Twin Pines
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Good morning from the Maine northwoods, Im a greenhorn on the forums, but a "old salt" with wood and canvas canoes. During one of my wanderings in the northwood's I came to a pond that looked untouched for 50 years.
But something did stick out, a white fiberglass boat with an 1986 registration sticker on her. After checking her out, it turns out she's an Old Town (I believe there are no s/n plaque that I could see) wood and canvas boat. It turns out that in this case, the fiberglass actually saved her from years of abandonment.
I contacted the land owner and he told me the gentleman that owned her died several years back. He had planned on removing it this winter with his snowmobile after the lake froze up and throw her in a land fill. He said if I can get her out, she's all mine.
Problem, she's a mile in the woods and there are no boat launches on the lake. And her size, and all that fiberglass Im going to need 3 strong men and a boy to get her out of there. (with a promise of a of beer and trash can turkey upon completion)
The pros, she's free, and the ribs and planking are good and solid. Amazing enough there is NO squirrel or hedgehog (porcupine) damage. The deck is there but it's only remaining use is as a pattern.
The cons, when she was last hauled ashore the previous owner put starboard stern resting on a rock, and through many hard maine winters this has bowed in the last 7 ribs. But otherwise they are in good shape. The gunnels all around have rotted away and the top 1/2 of the ribs all around have rotted away as well. I took a jacknife and poked the ribs and planking and they are otherwise solid. As I stated earlier, she's sheeted in what Capt Nat Herrshoff called "frozen snot" (fiberglass) but I read the other forums on the subject and I don't believe it will be that bad of a job as whoever performed this injustice layed it over the canvas, and its the old type 'glass.
So, is she worth dragging out of the woods and rescue her? Or should I let the land owner drag her off to a untimely death in a land fill? It's hard to find any information on these old boats, and harder still to actually find one. Any input/ suggestions would be appreciated.
But something did stick out, a white fiberglass boat with an 1986 registration sticker on her. After checking her out, it turns out she's an Old Town (I believe there are no s/n plaque that I could see) wood and canvas boat. It turns out that in this case, the fiberglass actually saved her from years of abandonment.
I contacted the land owner and he told me the gentleman that owned her died several years back. He had planned on removing it this winter with his snowmobile after the lake froze up and throw her in a land fill. He said if I can get her out, she's all mine.
Problem, she's a mile in the woods and there are no boat launches on the lake. And her size, and all that fiberglass Im going to need 3 strong men and a boy to get her out of there. (with a promise of a of beer and trash can turkey upon completion)
The pros, she's free, and the ribs and planking are good and solid. Amazing enough there is NO squirrel or hedgehog (porcupine) damage. The deck is there but it's only remaining use is as a pattern.
The cons, when she was last hauled ashore the previous owner put starboard stern resting on a rock, and through many hard maine winters this has bowed in the last 7 ribs. But otherwise they are in good shape. The gunnels all around have rotted away and the top 1/2 of the ribs all around have rotted away as well. I took a jacknife and poked the ribs and planking and they are otherwise solid. As I stated earlier, she's sheeted in what Capt Nat Herrshoff called "frozen snot" (fiberglass) but I read the other forums on the subject and I don't believe it will be that bad of a job as whoever performed this injustice layed it over the canvas, and its the old type 'glass.
So, is she worth dragging out of the woods and rescue her? Or should I let the land owner drag her off to a untimely death in a land fill? It's hard to find any information on these old boats, and harder still to actually find one. Any input/ suggestions would be appreciated.
