Does Your Canvas Sag?

[cowboysteve]

Howdy folks! I'm the new guy. I just bought my first wood canvas canoe. It's a Chestnut Pal in good original condition. Here's my question: When I took it out this weekend for the first time, I notice in the photos what appeared to be "sags" or "ripples" in the glossy canvas where the seats are mounted. Almost like the gunnels were slightly bending down in the seat area. I'm a big guy at 6-1" 220 lbs. It all returned to shape upon departure from the canoe. Is this normal for wood canvas canoes?

 

[Benson Gray]

No, sags and ripples like you described are not normal in my experience. It may be time to replace the canvas (or rails).

Benson

 

[cowboysteve]

Thanks Benson. It didn't seem normal. I would think it was the gunnels, particularly the outwales. The Chesnut splices may be failing?

 

[Dave Osborn]

Photos may help us with your problem.....

 

[cowboysteve]

Here's a picture of the "ripples" behind the seat when occupied. Is this caused by flexing?

 

[Dave Osborn]

I would try removing the outwales, remover themtacks or staples and stretch it a little. There won’t be much to grab on to, but a pair of pliers should grab it and stretch it the little bit that it needs.

 

[cowboysteve]

I understand your thought, but the canvas returns back to smooth and tight when the person's weight is off the seat.

 

[Dave Osborn]

Maybe the inwales are loose allowing them to sag. Remove the outwales and see if the ribs are not holding up the inwale.

 

[mccloud]

What Dave said. Has this canoe been dry for a long time? If a 17' canoe shrinks by only 1% during a long drying out period, that's 2 inches, plenty enough to give some ripples in the canvas. If it had dried out a lot, use it, keep it moist for a week, and see how much those ripples go away on their own. Tom McCloud

 

[cowboysteve]

Tom, I'll give that a try. It has been stored in a dry place for a long time. Dave, I plan on taking the outwales off this Fall to refinish, and re-glue the splice. That'll give me a better chance to check out the ribs to inwale connection. Thanks for the input gentlemen.

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Given that it has side decals common in the later years, is the boat covered in verolite (vinyl impregnated canvas)? those are some big, deep ripples. the boat may be flexing, but a traditionally filled canvas would likely not be so pliable as to move and return to being tight. My guess is that the verolite is loose, and with weight on the seat, boat deeper in water etc its moving about the hull. Never seen that before!