17' Old Town wood/canvas derelict (well maybe)

[BillC]

I just got back from viewing this beautiful beast near my house. My neighbor found it in the attic 5 years ago when he bought the house and believes the prior house owner also found it there. It has sat outside for the last 5 years and the deterioration is obvious. I believe we know, once restored, it likely will be worth about what it is now. My real question is: Can I do this? She has 4 to 6 broken ribs, The inwales appear 95% good and the gunwales are totally shot. Are they mahogany? Don't forget it needs to be totally re-canvased. You folks have nursed me through two other projects that were successful. I am retired, have a garage to donate but need to add a woodworking shop- is doable. I can't rely on my 90 year old buddy Clark who helped steer me through the last two projects. You may recall I when to boat school in Maine (with nNoah) in the early 80's and then sat at a desk for 35 years.
Attempt it or strip it for parts and toss on the burn pile?
Gamma- please weigh in!! Cheers- Bill

 

[Boatman53]

I can’t think of a better boat to learn on. You can’t make it any worse than it is. Don’t get overwhelmed by the entirety of the project just take it one task at a time. You will learn a lot.
Jim

 

[Dana]

"It's the right thing to do."

But I'm glad it's not me that's doing it...

 

[Gamma1214]

Gamma- please weigh in!! Cheers- Bill

Look Bill, I know nothin' about wood/canvas boats but I agree 100% with Jim. It's the perfect boat to learn on because you can't make it worse than it already is (although I suspect that it'll look better once the canvas & rotted wood are removed).

Honestly, the front deck (with sticker) looks to be in good shape; the rear is good enough to use as a pattern... it looks very salvageable and, as most people would have probably already tossed it on the burn pile, you've got little to lose besides time.

My real question is: Can I do this?

Really, there's only one way to find out. Audentes fortuna iuvat (fortune favors the bold).

 

[BillC]

Thank you all-well said and if I pass before it’s done-who cares?

Gamma-Watcha doing up at 4? I wake up then but roll over after I hit the head.

 

[Robin]

Do you have the book “This Old Canoe” by Mike Elliot, it’s a great resource for the amateur restorer.

 

[Benson Gray]

One of the good things about wood and canvas canoes is that they can be repaired relatively easily. I suspect that you can do it. The books at https://www.woodencanoe.org/books will help explain the steps. The forums at https://forums.wcha.org/ are another good resource. Most questions have been asked before so the search utility can be your friend. This canoe was probably built after the late 1950s and the outside gunwales appear to be mahogany. The first link below may help you find the serial number if you want more details. Good luck,

Benson

How do I find a serial number on an old wooden canoe or boat?

Many old wooden canoes and boats have a serial number on both inside stems and a decal or tag with the manufacturer's logo on the bow deck. The number is usually stamped on the top of the lower part of the stems. The inside stems are the long curved pieces of wood that form the ends of the...

forums.wcha.org

 

[Patrick Corry]

I'll echo Benson's reply. There are many experienced restorers who frequent the forums at WCHA.org, many of whom will be willing to offer advice and analysis of your project. I'm currently on my fifth wood/canvas restoration, and while they seem to be getting progressively more difficult, with experience you'll realize that nearly any feature of the canoe can be restored. It's easy to be overwhelmed by the entirety of the project, but step by step removal of damage, and incremental repairs of each step will find you surprisingly close to completion in little time. Patience is likely the most valuable asset- the technical bits are not exceptional if taken one at a time. For example, that deck with the label can be resurrected simply by cutting back to good wood at the tip, and scarfing on a new tip of appropriate species of wood. See the attached picture of Chestnut Canoe Co. decks (Ash) that were rotted at the tips. Scarfed-on bits of Ash made them serviceable again. The same technique will repair the rotted inwale tips too.

Researching the serial number stamped on the stems will give you all the pertinent information on build details.

 

[BillC]

Thank you all, I feel most blessed and encouraged by your e timely responses.