Greetings from Quakertown, PA!

Hello.

I think I caught the bug of antique wooden canoeing and antique boats in general,.... thank GOD my wife loves history and the artistry of fine craftsmanship as much as myself, or else I'd be done for!

Just starting out,.. looking for my first canoe. Looking for something pre- 1940,... 1920s or earlier suits us for our interests.

Well, just wanted to do a quick into and I look forward to learning a lot in the near future!

God bless.

 

Hello,

Are you looking for a restored canoe, or a project boat? Try the classifieds here on the site, or keep an eye on ebay. All sorts of interesting canoes in both places.

 

You might want to check the list of books available in the WCHA store... many contain histories of the various canoe companies and of canoeing itself... and you can find these books at most libraries too. Back issues of the WCHA journal "Wooden Canoe" contain articles for those interested in canoe history.

You may try using the "search" function here in Forums to check out older posts about canoes that interest you.

Welcome.... it's a passion, not an obsession! Or so we say...

Kathy

 

Ideally, something that can be used for a season, perhaps an older restoration, then taken and reworked, or restored through the winter?

 

ideally . . .

Such canoes are around -- I bought such one on eBay this past spring -- a couple/three cracked ribs, two small holes in the planking, small bits missing from the ends of one gunwale, poor paint, and broken seat cane. A quick and light sanding of the paint, followed by two coats of new paint, took care of the canvas exterior for a while, and a couple of evenings spent reweaving the seats took care of the cane, and the canoe is now in use. The ribs, planking, and gunwales will wait a couple of years, when they will be repaired, the canvas will be redone, and the boat will be (I hope) as good as new.

The chief problem with this approach is timing -- getting a boat in just the condition you want, when you want it. If you are not in a rush, no problem, but it may take a bit of luck to get one very soon.