Another one lives

[Iskweo]

Who doesnt love an old chopper gun glass canoe? This is the stuff we grew up with before all the kevlar and cedar strip ones came along. Before we had the money to buy brand name boats. Our first canoes were usually aluminum, maybe a Sportspal or one like this old chopper gun boat that I came across last winter for a measly $100.

It took two of us to lift it and I was so curious about that I had to buy it so I could find out why it was so heavy. Turns out they tore the stems out of it and the water got inside the bouyancy tanks. It then got soaked up into the foam which proceeded to freeze and expand. Cute. Soooo I cut a hole in the top of the tanks with a holesaw, then expanded it with a handsaw until I could slice the foam into chunks and remove it. I glassed up the stems and the huge holes in the top of the tanks. Sanded everything in sight. Twice, maybe three times. Filled the savagely dented aluminum rails with some JB Weld and applied liberal amounts of rust paint the the hull inside and out. The grey inside was a bit dark for my liking so I sprinkled it with white specks and streaks for an artsy look. The intent is to paint the rails satin black and install a leftover yoke I have and make a basic solo seat anchored in with

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​ ​​​​​​​ cleats screwed and epoxied to the hull.

Estimated cost of purhcase and materials @ $200. Add in about 40 hours of labour and we have something resembling a canoe again. What fun. They dont all have to be super classy antiques or composite works of art. Sometimes you just feel like making one live again.

 

[Robin]

Looks nice, I like to restore those oldies, get em back on the road!

 

[Guest]

The grey inside was a bit dark for my liking so I sprinkled it with white specks and streaks for an artsy look.

The white speckles do look nicer than flat grey.

I have seen a grey painted interior with white speckles on a canoe before. I think it was a very old woven roving Old Town Stillwater, but may have been some chopper gun hull.

 

[Iskweo]

Yes I have seen it before too Mike...it was not an original idea of mine. But I like the effect.

 

[ppine]

Saving old canoes is a passion for many of us.
I took the refurbished Canadienne out this week and paddled up the Carson River at low summer flows. It is close to the house. The boat made good time against the current by eddy hopping. I pushed off the sand bottom some of the time. There was no one out there. White pelicans, cattle egrets, great blue herons, 100 geese. Just me and the dog and the sound of moving water. The boat performed well, and knowing that I saved its life was rewarding. A few scrapes on the bottom come with the territory. I have never had a new canoe, but I cannot imagine scraping along in a new kevlar canoe with carbon fiber and afancy glass lay-up. I carried it 50 yards on my shoulder.

 

[dougd]

I have never owned a brand new hull and I am not a boat builder. I find or they find me beat to crap boats that are calling for a new life and spend time and yes money to bring them back to life. Many I have paddled and then sold or some gave to needing folks, others still live here. I love the challenges that each boat coming into the shop presents and the best part is when I'm done I have learned a little bit more about this sickness of rebuilding hulls for the archives in my gray matter. Plus I just like hanging in my shop next to my well stocked fridge to ponder over the next step! Liquid courage!

Like you said, "They dont all have to be super classy antiques or composite works of art. Sometimes you just feel like making one live again."