St. Louis Meramac Canoe

[abhraxas]

I have recently Acquired a 1925 or 1926 St. Louis Meramac canoe. I purchased the CD from Dragonfly which has the 1925 and 1927 catologs and it appears to match the 1925 Meramac style. The concern that I have is that the canvas looks intact with the exception of some cracked paint and some small spots where the paint has flaked off. We were told that the canoe has not been in the water for over forty or fifty years. Is it wise to just put the canoe in the water and see what it will do or should some repair work to the paint job take place first? The canvas that I can see where the paint has chipped off appears to have the filler still intact.
If it leaks is it smart to lightly sand the areas where the paint has chipped and then repaint it to see if that solves the leakage? Or is it better to just bite the bullet due to the condition of the canvas and re-canvas it?
Also does anyone have any information on the numbering system that was used or statistic on the company? The number on the stem is 364. Thanks.

 

[Benson Gray]

I don't think that you will do any serious harm "to just put the canoe in the water and see what it will do." If the filler is intact then paint repairs will probably not fix any leaks. Recanvasing is usually the best solution to any serious leak problem. There are no known serial number records or other statistics for St. Louis Meramac. It was founded by Alfred Wickett after he left Old Town so there is some information in Sue Audette's book about the Old Town Canoe Company. Let us know if you find anything else,

Benson