To sponson or not to sponson

bobhasen

New Member
Hello,
I have a 1948 Old Town Canoe that a friend of mine and I purchased about 20 years ago. It has been hanging in either my garage or his since that time. My son and I have just started to restore it on its 60 anniversary of the original completion. We intend to restore and use and the canoe has sponsons that are original. I am debating reinstallation of the sponsons. I like the simpler appearance better, but realize that without the sponsons, there will be a double set of holes in the ribs down each side. But what I wonder more about is the antique value of the canoe. I assume that it would have greater value restored to its original specifications sponsons and fire red included? Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Bob
 
IMO, the only reason to put the sponsons back on is if you want to have a sponson canoe. I doubt that restoring to original will significantly increase the value of the restored canoe, and will certainly limit your market if you intend to sell.

Apart from historical authenticity, one might restore with the sponsons if the canoe was to be used for sailing where the added stability might be appreciated, or for rowing, where the oarlocks can be mounted farther outboard as an alternative to using outrigger oarlocks. Some folks do like the looks of sponson canoes. But if your intention is to go paddling in it, leave them off. They don't add anything except extra weight.

Don't toss them though - leaving them off is a decision that is easily reversible by yourself or the next owner.
 
Well said, Dan! I agree with everything except keeping the sponsons. They make great kindling!
I'm just finishing up a sponsonless Kennebec Sponson canoe. The way I dealt with all of the screw holes through the hull that attached the sponson was to use the original finish washers and glue in a a shortened brass slotted flat head screw. It looks better than just leaving the holes and a lot easier than plugging. (IMHO)

Highs in the 60's this week in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Good bye snow!
A raised paddle to you all!!!.....
Dave
 
I agree

I tossed my sponsons and do not regret it. They would not take up much room if you wanted to keep them around tho. I did nothing with the holes and no one notices.
 
Detachable Sponsons????

Does anyone know of construction plans for detachable sponsons? I've looked around online, and don't want to pay $200-300. Have thought about how I'll build them, but could probably use input from others.

I think the idea of sponsons is dreadful, but I'm taking out two people w/ minimal recording equipment on a 16' OTC Penobscot for an audio/publicity interview for a history project I've worked on, and I just don't trust the middle person to sit still. The whole idea was to do a radio interview on a canoe (so saying "don't take the people out" won't work) - thus detachable sponsons (or some temporary approximate) is probably the best bet... Need to construct them within the week. Heading to West Marine this evening to see what they have in terms of "hydrodynamic" floats...
 
I think the idea of sponsons is dreadful, but I'm taking out two people w/ minimal recording equipment on a 16' OTC Penobscot for an audio/publicity interview for a history project I've worked on, and I just don't trust the middle person to sit still.

Sounds like maybe the middle person and recording equipment might be better off in a Boston Whaler???

Cheers,
Dan, only half kidding...
 
jrghaven said:
Does anyone know of construction plans for detachable sponsons? ...

I would suggest that you use two (or three) canoes and some "C" clamps on two (or more) long planks across the gunwales to secure them all together. Then you should have plenty of space for everyone. This has been done to move a grand piano so it should work for your interview crew. Good luck,

Benson
 
Ebay, etc...

I like the idea of the Grand Piano - then we can have musical accompaniment as she sinks... :)

The recording equipment is trivial (probably no bigger than a Walkman or portable cassette deck - all digitial w/ just SD cards or something like that). Will wrap that in a dry bag w/ just mic cables coming out after a few rolls of the lid. Functionally, should be fairly water tight.

I just more worried about the passengers turning and/or quick shifts in weight. It's not a space issue, and I think the person in the middle is actually an experienced paddler. I just think it's asking for trouble, and on a waterway that I really, really don't want to fall into... (Chicago River - 30-40% treated sewage).... I've also never canoed with these people, so you never know what to expect.

The Ebay sponson might be a good backup plan if I fail completely at constructing my own (one seller is actually on the way to the river). I was just going to try attaching two pine 1"x2"s (maybe 5-6 feet long) along two thwarts (duct tape), then buy either floats (or make something using a "water noodle" wrapped/epoxied around two smaller boards, attached w/ a bolt or straps to the cross beams and running parellel to the boat - see pic.

Pine wood - $5-10
Floats - $10-20???
 

