Eskanoe Floor Rack

[smallboatshop]

We are working on a ca.1935 17' Eskanoe made by the New York Kayak Company. This is a canvas covered one or two man kayak and it's very tender. The owner had the parts or parts of the parts but not the cross pieces for the floor rack.

The floor rack consists of 4-2 3/8" planks and appears to sit about an inch above the keelson as the holddowns screwed to the keelson are an inch thick.
Thus the floor rack, unlike a canoe floor rack, would sit above the hull bottom and be on a different plane. That is the floor rack would be flatter to provide the seating for the paddlers. As the shape of the hull changes from bow to stern under the floor rack it would appear that each cross brace would have to be shaped and fitted to assure proper support for the paddler so that the paddler would not crack or break the ribs and/or planking.

Has anyone had experience with this kind of floor rack?

Thanks,

Linda & Dan

 

[Dan Miller]

Hi Linda and Dan,

Not sure if it will be much help, but here are two catalog images from the 1931 Eskanoe catalog that show a little about the floorboards. They look a little funny because it seems the printer missed an entire color when they originally printed the catalog...

Cheers,
Dan, snowbound in NY

 

[smallboatshop]

Thanks Dan for your quick reply.

I believe that those pictures are of their folding kayak. We are working on a ridgid one.

 

[Dan Miller]

Rigid kayaks didn't appear in the '31 catalog.

 

[yelnif]

hi dan, what type of material was used for the skin on the folding kayak lee...

 

[smallboatshop]

Eskanoe Skin

Sorry for the late reply.
The skin for the folding Eskanoe is described.
"Only the finest materials obtainable go into the construction of these sturdy boats. The frame is made of the lightest, strongest ash wood, varnished with three coats of Valspar to guarentee permanent elasticity in the framework. Adjustable in length and width, the frame will alway fit snugly into the Eskanoe vulcanized rubber and canvas cover. Guaranteed waterproof for a lifetime, protected against salt and oily water and the sun's rays through special treatment, the Eskanoe cover is also rendered unbreakable and untearable through a hot roll vulcanizing process."

We are working on a rigid model: "The entire boat is covered by 8-oz. seamless canvas, which is machine stretched under great pressure over both hull and deck, and then pyroxlin-processed, thus making the canvas glass-hard and smooth."

That's all I know...
Dan

 

[smallboatshop]

spelling error - should be 'pyroxylin-processed'

 

[yelnif]

What type of process is 'pyroxylin-processed' ? doesn't 'pyro-' mean fire/flame?lee...

 

[smallboatshop]

Sorry, I have no idea - just quoting from the maker's catalog.

 

[yelnif]

I wonder if it was a new(at the time) process that did not pan-out. Making canvas 'glass hard' ought to make it extremely brittle?especially without a 'hull'to back it.

 

[Dan Miller]

Google.com, man's second best friend (after wcha.org of course), shows many hits on a search for pyroxylin. Here's one link... http://heritage.dupont.com/floater/fl_pyroxylin/floater.shtml

Cheers,
Dan