Rebuilt Canoe

HomeBru

HomeBru

Joined
Nov 9, 2006
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I grew up in MN where EVERYONE had at least one canoe along with a fishing boat or two, so I've always felt a bit incomplete without my own canoe. Now that I live in Indiana, used canoes are hard to come by and I've never had enough free $$$ to buy a new one. Well, now I have one!

This old fiberglass canoe has been knocking around my neighbor's pole barn for the last five years. I finally asked him if I could take it and fix it up and he was more than glad to get rid of it. The caps on the stems were gone, so the stems were really beat up and there were a couple of small holes and one 18" long crack in the hull.
oldcanoe.jpg


I stripped the hardware, sanded off the paint and patched all the holes. I also re-profiled the stems to give it a more traditional look. Refinished with ash gunwales, caned ash-frame seats, and ash/cherry decks and yoke. And a new paint scheme...

newcanoe.jpg


Took my 7 and 5 year-olds out fishing in the canoe on Saturday. I'd forgotten how good it feels to be on the water in a nice canoe...

J-
 
looks like nice work.

thanks for sharing pictures of the project.

safe boating and good times ahead.:thumbup:
 
very cool now that you have gotten that far look up Tom Hill and ultra light canoes, continue your development;
if any thing feels better than sitting a canoe you resucitated, then sitting in one you built is better,
 
Guntotin_fool said:
...if any thing feels better than sitting a canoe you resucitated, then sitting in one you built is better,
Click to expand...

I've been reading about building my own for a while now, but haven't pulled the trigger. "Proper" materials are hard to come by here in corn country so it'll be an expensive prospect. I'd like to start with a stripper, but my uncle in N. MN makes cedar/canvas canoes too so that may be an option. He's offered to help me get started.

I figured this one would be good practice on the finishing part...

J-
 
Tom hill's are made from ripped strips of plywood, thin plywood, which is then given a coat of epoxy to stick it all together.

I have a 14 footer that weighs 20 pounds
 
I love the canoes and kayacks. My last aluminum canoe I had for 15 years before someone took it in the middle of the night. I am in the market for one. Very good work!
 
Guntotin_fool said:
Tom hill's are made from ripped strips of plywood, thin plywood, which is then given a coat of epoxy to stick it all together.

I have a 14 footer that weighs 20 pounds
Click to expand...

I've read Tom's book on ultralight construction and the boats that he makes are amazing and he's a very gifted boatbuilder. My vision of a perfect canoe, however, does not include lapstrake construction. Nothing wrong with them, just not my cup-o-tea.

I've seen some of the ultralight stitch and glue canoes and am planning on building a kayak using plywood and epoxy this winter.

J-
 
You're an inspiration to me...nice work. I'm, looking forward to doing some serious paddling in August.
 
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