Carleton

[target-panic]

Hi!
I’ve only posted a couple of times, but I’m a long time lurker. I ran across an interesting canoe in sort of a variety store today, and it really piqued my interest. I’ll attach a couple of pics. It’s been my dream to restore one of these old gems, but I wonder if this might be a good candidate? Price seemed a bit high to me, but I got the feeling it was quite negotiable. What should I look at specifically for this to be a viable project? Excuse my spelling error in the title
Thank you!

 

[Andy Hutyera]

I would check to see if the hull has been fiberglassed. I can't tell from the photos. That would add considerably to the restoration job. Also I would look for stain blooms around the the tacks indicating salt water use. Neither would be a deal breaker but would substantially reduce what I would be willing to pay for it. Other than that it looks like a pretty normal restoration job. Others can probably give you an idea of price. The market for these things is pretty soft and some shop owners have unrealistic ideas of their value.

 

[Howie]

You could ask to find out how long it's been hanging from its side as that could cause distortions in the hull shape.

 

[target-panic]

The store has only been open for three weeks, so I don’t believe it’s been hanging up for long. I’ll ask more questions, but from what she told me it’s sounds like the canoe has lived it’s life on the west shore of lower Michigan, so I doubt it’s seen salt water use. Any idea of its age from the few photos that I provided?

 

[Benson Gray]

Any idea of its age from the few photos that I provided?

Welcome, the exact age can be determined if you post the serial number. See https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/791/ if you aren't sure where to look. It has the newer style tag so is probably from the 1930s. The information at https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/57/ can help you value it. Several nice restorable canoes are listed at https://www.woodencanoe.org/classifieds if you are looking for other options or comparisons. (I also corrected the typo in the title for you.) Good luck,

Benson