St range canoe construction

[John Greer]

I had someone describe a canoe to me that they've had for several years. Has ribs but the ribs are covered with canvas like material and then the planking is laid over the canvas. Have not seen but I'm curious. I have not seen myself.

 

[Dan Miller]

I would be interested in learning more about this one, as there is historical evidence that at least one manufacturer built canoes and rowboats in this manner....

 

[WoodNCanvas]

Wasn't canvas between two separate layers of wood common in some early canoes?????....I know Dan Herald built a canoe in that manner, although it had no ribs or battens....just two thin layers of planking. From "A History of Peterborough’s Canoe Industry", from the Peterborough Museum and Archives, http://www.peterboroughmuseumandarchives.ca/canoe.htm:

"In 1871, (Dan) Herald obtained a patent for his double-layered cedar board canoe. It consisted of a two layered hull, the external planking running lengthwise and the internal planking crosswise. A sheet of cotton with white lead was placed between the layers and secured with copper tacks. Since there were no ribs or battens in this model of canoe, it made the inside of the canoe smooth, but also slippery when wet. The double hull made the canoe heavier, but it gave it extra strength. Some of the freight canoes were 20 feet long, 5 feet wide and 2 1/2 feet deep and could carry 2 1/2 to 3 tons of cargo. The Herald canoes won a number of international awards for the strength and beauty of their design."

Dan Herald (and others I'm sure) used canvas between two separate layers of wood....Herald had patented a form that bent the nails being hammered....see http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/innovations/023020-2820-e.html:

"Herald's form was adjustable for size and was covered in metal bands, which bent the nails that were hammered through the boards of the canoe being built around it. (Before this, nails or tacks went straight into the wooden form, and the finished boat had to be pried off of it.) The hull was made of two layers of thin cedar planks, on the inside and outside of the craft, between which was sandwiched a sheet of painted canvas. When the paint dried, it sealed the holes around the 7,000 tacks used to hold the boat together."

Antique Boat America has (or had...may be sold....asking price was $30,000) a listing for a Dan Herald canoe from Tupper Lake area of New York, http://www.antiqueboatcanada.com/ViewBoat.asp?BoatId=29557, described as such:

"Only 8 canoe's of this type in existence. Dan Harold built canoes from about 1869-1889. The reason his boats were so unique is that the outside bottom of the boat only consists of 6 cedar boards. On the inside he laid a lead soaked cloth on the wood and put down cedar strips side by side (similar to hardwood floors). There is another boat like this one is the Canada science and technology museum, this is a very rare canoe."



Hope I understood the original post correctly....and not off topic.

 

[Dan Miller]

It sounded to me like John was describing something different than the Herald construction, which is well known and documented. My reference is to a construction technique where the canvas is inside the planking rather than outside, but the canoe is otherwise construction as it typically is. If memory serves, there is an example of this technique at the Canadian Canoe Museum, and at least one other builder describes the technique in a catalog.

Regarding ABA's listing, if the canoe is in Tupper Lake, then it is one of their "brokered classifieds." Anyone can list on ABA's site. Their price seems optimistic to me, and I suspect there are a few more than 8 examples of a Herald canoe out there...

 

[John Greer]

Now you really have my curiosity up. Guess I'd better give the guy a call and go see this for myself and post. Thanks.

 

[WoodNCanvas]

It sounded to me like John was describing something different than the Herald construction, which is well known and documented. My reference is to a construction technique where the canvas is inside the planking rather than outside, but the canoe is otherwise construction as it typically is. If memory serves, there is an example of this technique at the Canadian Canoe Museum, and at least one other builder describes the technique in a catalog.

Regarding ABA's listing, if the canoe is in Tupper Lake, then it is one of their "brokered classifieds." Anyone can list on ABA's site. Their price seems optimistic to me, and I suspect there are a few more than 8 examples of a Herald canoe out there...

Dan,
I realize Dan Herald canoes are well documented....and definitely thought $30,000 was more than optimistic....and there must be many more examples than just 8 too....but I am very interested in learning more about the other style of construction you mentioned though....so it was typical rib and plank construction but with canvas between ribs and planking??? Can you elaborate a bit more???? Maybe even give names of such builders????
Mike