Temagami Special Resto update

The boat is stripped, next up are the rail end repairs, oiling and varnishing and re canvas. A few surprises turned up during the teardown as well.

 The boat is built with copper tacks, unusual for 1946 as canoe factories had long turned to brass for tacks. The earliest boats are built with copper, very hard to locate these days. Possibly during the war old stocks were used up, or production had shifted to copper with brass being used for the war effort

Keel and stembands off, canvas is next

Nice recanvas done 20 years ago by the new owner of the |Temagami |Canoe |Co, John Kilbridge

Canvas was in fair shape, but outer rails were rotted, and stem and inner gunwale tips need replacing along with stripping and revarnishing.

 Peeling it back

Bare hull

Various plank repairs, along with 3 new ribs at the last canvassing

Old skin

Having once worked for the Peterborough Canoe company, the influence is seen when next to a '30s Peterborough cruiser, both 16 footers.

 Period logos are similar as well

Logo reproduced for the restoration

As the boat was well looked after, there appeared to be no more varnish applied than when built, making for an easy strip.

Stripper washed out with hot water and TSP to dislodge the remaining bits of varnish and stripper, and to lighten up the wood.

Butternut decks, front one has decal image shadow

 Initials and name of original owner, appears to have been put there by Smith back when he built the boat for him in 1946. This boat lived its life at the cottage in Temagami until this summer, when were privileged to acquire it. Overall it was in great shape, due in part to the solid build quality

Tips to be replaced.  Bill used red pine, and John gave us 2 pieces with enough material to splice in new tips.

  Tung oil after sanding, pine rails

Stripped boat, waiting for oil and varnish and minor repairs

Old canvas

 Back in the shop for finishing

More to come

Annual WCHA assembly, Paul Smiths College, Adirondack region New York

Paul Smiths is a hamlet in the Town of Brighton in Franklin County, New York on Lower St Regis Lake, in the Adirondacks 10 miles North of Saranac Lake. 

Many WCHA assemblies have been held here, and the last couple of years have seen it return. A gorgeous spot in the Adirondacks, with access to several lakes including Lower St Regis and Spitfire, home to many wonderful cottages and boathouses, from the unassuming to the extravagant. 

Below are a few photos of boats, scenery and so on.

From the deck of one of the buildings located lakeside

The green, with tents and boats on display

Closer to the lake

Chris Pearson from Holland, Michigan with his Old Town sailing canoe

Heading out onto Lower St Regis

Cottage compound on Spitfire Lake

Idem class sailboat, a design peculiar to the area

Grand Laker guide canoe and 6hp from Maine, brought by Dale Tobey

Backside of tents on the green

Another view of the Idem class gaff rigged racer

Jerry Stelmok, who confirmed our new project 18.5 ft guide canoe is one of his early boats from the late '70s

Raft up after Paddle by, an annual event where owners paddle their craft by the crowd as details are announced, at which time they salute the crowd, later rafting up for a group shot. 

The annual auction, run by yours truly. This year we interrupted sales for the auction of this beautiful lapstrake canoe built by Geoff Burke, and donated to the college as a fundraiser. 

Gerrish replica  built by Pam Wedd of Bearwood Canoes, Parry Sound district

Nose art on canoes displayed on the green

John Allen packing up his 16/30 sailing canoe for the return trip to Hudson Valley, NY.

Another shot of the stone residence on Spitfire Lake

New hiking board for the 16/30

I love this boat, and cant resist taking photos of it. During the original build, the intent was to build a sliding seat to run on the seat bridge using leftover ply and pine from the hull build. Problem has been that the tiller posts were cut too short, necessitating that the seat and bridge assembly be low enough so that the crosshead assembly would pass over it.  Terribly uncomfortable for us guys over 6', and who dont bend like they used to. The seat bridge was rushed, and not my best work. I've always wanted to redo it, and with the next week off and wanting to sail more this summer its begun. 

At Killbear, coolest place there is. 

Clatyon, NY with the late Danny Sutherland taking her out for her sea trials after completion, 2007

Killbear again, a great photo by Fitz from Mass. 

The late Jan Gougeon, of West System fame, after sailing her for a few hours

Ugly, quick seat bridge made of ash. Soon to be removed. 

A properly fitted and shaped seat bridge on an original raceboat

Closeup of the sliding seat from the oldie. 

Single board, with ash cleats under to slide along the seat bridge. Not too heavy, not too wide.

Seat bridge will be Sipo, but this African Mahogany board will be our new seat. It will match the coaming, also African Mahogany. 

Dusty old girl, seat bridge ripped off immediately!

Yuck. Early rush effort, the re-do a long time coming. 

New bridge will slot right in, but with increased height. 

Sanding and leveling old varnish

Original seat alongside new seat blank

View of cleats

In place on boat. Much narrower than the original i built, but much prettier and lighter. 

Rails will need relieving, courtesy of the router table. 

An original seat bridge, to be copied.

Mahogany seat bridge parts cut out

African mahogany seat

New, much better than old - higher and lighter

Ash rail stock for under seats 

New cyclonic dust and waste collection. The $175 drum. Whats that, i thought i paid $20 for it? Yup, and add the cell phone ticket some *#@ cop decided to lay on me while i drove out to pick it up.

Cuts the dust much better than any shop vac, and huge capacity.

Paging Dr Freud....

Dry fit

Looking better, historically more accurate as well

Dry fit of rails to check clearances

Success

Secure rails, sand all parts stain and varnish. Then hardware relocation.

Progress this weekend, parts fit, taken off for sanding and staining.

Nice grain from the African Mahogany

Seat bridge supports

Stain still wet, same wood as coaming. Varnish coming up.

Dramatic colour change.

Much nicer than the first effort 

Lots of varnish work coming up, including wanigan sides.

Widgeon displaying higher seat bridge

Another view, with shaped knees supporting from underside

Close up detail

Different method of fixing supports to hull with cleat on cockpit side. Later 16/30s  including ours have an adjustable seat bridge, with holes in the cleat allowing fore and aft movement through long bolts and wing nuts. 

Gilbert built 16/30 our replicas are copies of, again displaying higher bridge. 

New bridge

Starting to shine, 4 more coats and cockpit to do

She'll be ready before the water is, now to start on the traile...

3rd coat sanded

4th coat sanded, on to #5