Install new inwales below old?

[Howie]

I'm restoring a 1960 OldTown 13' Trapper. It's had a tough life - I've had to replace 4 ribs, plus rebuild tips & decking at both ends, as well as the outwales, keel, seats, and quite a bit of planking.

At the moment I'm considering how to replace the inwales. Both are cracked in several places and rotten at the tips. Plus the canoe had been stored for many years without a center thwart.

I could remove what's left of the existing inwales one at a time and install the new ones in the same place. But I worry about maintaining the canoe's proper bowed profile - ie 36" width at the center and gently tapering the ends 6 1/2 feet away. And I imagine there'd be a problem getting the bowed profile to be symmetric since the new inwales will not likely bend the same way.

Or instead I could install the new inwales just below the existing ones and when done just cut off the old ones along with 3/4" of the rib tips. Sure - lowering the inwales will result in a slightly lower profile, but I can't imagine it'd affect performance. And it's not like this canoe is in 'original condition' to begin with. And this way I figure the proper bowed profile would more likely be easier to maintain.

Someone have opinions?

 

[KAT]

What I did on my Huron was make up new inwales, soaked em for several days then clamped them up under the existing ones and left them for 8 days to dry. Then I removed the old inwales one at a time and installed the new one which had most of the curvature already in it, other than some spring back at the center. Worked well and I may need to employ that again for my next project.

My 2 cents...

 

[Howie]

Thanks KAT. I've got the new inwales clamped to the upper side of the old inwales much like you show in your pics, just in reverse order. The question is, should I install the new ones in the same position as the old ones or below them.

 

[Andre Cloutier]

As you've said, lowered rails wont affect performance at all. My preference is to install them below, as then you have fresh rib material to fasten to, and a new top once cut off. Moreover, you dont have to try to pull nails or split old rail material, on rib tips that would likely be brittle and/or rotted. None of the boats i've lowered were even detectable, as its under an inch and if you maintain the same upsweep in the ends it looks the same.

 

[Howie]

That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks - I plan to do so.

 

[Andre Cloutier]

timely thread, installing new gunwales on a chestnut that verolite tried to rot away. new rib tips and no ugly tip splices on the rails are always nice. snapped some pics for you - this boat is over 13.5 in deep, a product of chestnuts last days so it will actually improve it to bring it back down to 12.5 deep, imho. a pleasure model doesnt need prospector depth! steel nails and verolite are bad juju even for white cedar, top row of planking was done but ribs still solid. Of course, this one has a flat sheer and little rise; any more and they would need steaming.

 

[Dave Wermuth]

I did it to a 13' OT and the boat looked nicer overall. Less stubby, more sleek. You can do it once.