Guide boats are simply wonderful. I over heard the last part of a conversation at a show where I was showing a couple of canoes, where the nice sweet lady was telling her friends that she REALLY needed some one to buy and care for her old guide boat. She had played in this boat when she was very young on one of the lakes in the chain of lakes up there in New York and just couldn't stand to see it left in the barn after she was gone......I just happened to be doing my east coast delivery trip that fall and I stopped by to see her boat .... ended up owning it and bring it back with me. Turns out it is a John Blanchard boat of about 1905, identified by John Blandchard daughter, Rose, who I met at the Ad. museum in Blue Mountian Lake on the trip, amazing!
I removed every other rib from the inside and drew the plans and have never built as fair a form for a boat as this one.
Stripped, stapleless, in two inch wide, seventeen foot long redwood, six ounce cloth, doubled on the bottom board, weighed in at 65 for the bare hull and 95 portage weight with 8 foot oars, and yoke, and three seats/.
I have loaded it to 750lbs and it handled just fine and is quite FAST with one person on board.
Simply a great boat
Thanks for the forum, Nick
David Barrett in fresno, ca