Hello from Connecticut

rayar3

Curious about Wooden Canoes
Hi everyone. My name is Ray, and today a canoe found my father and me. I received a text with a picture of the canoe and he just said, "it's free, do you want it?" It was a client of my father that owned the boat. His wife wanted to turn it into a planter.

So I hooked up my empty canoe trailer and drove over to take a look, and we brought it home. I know nothing about wooden canoes other than I was thinking about building a CLC strip canoe this winter. This canoe doesn't appear to be that old, so it might be a nice learning experience. I'd like to cover it with canvas unless someone here talks me out of it!

Other than the fact it's a Great Canadian, I can't find much info on this model. It's a bit shy of 15' and overall similar to my old Grumman Sport Boat so it looks like it might be fun to make into a fishing/sailing canoe.



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Ray,
That looks like it's far too nice for a petunia bed!
Some boats like yours are purpose built with fiberglass. Removal, if even possible, can be a nightmare.
I would be tempted to improve upon the interior (sand and varnish) and then do the same with the hull. Fiberglassed hulls can tolerate a bit of very judicious sanding to prep them for a coat of either good quality marine varnish or paint. The varnish and the paint provide protection from UV damage.
As Benson notes, those tiny cracks are a non-issue. They result from the nails securing the ribs to the inside rails. You won't find too many boats (with this type of construction) that don't have a few of these splits.
 
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