Side by side screws

[Keith P]

Any thoughts on why there are two side by side screws in the inner gunall. It only appears to be on one side of the canoe at each thwart. Each location is solid wood. IE: no finger joints. This is a 1940's vintage Otca CS grade. Maybe some add on or something??

 

[Dan Miller]

That's something Old Town did for a while. The purpose is to help reinforce the gunwale where the thwart bolt goes through, to help keep it from blowing out.

 

[zutefisk]

I've got an inwale starting to split, did the reinforcement work?
Did they use wood screws or bolts?

 

[ebeeby]

all such points on my 1929 Guide have the two screws. So it has worked for 77 years!

They are screws, not bolts.

 

[Splinter]

Those screws.

I think it was put there to add the sailing rig. Look at the hardware and mounting for a sailing rig, it makes sense I think.

 

[Dan Miller]

I think it was put there to add the sailing rig.

No, this feature is found in lots of canoes from that period that never had sail rigs. The mast seat would put the most stress on the gunwales, and I don't recall seeing the helper screws at seat bolt locations, just thwart locations. I believe that for a period, Old Town was concerned about the vulnerability of the gunwale where the thwart bolts went through. The center thwart especially is where the canoe is often picked up. They obviously decided it wasn't needed as they stopped doing it after a while.