: Did you hot mould the mahogany bottom, or is it a commercial boat?

In the mists of time, this boat was a full-sized Willets ---or so I was told
but I have my doubts---canoe. About 17 feet and quite beamy. This boat
must be quite old because its a long time since I heard of anyone
hot-moulding a canoe. I had seen it sitting in my local epoxy suppliers
boat yard for years. It was in awful shape. Bad rotting on both sides of
the keelson, some idiot had actually burnt a large hole in one side in an
apparent attempt to get the paint off, and much, much more. They gave it to
me an it sat in my garage for a couple of years before I finally realized
there was a small canoe inside of the big one that was trying to get out. I
cut four panels out of it and s and g them back together. The final canoe
was 12'8" by 27" and 32 lbs.

I still have some of scrapes that I cut out of the old hull, and everytime I
look at them I am amazed. I am very experienced with epoxy/wood
construction ---35 + years--- and there is no way that an epoxy/wood hull
would have survived this sort of exposure. I think the glue is resorcinal.
I also think that the heat and pressure during the glueing process
considerably compressed the wood. If you would like me to I can send you a
little piece of it.

Enjoy,

Smiley Shields
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