Peterborough Iroquois (Chestnut Maiden)

 Introduced in 1922 and built into the '50s, this Chestnut Indian Maiden has proved elusive in the marketplace. We've passed on a few that either were made up to look like one but were'nt genuine, or had been treated poorly or fiberglassed. This week we finally got lucky, and located a Peterborough Iroquois. 

Brought back out for the 1960-61 year and built by Chestnut for Peterborough, their version was named the Iroquois.  Technically a Maiden, its built with spruce inner gunwales, cedar decks, maple seats and thwarts and hardwood outer wales, the Chestnut Indians had been trimmed in mahogany

  As found in original canvas

 A narrow, fast boat at 32" wide and 16' overall

Cedar decks

 Oak outer wales

 Nice shape, easy restoration

Solid seat caning on maple frames. Decks have hardwood coamings as well

 Heavily recurved stems, cant ribs just visible. 

 Silver Peterborough decal on bow deck, with painter ring.

Toughest choice will be what colour to paint it when done....

Road trip to Huron County

Today provided great weather for a drive to collect materials and a strip canoe form. The box trailer is still apart, so hook the boat trailer to the van and collect Rob and off we go. First stop is a new contact sawyer with a lot of ambrosia maple in 4/4, 6/4 and 8/4.  Prices were too good to pass up, and he had live edge slabs suitable for furniture and such so a big piece came home as well.
The next cruiser off the form will be trimmed with wormy maple. Not totally out of line with authenticity, as guide models were not built with materials not as selected as the first grade, and we've restored Chestnuts and Peterboroughs with everything from curly maple to birdseye. A few pieces of elm rounded out the pile, and we headed to collect the form.

A retired teacher had advertised the form for free to pick up, and its going to the local middle school for grade 7s and 8s to form a club to construct a canoe during the school year. 14'5'' long, with a modern stem and waterline, flat sheer, its reminiscent of a sleeker solo boat, along the lines of a Swift Osprey.
Currently 28" width and 11" deep, against the Oprey's width of 29" width and 26" gunwale width.

What causes ambrosia maple?

the lumberman's term for this product has been wormy maple. The appearance is actually caused by Ambrosia beetle that carries a fungus on its legs that causes the discolouration. The holes are due to the beetle boring through the living wood.

Modern lines, more plumb stem and sleek modern lines

One big load of logs

Lots of Maple

Starting to build a pile

Time to load

Lots of live edge slabs

Strip building form

Pick up at an historic house circa 1875

Second stop