A new (to me) Rushton

[Daniel Marcus]

I’ll be picking up this lovely canoe next week. I’ve asked about it on the Friends Facebook page and have gotten some good information. If anyone here on this forum has knowledge of this boat (its model, etc.) I’d appreciate hearing from you.

I’m not planning a restoration, I’m looking for a classic that I can paddle. (I get out on the water a lot.) I’ll be setting it up for solo single blade, so a thwart or seat, just abaft of center should do it, but I don’t want to anything inappropriate….

Sorry for the poor photo quality, that’s what I was sent.

 

[Dave Osborn]

Because it is relatively rare, adding, moving seats or thwarts, drilling holes, etc would likely reduce the value of it. It’s your canoe and you do as you wish.
I would suggest trying it first by padding from the bow seat facing backward. Even if you need to add ballast to the front.

 

[Daniel Marcus]

Yeah, I don’t want to install anything permanent, not so much for value as a desire to right by the boat.

 

[Rob Stevens]

Or try a removable folding seat.

 

[1905Gerrish]

Welcome Dan!

 

[Dave Osborn]

Dan,
All wood boats are prone to leak. You might do a search on “boat soup” to find a process that can help in that regard.

 

[Worth Gretter]

Dan, that is a great find.
I am just finishing the book "Ruston and His Times in American Canoeing". About 1902, Ruston was selling the wood and canvas Indian Girl for half the price of an all-wood canoe, because it was so much easier to build a boat where the canvas took care of the waterproofing. (See Dave Osborn's comment above re: leaking.) But Rushton, being a master craftsman, took much more pride in his all-wood boats.
That's why yours is special!
Also, there are people on these forums with similar canoes and with access to info like old catalogues. With more picture, dimensions, etc. they may help you identify the model and the range of years it was made.

 

[MGC]

This canoe was first offered in 2021. I was interested enough that I made the drive to Tupper Lake to look it over. I checked it over pretty carefully and decided to make an offer that was significantly lower than the seller wanted for it. If I remember correctly, I spoke with Dan before and after I looked at the canoe. After taking a ton of measurements I came to the conclusion that the Canoe was a pre-1906 A grade 13 foot Rushton Ontario with B style decks. I don't see that I recorded a build number. The canoe had been repaired (not restored) in around 1996 and then had sat in storage since 2011.
When I could not arrive at a reasonable price for the boat, I offered to help the owner sell it. I have (in my email files) a copy of the proposed add that I wrote for her to list here in the WCHA classifieds. She did not do that and instead gave the boat to Kip to sell at auction. She should have taken my offer, it was more than the boat went for and far less than the $10,000 she was convinced it was worth. Comically, I think Dan bought a canoe at that same auction (he must have a lot of canoes).
The long and short of it, the expected planking splits that you see on the smooth all woods are present. It will certainly leak. I suggested Daniel look up Geoff Burkes recipe for stopping leaks in these old birds, but it may be a challenge since re-clinching is also necessary. The original repairs also dealt with some rot that resulted from right side up storage.
It's a cool boat. To paddle it solo I might remove one seat and put a piece in to help it hold shape and then add a removable center seat mount to the carry thwart holders. The outside rails were pulling off so hanging a seat with that full load on the rails is probably not ideal. Since the seats are replacements (Essex), they can be removed and replaced with more period correct replacements.
It's a cool boat and would be a good one to paddle....

 

[John Sand]

I'm glad it found a home, and will be back in the water.