Electrically_Inclined

It works beautifully. For sure the quietest boat I have ever paddled! I take it on a mountain lake in Colorado and 1.5 years after finishing it up it looks as good as the day I finished it. Definitely worth it to use high quality varnishes and paints. As far as things to do over I would make sure to re-clinch ALL the ring nails that attach the outer planks to the ribs...I had an original nail loosen a bit recently and I can see it as a little bump under the canvas skin. Hard to re-clinch now as hammering through the canvas skin isn't a great idea

Sorry for the delayed reply. Fiberglassing this type of boat is not advised. With a fiberglass layer on only the outside the wood will still take in moisture and expand/contract. This causes the fiberglass to stretch and crack. Your boat looks to be a great starting point for a restoration! The wood looks largely intact so just some light sanding and varnish should get the wood looking great. Applying a canvas skin is, in my opinion, also easier than fiberglassing which I have done on other boats.

Thanks, totally overlooked putting a link to their website. Very helpful people over there, they can help answer any build questions and find out very detailed info about your boats production history!

Were you quoted for installing the skin or just the cost of the fabric? I purchased my fabric in the untreated state, which usually cost ~6 dollars/yd. You can buy fabric from a canoe supplier that has been treated with a mildew resisting agent and has been preshrunk for ~18 dollars/yd. If you went with an untreated fabric I would estimate about $275 including paint supplies, sand paper, etc. I broke out the major items needed to complete a re-skinning:Canoe Tacks: $20Canvas Fabric: 7yds, $48Canoe filler: 1gal, $72Epifanes Paint: 2x750ml, $96Paint Rollers, brushes $20Major Item Total: $256This leaves a little room leftover for various 2x4s used to pull the canvas taught and a set of stands. It’s definitely a project anyone can do and will certainly save s lot of money compared to getting …

Were you quoted for installing the skin or just the cost of the fabric? I purchased my fabric in the untreated state, which usually cost ~6 dollars/yd. You can buy fabric from a canoe supplier that has been treated with a mildew resisting agent and has been preshrunk for ~18 dollars/yd. If you went with an untreated fabric I would estimate about $275 including paint supplies, sand paper, etc. I broke out the major items needed to complete a re-skinning:Canoe Tacks: $20Canvas Fabric: 7yds, $48Canoe filler: 1gal, $72Epifanes Paint: 2x750ml, $96Paint Rollers, brushes $20Major Item Total: $256This leaves a little room leftover for various 2x4s used to pull the canvas taught and a set of stands. It’s definitely a project anyone can do and will certainly save s lot of money compared to getting it restored professionally!

Wow how cool to have a boat over a century old!! Good luck on the restoration it’s wonderful to see people paddling classics!

Thanks KJ!

Thanks...Chestnuts are beautiful boats, hope its going well! For fairing I would definitely recommend trying to get a smooth hull before skinning. On older boats like mine, the wood can cup slightly across the width of the board and you can't sand that away beforehand without cutting to deeply into the planks. If you can get it smooth before than you can do a quick sanding once your filler is dry and apply a build primer. This will cover any pinholes and get a great surface for paint without cutting away the filler which is the main protection of the hull.I usually mix my own Low Density filler. I take some regular Bondo that you find at the store, add fiberglass resin(not epoxy). This will thin the mixture and make it spreadable over large areas. In large areas you will sand it almost al…

Thanks...Chestnuts are beautiful boats, hope its going well! For fairing I would definitely recommend trying to get a smooth hull before skinning. On older boats like mine, the wood can cup slightly across the width of the board and you can't sand that away beforehand without cutting to deeply into the planks. If you can get it smooth before than you can do a quick sanding once your filler is dry and apply a build primer. This will cover any pinholes and get a great surface for paint without cutting away the filler which is the main protection of the hull.I usually mix my own Low Density filler. I take some regular Bondo that you find at the store, add fiberglass resin(not epoxy). This will thin the mixture and make it spreadable over large areas. In large areas you will sand it almost all back so weight isn't too much of an issue. For larger patches I add more additional resin to the mixture and glass microballons to keep it light. I think there are some more spreadable fillers on the market that are for that purpose but I had supplies available in the shop!

Thanks so much! I did a weight test today and the boat came in at 66.3lbs and is 16ft long. Mine is for sure heavy, The decks, seats, and rails are hardwood and could probably be switched for a lighter material (Though I did specifically go for a lower density mahogany on the rails).I think this is actually similar to your average fiberglass boat but far heavier than the amazing composite canoes being built today which I believe are in the low 30lbs. With that in mind though, I have heard of quite a few wood canoe owners doing hundreds of miles and portages in the Boundary Waters and other places.