Another spectacular resource for canoe restoration has been created by Mike Elliot of Kettle River Canoes. This Fancy Old Canoe is Mike's second publication on the topic following his highly successful and well received first book from back in 2016. This Fancy Old Canoe is set to be released on Amazon on June 3rd, 2024. I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy to review and share with readers here.
Mike's well known Canoeguy's blog has been providing restoration tips online since 2009. His posts have been a valuable resource for folks who have wanted to tackle a repair on their own, especially for those intimidated by the job. These posts formed the basis for his first book, This Old Canoe, which exclusively focused on wood-canvas construction. These included typical repairs such as replacing broken ribs and planking, splicing rib tops, dealing with rotted stem tips and of course, re-canvassing.
Having covered these common types of damage and repair, Mike's new book tackles more difficult restoration challenges seen in other styles of canoe construction. As many of these styles are no longer being actively built and have been relegated to being viewed as vintage antiques, Mike appropriately refers to these classic hulls as "Fancy Canoes".
In particular, the book discusses the various forms of all-wood construction, which rapidly evolved in the region of Peterborough, Ontario. These various "Peterborough" canoes did not have a waterproof canvas exterior but instead relied on precise wood joinery to create a water-tight hull. This Fancy Old Canoe thoroughly describes how to repair and replace every component in these elegant designs.
With over 400 photos and more than 100 plans and illustrations, This Fancy Old Canoe helps to methodically direct the restoration process and provides a clear guidance to handling some of the more challenging woodworking tasks.
In addition to these all-wood hulls, Mike delves into the repair of other forms of wood-canvas construction that were not covered in his first book. Included are topics such as reverse engineering highly curved stem profiles, steam-bending short decks and rebuilding the long extended decks typically seen on fancy courting canoes.
Further chapters cover the complex task of dealing with pocketed inwales commonly seen in B.N. Morris canoes as well as additional topics of wide outwales and handling restorations to sponson air chambers. The caning patterns for a trapezoidal seat from a 1905 Rushton Indian Girl is also included as are plans for a wood slat Peterborough portable canoe chair. Even repairs to sailing rigs and floor systems are thoughtfully discussed along with a chapter on applying fancy hand-painted decorations to a hull.
As in his first book, This Fancy Old Canoe concludes with a series of handy schematics for the key components of a variety of historic canoe models. The plans include information on the Old Town Otca, Thomson Brothers Ranger, Rushton Indian Girl, Peterborough Lake Queen, and a Willits Brothers double cedar hull.
Collectors of antique canoes as well as folks interested in appreciating the elegant complexity of these watercraft will no doubt appreciate the fine photography and explanations. Those who wish to tackle getting an heirloom canoe back on the water will find these two books are wonderful resources to help overcome challenges and achieve success in their canoe restoration project.
This Fancy Old Canoe: A Comprehensive Guide To Restoring Antique Canoes will be available on Amazon starting on June 3, 2024.
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