Need Old Town HW stem profile

[rbw1414]

Hello,

I have obtained a 17 ft, 1947 Old Town HW model canoe in need of repairs. Like many of these canoes it was once stored upside down on its decks, and the deck/stems are incomplete. I am starting to restore the canoe but need the shape of the stems to continue.

I was wondering if there is someone in the Portsmouth, NH area that has a HW model canoe that I might be able to make some patterns for the stem and deck from?

Or if someone knows where else i might be able to get the stem and deck pattern for this model canoe?


thanks,
richard

 

[Ed Moses]

Richard,

I'm 45 minutes from Portsmouth and if someone who lives closer to you does not respond, you are sure welcome to come make a profile tracing of my unrestored but intact HW with good ends. You can PM me for directions .

 

[Benson Gray]

I have an original 1919 HW that is 15 feet long which you are welcome to trace but I'm near Portland which is slightly further away than Ed. The information at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?3815&p=19434#post19434 may help too.

Benson

 

[Larry Meyer]

You going to bend new stems or splice? Steve Lapey and or Fitz may have a form for HW already

 

[rbw1414]

thanks for all the responses.

Larry,
I am debating which approach to take.
My canoe came with outside stems, so I think I will just bend new outer stems.

For the inner, I think they are only missing the top couple/few inches and the rest looks good. I would like to try and scarf these so that i can preserve the serial# on the stems and so I don't have to completely unfasten the planking from the stems and risk loosing shape.

richard

 

[Larry Meyer]

Not sure others would agree with me, but as the outside wooden stems are strictly speaking not necessary, you might forgo them? Just go with a brass stem band. There's a long solid post in the knowledge base about "tip" repairs that could be helpful. Likely a read of it would lessen your need for a profile, if there's not much missing from the inner stem.

 

[Larry Meyer]

Unfastening the planking won't cause the (remaining) stem to loose its shape. Is there inwale rot? If it doesn't extend past the deck, then you are in good shape.

 

[Benson Gray]

Not sure others would agree with me, but as the outside wooden stems are strictly speaking not necessary, you might forgo them.

Most canoes that were built with outside stems have a much wider outside edge of the inside stem so a normal stem band will not cover it in the same way. This may not bother you but it won't look the same as a canoe that was originally made without outside stems.

Benson

 

[Dave Wermuth]

for the top few inches of a stem I generally can recreate the curve from what's there. The planking gives a clue if it's there. I'd follow the curve and let it meet up with the curve of the upsweep of the inwales. Just don't make any sudden deviations from a pleasant line. I just spliced about 4" stem of a 1920 15' 50 pound canoe.

 

[rbw1414]

I am planning on keeping outside stems. I think it will fair in better with the keel, and I would like to keep the canoe as close to original as possible.

From what I have read the decks are 16" on this model? My fwd deck is 13 and the aft 11 1/2. so i am missing ~3" fwd/4.5" aft. The inwales are broken at this point as well, but look usable beyond that. So i am missing the last of the upward curve the deck and wales take to reach the stem. I think i will try scarfing in a patch For the inwales.
I read the entry in the knowledge base on tip repairs. It will be very helpful in my repairs.

Re -creating the curve from what is there is my fall-back. This is my first wood canvas canoe repair, so if I can get a good reference to work from I would feel more comfortable.

thanks for all the advice,
richard

 

[Larry Meyer]

That’s true. I’m not fond of keels myself, so were it mine I would shuck the keel too. To me the keel offsets (or rather negates) some of the qualities this canoe hull was designed for. The sole advantage of the keel would be easier tracking in big lake water, but it seems that with a good heavy load, straight tracking would not be all that difficult anyway. Maybe an advantage for sailing?

 

[MackyM]

The keel was pretty handy on Greg Nolan's Old Town when launching from the floating dock. The keel is all that touched the dock. For a couple of old guys that was great.

 

[Larry Meyer]

I should know better by now than to get in a no-keel, pro-keel discussion!

 

[Greg Nolan]

The keel was pretty handy on Greg Nolan's Old Town when launching from the floating dock. The keel is all that touched the dock. For a couple of old guys that was great.

+1

And I don't think I have seen a canoe with an outside stem that did not also have a keel, though I suppose an outside stem could be faired into a hull bottom without a keel.

Greg