roadlesspaddled
New Member
I recently purchased a wood canvas canoe that I want to refinish. I have been a lifelong paddler, but this will be the first boat I will refinish. I am starting to do the research on the boat so that I can try to ensure it is finished as close to the original build as possible and need some help with my research. The person I bought it from thought "it's a canoe company that starts with a C" I listed off a few and they said yes to all of them, so not much help. Just from the look of it I thought it may have been a Chestnut. From the research I have done so far (thanks Dragonfly Canoe and Mike Elliott's awesome new book), I think it might be Chestnut Prospector, Fort or Fawn model. The dimensions are 16' x 36" x 14", the decks are a shallow semi-circular cut just like a Chestnut and has just a single thwart. The seats are slat style, with the bow seat attached directly to the underside of the inwale. The stern seat is attached directly under the inwale at the front, and is lowered at the back. Most of the original screws are slotted (like on the stem band and on most of the ribs), but there are some robertson screws that look newer. I am assuming that there has been some type of restoration done, as the screws don't match, and there is a small wooden aftermarket handle attached to the underside of the inwale just inside the bow and stern decks (wood and patina does not match the rest of the boat). There is a serial number on the stern stem #23322.
Can anyone help determine the make, model and what the original color might have been?
Can anyone help determine the make, model and what the original color might have been?
