Old Wood and Canvas canoe from Norway

[AndersK]

Hello from a new member.

A few days ago I stumbeled across this http://www.finn.no/finn/torget/tilsalgs/annonse?finnkode=36304309 canoe on a buy and sell internet page. Yesterday I picked it up and brought it home.
The seller claims it was made in 1905 but as far as I have found out, the factory that produced it was started in 1923.
The factory is "Drammen ski og canofabrikk" and it is long gone by now. The models name is Canuck. It is about 4,9m long and 85 cm wide (accurate measurements to come)

The previous owner belived it was made from cedar. Cedar does not grow here but the factory that made it was probably familiar with the use of many, to them, exotic woods making wooden skis of ash with hickory edges etc. A keel has been installed and I will remove it today.
Does anyone have any idea about the history of this canoe. I belive the factory may have gotten their plans from overseas as canoe building must have been in very early stages.

I will update later, just have to take the canoe for a little paddle

 

[Greg Nolan]

If you remove the keel, you will likely have holes through the canvas and planking/ribs to deal with. If you are planning to re-cover the canoe, no problem. But otherwise, you will have to prevent water entry.

The keel is quite deep -- perhaps you might consider cutting or planing it down some as an alternative to immediate removal.

Is the hull covering canvas? From the photos, it appears to be quite thin.

 

[AndersK]

Thank you for the reply.
I removed the keel and temporarily covered the holes after the skrews with duct tape. The canoe handeled much better than with the keel. It has little rocker exeept in the bow and stern. The cover is not original and it is not canvas. Looks like some kind of reinforced rubber. I am planning to restore it during winther and will remove the cover today so i dont get tempted to use it more until it is properly re-covered, varnished etc.
I also checked the measurements. The canoe is about 34-35 inches wide, 16.2 ft long and has a centre depth of about 13 inches. I think it looks very similar to Chestnut Pal.

 

[AndersK]

It looks like i need to replace three or four of the planks and maybe eight ribs. The cover is already removed. I have been reading whatever I can find about restoring old canoes but I am having problems making a plan for the progress. My main concerns are

1. Should I replace the ribs or the planking first?
2. On pictures of restoration projects, I have seen the ribs shaped on the outside of the hull before installing. Is there a particular reason for not installing them directly inside the boat?
3. Spruce and pine(fir?) is the easiest accesible materials. Would any of them work for ribs and planking? I guess I could get some cedar as well but not that easy and not that cheap.
4. The previous owner have filled the gaps between the planks with some sort of putty. Should I replace it or just leave the gaps open?

Thanks

 

[bradpareis]

It looks like i need to replace three or four of the planks and maybe eight ribs. The cover is already removed. I have been reading whatever I can find about restoring old canoes but I am having problems making a plan for the progress. My main concerns are

1. Should I replace the ribs or the planking first?
2. On pictures of restoration projects, I have seen the ribs shaped on the outside of the hull before installing. Is there a particular reason for not installing them directly inside the boat?
3. Spruce and pine(fir?) is the easiest accesible materials. Would any of them work for ribs and planking? I guess I could get some cedar as well but not that easy and not that cheap.
4. The previous owner have filled the gaps between the planks with some sort of putty. Should I replace it or just leave the gaps open?

Thanks

There are a couple of good books in english available from Jerry Stelmok; 'The Wood and Canvas Canoe' and 'Building The Maine Guide Canoe'. Try to reference these, as both have sections on canoe restoration. The short answer is that you bend the replacement ribs over the exsisting planking while it is still in place, but move the rib either slightly forward or aft to compensate for planking thickness. Gettting white cedar would be best for your ribs, and not so expensive if it's only a few of them. You could have them shipped from the 'States or Canada. Save the spruce for Gunwales, for planking red cedar could substitute for white if neccesary. There is an article in the June/July wooden canoe about a boat built in the UK for canoe mountaineering using non-typical woods; you might want to have a look at that.
Best of Luck,
Brad.

 

[Greg Nolan]

"The Wood and Canvas Canoe" is out of print, but excellent if you can get a copy of it.

In addition to "Building the Maine Guide Canoe," also an excellent source, the WCHA online bookstore has available for $3 “Rebuilding the Wood & Canvas Canoe,” which is a reprint of 3 articles from the WCHA Wooden Canoe Journal and from WoodenBoat Magazine.

There have been many articles on various aspects of canoe repair and restoration in the WCHA Wooden Canoe Journal. An index to the back issues may be found at http://www.wcha.org/journal/Index to Wooden Canoe.pdf
and back issues may be ordered from the online bookstore.

Rollin Thurlow had a good two-part article in WoodenBoat Magazine, in the September/October and November /December 1987 issues, on Canoe restoration -- copies of back issues are available from WoodenBoat Magazine, and these may be two of the articles in the WCHA bookstore reprint mentioned above.

 

[mccloud]

It looks like i need to replace three or four of the planks and maybe eight ribs. The cover is already removed. I have been reading whatever I can find about restoring old canoes but I am having problems making a plan for the progress. My main concerns are
1. Should I replace the ribs or the planking first?

Do the ribs first. It is important to maintain the shape of the canoe, so remove one broken rib at a time and/or add stabilizers. Cut, shape, soak and steam the replacement, then bend over the hull 2 ribs behind the rib you are replacing. Although possible to install soon, allowing to dry and set its shape for at least several days may be better. Run the replacement rib tips up through the gunwales from the center of the cane, then push the center into place, the force the rib down until it conforms perfectly with the hull. Put in the brass tacks, nail/clinch nail at the inwale, and don't be overly anxious of trimming off the excess rip tip, just in case the hull shape is bad and you have to adjust a bit. Replace all the broken ribs and make sure the new ones fit properly, and only then put in new planking.

4. The previous owner have filled the gaps between the planks with some sort of putty. Should I replace it or just leave the gaps open?

Leave the gaps open, unless they are really wide (5mm), and if easy to remove, get that putty out. Getting lumps of that putty between the planking and your new canvas will give you a lumpy looking job - not what you want. Often a hacksaw blade does of good job of cleaning excess old varnish out of the gaps. Good Luck, Tom McCloud

 

[AndersK]

Thank you!
That really cleared some things up. I think the putty is part of the reason some of the planking needs to be replaced. I belive it is called cupping.

Again, thank you for the advice. I will be getting the mentioned books.

regards
Anders

 

[MackyM]

Hello Anders,

I think there is a link on here that shows how to flatten out cupped planking. Maybe someone will remember where.

 

[bradpareis]

Source for books

Hello Anders,

I think there is a link on here that shows how to flatten out cupped planking. Maybe someone will remember where.

Earlier I suggested that you get two books by Jerry Stelmok. Someone said that they are out of print. I got mine directly from him, the contact phone # is: 207 564 7612
The website is at: Islfalls@IslandFallsCanoe.com
They are very helpful and will ship books quickly.
Regards,
Brad