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sponson in my experience

I refurbished a 1905 OT with Sponsons. I put them back on because I wanted to learn to canoe sail without swimming too much, and I wanted to keep the historical integrity of the craft. I have had lots of fun sailing, with no swimming necessary. I also have to keep the ^&*%$ thing on its own trailer, because it's heavy.

Mike
 
or

with a third person in the canoe it will be more stable anyway -- ballast. so, Make them kneel on a pad or sit on the floor on a cushion. Tell them it is the Charles river tradition and they must experience the romance. You'd be hard pressed to dunk that way. They'll never know the difference. And if you kneel too all the more stable. My knees bother me but I can kneel for awhile. Gotta wear the pfd's anyway and what's life without some risk? tell them to pay attention to what you say or they will surely die. tell them to keep their noses directly over the center or calmity shall surely come down upon them.

You could always duct tape the swim noodles under/to the gunnels.

So the Chicago river is 30% to 40% treated sewage. Does that mean it is 60% to 70% untreated?
 
"So the Chicago river is 30% to 40% treated sewage. Does that mean it is 60% to 70% untreated?"

Well, truth be told, there's some rainwater in it...
 
Reminds me of a story...

pardon the thread drift, but this reminds me of a story..

A lady friend and I decided to run the Assabet River here in early spring. There is some easy white water that makes the run fun. Waves coming over the bow into the lap and such. We wondered about all the bits of paper hanging from the trees. We finished the run only to find out that the sewage treatment plant upstream had had a release of 1.3 million gallons the night before:rolleyes: :eek: !!
 
Thread Drift

That's almost like floating the Wisconsin river, late in the season. You can camp on sandbars on this river, and there are many. Erosion does happen, though, and by August or so, the upstream ends are eroding from where they were in May... and all these saturated TP loogies are exposed...

Needless to say, I haven't been on it for a long time.
 
Thanks for the tips...

And sorry for the thread hijacking. I found some of those noodle floats at Target this evening and I think I can actually strap them onto the gunnels and have it be pretty stable. Will give it a test run this weekend, but I think this should do - that and getting the passengers to sit low in the boat. If that doesn't work, I've figured out a second option from PVC piping to make something similar to the drawing and commercially available canoe stabilizers, but that'll cost $40-50, which isn't that fun for a one time trip. And it's just ugly.

I'll start another thread at some point about water quality and wood boats. I could talk all day about this... If the interview actually airs, I'll post a link in a few weeks. And if we fall in, you may hear about that too!
 
During some of my prep/research for a trip to New Brunswick for Fiddles on the Tobique, I heard of them strapping 3-4 canoes abreast and putting a plywood platform on it for clog dancers!
 
Interview Link...

As I promised, here's a link to the audio interview, broadcast on Chicago's NPR affiliate, WBEZ, on their 848 program this morning.

http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=22354

About the sponsons, I ended up strapping two water floats (noodles), one on each side of the canoe. Surprisingly enough, they were actually above water level for most of the trip, even with three people on board. The boat was pretty stable, there were only two times I was concerned, but it turned out fine. They kept calling it a "fiberglass" boat (actually Royalex), but I let it go... The weather cooperated, so it was really only wake that we were contending with.

Enjoy, and really, thanks for the advice on sponsons.
 
MikeCav said:
During some of my prep/research for a trip to New Brunswick for Fiddles on the Tobique, I heard of them strapping 3-4 canoes abreast and putting a plywood platform on it for clog dancers!

Mike,
The year I attended (2002?), they had a square dancing group on one float, and a 7 piece brass band on another. There were over 1000 canoes on the river that day, and apparently 30,000 spectators!
 
Whether tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous sponsons

jrghaven said:
As I promised, here's a link to the audio interview, broadcast on Chicago's NPR affiliate, WBEZ, on their 848 program this morning.

http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=22354

About the sponsons, I ended up strapping two water floats (noodles), one on each side of the canoe.

That is the question...............:eek:
 
Sponsons

I tore of my sponsons 30 years ago when I was a kid who did not care about history. The 1934 canoe was rigged for sailing, but it just would not sail worth a darn. The sponsons just got in the way of paddling, and they made the canoe heavier. Sponsons just are not practical. They are part of the original heritage of the canoe.
 
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