I have been working on a 1950s-vintage Chestnut "Little". This is a 14' canoe, same as the Playmate, with white cedar ribs and planking. All the planking is 3" except for the second down from the inwales in the middle, and the football below it, cut from 4" stock. In the 1956 catalog, the "Little" is described as a "Deluxe Pleasure Canoe", while the Playmate is described as a "Standard Pleasure Canoe". One obvious difference is that the Little has wide 2 3/8" ribs, while the Playmate was built with 1 1/2" ribs. Perhaps built on the same mold? Cleanup has been complicated by whatever sealer/preservative Chestnut was using, as sandpaper fills almost instantly with a "waxy" substance. This canoe has a flat bottom, and I am impressed with the workmanship it took to bend the ribs at almost right angles at the bilges.
For the planking pattern archive, here is a photo with some planks tinted with chalk/pencil.
Tom McCloud
Tom McCloud
