Just curious where people find restoration projects? Most canoes I see offered are crazy priced. I'm not looking to buy cheap, restore, and sell high. If I actually had a business plan, it would surely fail. My interest is to bring a once beautiful craft back to life, knowing that future families will enjoy the quiet solitude of paddling a lake or river over the next century. This is what brings me joy. Also, sharing experiences and ideas/thoughts from friends from this forum. Thank you everyone, for being here!
Restoration Projects
- Thread starter Carlton
- Start date
Project canoes for sale show up in all kinds of strange places. The WCHA classifieds at the link below can be a reasonable place to start. Public auctions, eBay, craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, local classifieds, and other listings can be good sources too. Your local WCHA chapters and restorers may have some suggestions.
The key to finding a good project canoe at a reasonable price is patience. There are a huge number of optimists out there with absurd asking prices. Most of them will eventually get tired of waiting and lower their price to a reasonable level. It never hurts to go inspect a canoe that has been offered for sale, make a reasonable offer, and then politely walk away if they aren't willing to drop the price. You will often find that they are more willing to sell at a lower price in a few months. I literally waited years for the seller to drop the price on the canoe shown here on the left in my avatar. There are many more wooden canoes available than there are people interested in restoring them so the supply and demand ratio is in your favor. Most of us paid far too much for our first old canoe so don't worry about it. This will average out over time. Winter can be a tough time to buy a canoe because most of them are tucked away for the season. Fall is usually best because many people don't want to store them for another winter. Good luck,
Benson
www.woodencanoe.org
The key to finding a good project canoe at a reasonable price is patience. There are a huge number of optimists out there with absurd asking prices. Most of them will eventually get tired of waiting and lower their price to a reasonable level. It never hurts to go inspect a canoe that has been offered for sale, make a reasonable offer, and then politely walk away if they aren't willing to drop the price. You will often find that they are more willing to sell at a lower price in a few months. I literally waited years for the seller to drop the price on the canoe shown here on the left in my avatar. There are many more wooden canoes available than there are people interested in restoring them so the supply and demand ratio is in your favor. Most of us paid far too much for our first old canoe so don't worry about it. This will average out over time. Winter can be a tough time to buy a canoe because most of them are tucked away for the season. Fall is usually best because many people don't want to store them for another winter. Good luck,
Benson
Classifieds
www.woodencanoe.org
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pklonowski
Unrepentant Canoeist
Once people knew I had an interest in wooden canoes, two of them fell into my lap... word of mouth works.
1905Gerrish
Loves Old Maine canoes
Carlton,
Your vision is very similar to mine. I'm in it for the fun and want no part of the business though I have been asked in a very serious manner to get in on the action. I'm curious what is crazy price to you? I would add that a higher priced are generally associated with a higher condition which lessens the man hours/cost of materials and so on involved in a restoration. An example, I certainly would pay a few hundred dollars more for a canoe that only needs refinishing than one that needs a half-dozen ribs. I have been at this about 25 years currently finishing a restoration. I try to restore a canoe a year in my free time. I have had canoes given to me and have paid $1200 for trainwrecks and everything in between.
Your vision is very similar to mine. I'm in it for the fun and want no part of the business though I have been asked in a very serious manner to get in on the action. I'm curious what is crazy price to you? I would add that a higher priced are generally associated with a higher condition which lessens the man hours/cost of materials and so on involved in a restoration. An example, I certainly would pay a few hundred dollars more for a canoe that only needs refinishing than one that needs a half-dozen ribs. I have been at this about 25 years currently finishing a restoration. I try to restore a canoe a year in my free time. I have had canoes given to me and have paid $1200 for trainwrecks and everything in between.
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MGC
Scrapmaker
As Paul notes, if people become aware of your interest in these old boats, often that will result in someone sharing information that might lead to a canoe. Benson has mentioned several tools that may lead to finding a canoe. The key is to recognize that if you are serious about locating canoes, then you are probably going to be on the search continuously.
One part of this process that is sometimes very complicated is teaching the seller how to reasonably valuate what they are selling. More often than not, sellers will assume that a wooden canoe carries the value of a replacement new build, and they don't. Politely correcting sellers' obviously incorrect assumptions can sometimes result in the seller correcting their valuations and descriptions. I do sometimes respond to obviously incorrect advertisements and "coach" the sellers about how to correct their ads and properly price their items. When I do this, I never mention WCHA.
If the canoe is one I intend to purchase, then a I do as Benson suggests and make an offer and an explanation.
Sometimes I go home with a boat, and sometimes I walk away. Actually, I walk away far more often than not.
I personally think we need to be really careful not to overpay and allow the market to slip beyond realistic expectations. Most wooden canoes are not scarce enough to warrant overpaying for them. And....as many of us know, even if we do every part of the restoration, the end value of a boat is rarely equal to the cost of ownership. It's just that way.
