Current Work

I am in a sort of holding pattern. I have a lot to do and no real direction. I still have to remove all of the fiberglass residue as well as all the caulk between the planking. This is a pretty tedious job. I have to take the heat gun (purchased for $10 on Craigslist) and go over every inch of the hull with a paint scraper. The residue comes off rather easily for the most part but there are places where it proves to be very difficult. I spend a lot of time scraping on those spots. I read a tip on the WCHA website on the best way to remove the caulk from in-between the planking. The tip said to take a hacksaw blade, and wrap one side with duct tape to form a handle. Then take the other side and cut the metal out where the hole is on one side to form a sort of hook. Then you can use the blade to saw out the caulking and pull it out where the ribs meet the planking.  Fun stuff.

Besides these two menial tasks, I am getting lost on what to do. How to decide if an entire plank is junk, or just a piece. How to determine if the flex in the hull is normal for cedar, or if the structural integrity is shot. How to tell if the stem is good and the keelson doesn't need repairing. So what does one do when faced with such problems? Two simple things ...

First you visit your local library (which had absolutely nothing I was looking for). Luckily we are part of a larger network of libraries and I was able to put on request 4 books about building and restoring wooden canoes, and one about the history of Old Town Canoe company. They have arrived and I now have enough reading to keep me busy for a long time. In addition to these 5 books, Sarah also gave me the wooden runabout restoration bible, which is meant for old wooden boats with engines, but there is a lot of useful info in there as well. Finally, I also received my "membership packet" for the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association which included even more reading. I hope these answer some questions.

Second you go find a professional. So I asked Dan Miller of Dragonfly Canoes in Cape Vincent if I could stop by his shop when we were up at the River the weekend of the 24th. Unfortunately he was away that weekend. But I did do the next best thing ... I went to the Antique Boat Museum. I was able to see many different wooden canoes, but unfortunately there were no dinghies on display. So I asked questions (as I am prone to do) and finally the woman at the reception desk told me to shut up and follow her. She took me to the ABM restoration guru who was hard at work restoring a huge beautiful wood boat (see pic below). We talked for about 20 minutes, and I asked him some questions about my project. He was helpful but clearly very busy so I still have not received the info I am searching for. 

I think best chance at getting answers may be to strap old Rosie to the roof of the van and drive her up to the River to have Dan Miller go over it with me (I hope he offers this service). It would be money well spent, and I would really know how to proceed with the project. I just need to find a weekend he will be around.

Until then I scrape.