|
|
|
RESTORATION
|
|
Wood boats are restored, other boats are junked. This is not a snobbish statement, just a statement of fact. Plastic boats, fiberglass, Kevlar, Royalex or polyethylene have a finite live span. "Vintage fiberglass" is not a term dear to many peoples' hearts. When these boats become old and brittle, as they all will, the only thing to do is donated them to the landfill. (Most polyethylene boats can and should be recycled.)
Can (or should) all wood boats be restored? No. Not if the boat has no value. Value can be measured in terms of dollar value, historical value or sentimental value. It's often difficult to decide whether to restore a badly neglected family heirloom that has great sentimental value or to allow it to decay into dust, thus forever wearing the label as the family member that "ruined" grand dad's prized canoe!
When is repair really restoration? Restoration is really repairing the whole boat. We repair the broken rib but restore the 1928 Old Town Otca. Usually the boat being restored is stripped down to the bare elements and every defect noted. During this "examination" phase it is most important to find every weak frame, cracked plank or rotten stem. It is critical for the long term benefit of the boat that all necessary problems be resolved. You can cut corners in making some repairs, but you should not cut corners in a restoration.
The canoe that illustrates this page is a Carlton canoe built in Old Town, ME sometime prior to 1914 when Old Town Canoe bought Carlton. One of the real advantages of wood is its longevity: Every single piece of a true wooden boat can be replaced. Other boats made of other materials are "patched."
If you have a boat in need of restoration, please contact us to discuss the project. We can help you evaluate your boat to determine the cost and practicality of a restoration.
Please contact Roger to discuss any repair or outfitting need... or to just talk boats!
|
|
|
|