One part of this process that is sometimes very complicated is teaching the seller how to reasonably valuate what they are selling. More often than not, sellers will assume that a wooden canoe carries the value of a replacement new build, and they don't. Politely correcting sellers' obviously incorrect assumptions can sometimes result in the seller correcting their valuations and descriptions. I do sometimes respond to obviously incorrect advertisements and "coach" the sellers about how to correct their ads and properly price their items. When I do this, I never mention WCHA.
If the canoe is one I intend to purchase, then a I do as Benson suggests and make an offer and an explanation.
Sometimes I go home with a boat, and sometimes I walk away. Actually, I walk away far more often than not.
I personally think we need to be really careful not to overpay and allow the market to slip beyond realistic expectations. Most wooden canoes are not scarce enough to warrant overpaying for them. And....as many of us know, even if we do every part of the restoration, the end value of a boat is rarely equal to the cost of ownership. It's just that way.
Dave Osborn
LIFE MEMBER
Carleton,
One of our own Wisconsin canoe guys had a standing classified on Craigslist seeking to “keep his idle hands busy” with wooden canoe projects. While he didn’t really do much restoration, he did buy and sell quite a few wooden canoes.
Incidentally, his screen name here was Workingbadger. His real name was Dave Teske. He lived in the Madison area.
Dave passed away on Dec. 24 2022.
One of our own Wisconsin canoe guys had a standing classified on Craigslist seeking to “keep his idle hands busy” with wooden canoe projects. While he didn’t really do much restoration, he did buy and sell quite a few wooden canoes.
Incidentally, his screen name here was Workingbadger. His real name was Dave Teske. He lived in the Madison area.
Dave passed away on Dec. 24 2022.
Todd F
Lifetime Member
Carlton, I have only started this journey a year ago. As mentioned above there are many sources for reasonably priced canoes. To be honest, once I showed interest in restoring canoes and looking up sources to acquire them I found many at a good price, to include free, since there are people who want to part with them but want people to bring them back to life. I have been willing to drive good distances to pick some up and have been patient for others to be available at a good price. Biggest benefit? Meeting great people on the way and sharing experiences with my sons. Good luck going forward!
Thanks folks for the comments. I have checked WCHA classifieds, but I live in SW Wisconsin, and quite a few of what I see are too far. My current project is a 1938 Thompson. I bought it for $400. I need to replace 4 cracked ribs,, Inner & Outer gunwales, outer stems, and recanvas. The price seem fair. The canoes I seen so far in WI are pretty much disasters. I'd like to stay in the $300-$400 range. I plan to attend the Wisconsin Canoe Heritage Museum Boat Show, Saturday May 27, Spooner Wi. I may find something there, or someone who knows someone. 
Dan Lindberg
Ex Wood Hoarder
Carlton,
When I 1st got into this, it took me 2 years to find my 1st (and 2ed) project.
With that said, if you ever get to the Cities, I have a T Indian 16 I'd let go for $200.
When I 1st got into this, it took me 2 years to find my 1st (and 2ed) project.
With that said, if you ever get to the Cities, I have a T Indian 16 I'd let go for $200.
Howie
Wooden Canoe Maniac
FWIW... I was given my first canoe project by my then neighbor who knew I liked woodworking. It was an 18' 1913-ish Old Town Charles River sail canoe that had been rescued from a dump in the NY Adirondacks. It was in terrible shape. This was about 1980 - long before the internet - and I knew nothing about wooden canoes, I don't think I had ever even seen one before, so my 1st restoration attempt resulted in a fiberglassed canoe shaped object that floated. But while pumping gas one day after returning home with the canoe atop my car the gas station attendant walked over and struck up a conversation. Turns out the trailer park he was living in was being shut down, and he needed to quickly find a home for a canoe he had. So the next day I had my 2nd (free) canoe project - a 1916 16' Old Town Otca. I restored it in 1985 and this time did a passable job.
So there ya go: find yourself a neighbor with no woodworking ability and a w/c canoe in the back yard. Then become real friendly with him. Then once you restore this canoe travel with it atop your car and make frequent stops for gas (or groceries, etc...).
But seriously, scour web sites like eBay, Craigslist, and FB Marketplace. And once you restore your first canoe you could place it for sale on these sites. You might not sell it, but by advertising it might cause folks to contact you about restoring (or buying) their canoe.
So there ya go: find yourself a neighbor with no woodworking ability and a w/c canoe in the back yard. Then become real friendly with him. Then once you restore this canoe travel with it atop your car and make frequent stops for gas (or groceries, etc...).
But seriously, scour web sites like eBay, Craigslist, and FB Marketplace. And once you restore your first canoe you could place it for sale on these sites. You might not sell it, but by advertising it might cause folks to contact you about restoring (or buying) their canoe.
Dave Osborn
LIFE MEMBER
Carleton,
Sent you a PM.
Sent you a PM.
