help the experts give you specific advice, and besides that, we just like pictures. They may also help identify where the canoe was originally built, and possibly an estimate of its age.

Does the canoe have a serial number? Depending on the maker, it may or may not have this. Look for either a brass tag with numbers stamped into it, along the ribs, stems, or gunnels. Or it may be just stamped into the wooden stems (look at both ends).

We'll look forward to seeing what you've acquired!

 

[b.desmarets]

Hey Pklonowski, thank you for that quick answer!

Actually, you had to click on the word "here" to be directed to the album. But I assume the color of the link being nearly the same as the rest of the text, it was a bit hard to detect it. So here's the link :

https://plus.google.com/photos/1174...ms/5748637986935621121?authkey=CNz_orXclq3DVw

Concerning the identity of the canoe, I haven't seen any serial number on it. And if my memories are okay, I've already been told that it was an amateur-made craft. Would it be possible?

Thank you once again, for your precious help, b.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

First of all, WELCOME to the forums! I'm always very excited to see when we have lured someone to this place from across "the big pond"! We encourage new threads and new people and love to see what others have found. Your boat is different from those we usually discuss, so it may take a while for someone to provide you the advice you need.

Your boat could very well be home-made, which isn't saying that it is not well-made: many of our members build their own canoes. Home-made simply means it may be unique. It certainly appears to be substantial. I honestly have no advice for you beyond providing encouragement and saying it appears to be a worthwhile project. The interior does appear to be very nice.

Someone will jump in here and tell you more about your canoe.

Again, Welcome!
Kathy

 

[b.desmarets]

Hey Kathy, thank you for this message. I'm realizing the american canoe lovers community is really bigger than the one I'm still finding (on the internet...) in France. Of course because it was the country of American Indians...

Concerning the quality of canoe, I never meant it was a well-conceived one by saying "amateur-made", but actually, as you're talking about the quality, I've been told that it was a good level of construction, between the bark and the canoe, what do you think about this?

Thank you anyway for your message. A welcome is always welcome! b.

 

[b.desmarets]

Anyone to help?

 

[jdm6593]

I think you might have better results in one of the all wood forums, instead of this wood and canvas forum which is quite specific. My experience with these forums has been very mixed. Often you get very quick useful results; other times you will get nothing at all. The right person to answer your question is probably out on the water today. It is difficult to answer a question about quality of build from pictures. I have never seen a boat of your type; it might be called a pirogue here, though they are flat bottomed rather than V-bottomed by definition. You might also try the Woodboat forum: http://forum.woodenboat.com/

 

[b.desmarets]

Thank you very much Joe! Gonna give a try on the wooden boat forum!
Anyway, I've found out here a very useful canoe forum. Looks to be active (in its domain) and more and more complete!
b.