Hogging of bottom of canoe

[Jpatten]

I'm working on my Shell Lake 16' (I had thought for years that it was 17') canoe with Fred Capenos and we noticed that the bottom of the canoe is not flat. We got the canvas and the keel off and then ran a string line along the bottom. It bows inside the boat 1" at the center of the boat. Anybody have any ideas how to straighten it out or if it is even possible?

 

[David McDaniel]

Hog rid

Tom mcKenzie told me of a treatment that he used, He soaked the
canoe in a lake for a while to get it good an wet, then suspended the
canoe by the ends then aded a thin flexable board inside with weight
added and keeping the hull wet while waiting.
Good luck!!! Dave

 

[john hupfield]

Dig a hole.Lay the boat in the hole and fill with water.Add weights(stones will work and leave the boat out in the sun(wrong time of year I know)for several days.Shape shifting is an art you know.
John

 

[Jpatten]

I think I am going to put the canoe (with canvass off) on saw horses so the bottom is facing up and put cloth like burlap over it and wet it down and let it soak overnight. Then I will flip the canoe over and and support the ends on the saw horses and put the cloth on the inside and wet it down real good. I have gaps between my planking so the water should seap to the bottom and keep the bottom wet also. Then add weight at the center on the inside. The weight will have to be distributed kind of the way Tom Mckenzie did it with a flexible board.

Measure when I start and keep it wet until I can start seeing it move and then if I get it back in place let it dry.

 

[Jpatten]

Wanted to give everyone the report on how my method worked. It worked great. I got the 1" out and my canoe is no longer hogged. The only difference from what I described ealier is I used hot water to soak it down with. I have a slop sink close to my garage so I hooked a hose up to the faucet.