Where to begin? Restoration of cedar n fiberglass custom canoe.

[Almost-there]

Hi,

This canoe was passed down to me by fate. I have no experience working with wood and fiberglass let alone restoring it.

This canoe was made in 1980. According to my research the fiberglass coating may be polyester resin because in several sections it is not tightly bonded to the underlying wood .

I’ve read that a good way to remove the fiberglass covering is with a hand held heat gun and a putty knife.

I’m assuming that the entire outside will need to be stripped clean and the bare wood sanded.

Could you please give me your suggestions on how to proceed with this project.

Thanks.

 

[Benson Gray]

I hate to be discouraging but making a completely new canoe would probably be much less time, effort, and expense than trying to restore that one. It is probably not worth even considering this project unless there is a huge amount of sentimential value involved. A proper restoration would involve removing all of the questionable fiberglass (inside and outside), replacing any questionable wood, and then adding new fiberglass over everything. Good luck,

Benson

 

[pklonowski]

What Benson said. If that showed up at my shop, the answer would be to go buy two new ones, it'll be cheaper.

 

[Almost-there]

Thanks .
There is definitely some sentimental value here so the usual time/money is less important than usual.

This canoe was made as a reproduction of an American Indian design by a professor of environmental studies with whom I had personal acquaintance. So if it’s possible, I’d like to renew it so it can float again.

 

[Dave Osborn]

sounds like you feel a commitment. It certainly is a native style with that huge amount of rocker.
What you describe is probably the way to move forward. I would recommend stiff gloves and a pair of pliers to add to that heat gun removal process. From there, fix the broken and rotted stuff and re-glass it.
Otherwise take my advice below….

 

[Dan Lindberg]

It's a stripper - of questionable design.
With that much rocker, unless you are an expert paddler, you will likely get wet the 1st time out.

 

[MGC]

It's a stripper - of questionable design.
With that much rocker, unless you are an expert paddler, you will likely get wet the 1st time out.

And the second, and third...... it's a rare one to be sure. Hekawis Indian canoes do not turn up that often, although they may turn over.
In all seriousness, whatever the sentiment may be, practicality should probably weigh against a major investment of time and materials.
If you pursue the resurrection of that canoe, the end result will still be a very odd hull design that does not appear be particularly practical.
Having said that, you might attempt removing only the outside glass and hope that the hull can be trued up well enough to re-cover it, with glass.
As has been noted, heat, putty knife, patience and lots of sand paper should get the cloth stripped off for a re-glassing.
Good luck and congratulations on a very interesting project.

 

[pklonowski]

Might it make more sense to loft the lines, fair them out, and build a new one?

 

[Almost-there]

I found a site that I believe correctly identifies the source of the design of this canoe. It appears to be a “Eastern Cree Crooked Canoe”

“…Eastern Cree canoes arriving at the fort at the mouth of the Great Whale River on the eastern side of Hudson Bay in 1903. Here is a dramatic example of people using very different canoes for different purposes. The canoe in the foreground, a crooked canoe, would not have been of much use for carrying heavy loads, but would turn on a dime in rapids. The canoe in the background, with the flatter bottom, could carry substantial loads safely across a windy lake…”

Eastern Cree Crooked Canoe

Crooked Canoes Birch Bark Canoes of the Ungava-Cree, Eastern or Swamp-Cree, Montaganais, & Naskapi The "Eastern Cree" canoe, as defi...

beaversss-beaverbarkcanoes.blogspot.com

“Naskapi Birch Bark Canoe, Based on a Geological Survey of Canada photograph by A. P. Low in 1912 taken at the Hudson's Bay Company post at Ft. George, Quebec. This is a very good example of the true crooked canoe. Some crooked canoes were even more extreme than this one”

 

[Worth Gretter]

May I suggest another option? Strip the glass, clean up and refinish the outside, then use the canoe for display since it is sentimental. Buy or build something else for actual use.
I have stripped fiberglass and I think your job might be fairly easy since the glass is so poorly attached.
Best of luck with the project!

 

[Almost-there]

@WG, now that I’ve identified it as a replica of an actual Cree Indian canoe , I’ll probably attempt to do at least as you suggest. It would’nt get a lot of use anyway.

Here is a shot of the motif on the starboard bow.

 

[Worth Gretter]

But now the question is, can you save the motif?
If it is under the glass, then maybe.
Otherwise take pictures, even trace it, so you can reproduce it!
Make sure to post pictures as you go -- everyone on this site loves to see progress!