New to WCHA - Interested in builing a canoe

[jmertz]

Hello! My name is John Mertz and I live in Evanston, IL, just north of Chicago. I'm interested in building a wooden canoe. I have 3 wooden boats now, a '47 Old Town, a 50s Thompson Sea Lancer Deluxe and a Rhinelander rowboat (old, don't know year). My father was an avid wooden boat collector and restorer and he and I bought and rebuilt these boats together. He also was most of the way through restoring a '45 or so Garwood Utility but was unable to finish due to declining health.

So I'm interested in building a canoe and would like to meet with / talk to any one in my area who has some experience with this. I have the skills to do this but I want to gain some knowledge before biting off too much at once. I don't know whether I want to build a kit canoe or one from scratch or something in between, and to be honest, I really don't know what's out there as a possibility. I do love my Old Town though, there's nothing like paddling that on my lake up in the UP on a quiet morning or flyfishing from it on a quiet evening.

If any of you know of experienced persons in the north - chicagoland area or southern Wisc that might be willing to share coffee and some info, please let me know how to contact them.

thank you very much,

John

 

[Dan Miller]

You'll want to connect with the Great Rivers Chapter, which is centered on southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Contact info:

Great Rivers (WI & IL)
Jerry Karbon
1531 Red Oak Court
Middleton, WI 53562
608-831-5552
Email: jkarbon@charter.net

 

[pklonowski]

Welcome to the WCHA, and to the forum. I'm up in Gurnee, so we're practically neighbors. The only one I've built is a cedar strip (actually a fiberglass boat with a wood strip core.. but it looks nice). I have two Old Towns that need work, and I think I can actually get started on some of that this summer. I'm still a rookie.

There are a lot of people on this forum who build & restore wooden canoes, and I'm sure some of them will chime in shortly; you'll find questions are answered pretty quickly & with great information.

Questions that will come up are: What building method do you want to use? Wood/Canvas? All-wood? Wide Board? Other?

Do you have Jerry Stelmok & Rollin Thurlow's book, "The Wood and Canvas Canoe"? It's considered the "Bible" of W/C canoe restoration. Another that's highly recommended is Jerry Stelmok's "Building the Maine Guide Canoe." Both are available at the WCHA store: http://store.wcha.org/home.php?cat=75 and maybe at your library, eBay, etc. The WCHA store has a lot of other great books, too!

Do you know Ralph Frese, at Chicagoland Canoe Base (www.chicagolandcanoebase.com)? He's not far from you at all. Although he's slowing down a bit (he's in his 80s), he is a wellspring of knowledge. You can't expect to leave the shop in anything less than three hours, but you'll find it time very well spent. I believe he stocks both of the books I listed above at his shop.

We'll look forward to more discussions, and pictures of your progress... we like pictures!

 

[jmertz]

Thanks for the info Paul. I have to go to Oak Park today actually so will drop by that shop on the way home.

John

 

[Jim Okkema]

Yes welcome. There are lots of knowledgeable people in the N. Ill & S. Wi area. Here is a thread with the Great Rivers schedule for the summer. I particularly like the get together at Norm's Hideaway near Fort Atkinson. It's a little country bar & grill on Lake Koshkonong. Always lots of interesting boats and stories to go with them.