Plunder from Canada

Treewater

Wooden Canoes are in the Blood
Feel like a looter. Brought back three more Canadian boats. I already had one on top the car when I crossed the border. Detroit customs singled me out for a search on my return.
Starting with the Chestnut. Model and age anyone?
 

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15 ft 3" long by 34 inches wide. Tumble home is about 1/2 " beyond the outer wale.
 
Yes, we call it a shoe keel, and it is very typical of Canadian canoes.

And if you are going to have a keel on a canoe, the shoe keel is about as good as it gets. The profile is low enough to have minimal affect on how the canoe responds to the paddle and they do offer a bit of protection to the hull (and stiffness). They are low enough so that they don't catch on rocks as badly as more typical keels do and they make dragging over logs and beaver dams less worrisome. I've often wondered why these aren't the gold stand for keels?. The shoe keel on my Fox is totally benign. If I ever re-canvas it I would actually plan on re-installing it.
 
Not knowing what the original keel looked like I put this 1 5/8 x 2 inch keel on a Canadian boat last last month just before I went to the woods. It definitely needed the strength and by not extending it full length it still turns fine.
 

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Next plunder: 16 ft long, 34 wide to the outside of the gunnels. And what is that strange fixture by the seat in the fourth photo? Fishing pole holder?
 

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Saw those advertised, around Ottawa if im not mistaken. Chestnut is a Chum, and woodstrip looks like a Canadien or lakequeen, Peterborough or CCCo likely. Rod holder is someones addition, borne of a desire to put holes in a nice hull, no doubt.
 
Rod holder, just what I thought.
So the boat I went up for was this one. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I had an empty trailer and took all three. This was converted to a sailing canoe by adding bolts and drilling holes. Again, what is it? Is that short keel original?
 

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As well, holes in every thwart? why? dont try to understand lunacy. that last one is sweet, its a pretty old 3 board canoe, with one piece decks. bet if you strip them they're butternut, and the thwarts too. too bad they went batshit crazy with the drill. they dont make trees that big anymore.
 
one piece decks. bet if you strip them they're butternut, and the thwarts too. too bad they went batshit crazy with the drill. they dont make trees that big anymore.
Nothing gets me more excited than poking a bunch of giant holes through a beautiful antique deck...especially old butternut...nice wood chips from that!
 
They used a hand brace and bit. You an tell by the cuts. Apparently they drilled one hole only to find they hit a deck brace underneath so they drilled a second. Butternut you say? I think I can find some somewhere. I actually have a butternut tree. But a single piece that size?
 
Treewater- This really looks like my CCC 16' sailing canoe (factory)that needs restored. Your canoe seems fuller in the bow than mine which has a fine/ narrow entry but other than that they look identical. The short keel looks to be an add-on, eyebolt was for a leaboard (instead of the centerboard), holes in thwarts is likely where rigging line pulleys were mounted. I notice you have the floor boards in yours- I would be very interested to know the dimensions of these at your convience if you would be willing? Thanks. Not sure about any of this as these are just observations made over the years, and here on these forums- Great resourse.
 
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