You've already received some good advice on how to handle an old cedar/canvas canoe. Another book you should consult is "Building the Maine Guide Canoe" by Jerry Stelmok. It has more detail (lots of detail!) about how to produce the planking and ribs and stems, etc., that you or your friend may need to restore the canoe. And how to recanvas when you're done with the woodwork.

You might also want to visit the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association website. You may find someone who builds/restores wood and canvas canoes nearby. Or someone who can help with identifying the canoe. This can lead to important information on how to properly restore the canoe -- enhancing its value.

Finally, replacing ribs or planking, or any other part of a wood and canvas canoe is not particularly difficult -- especially if you have any woodworking or boatbuilding experience already. And recanvasing a canoe is also a task that someone with a bit of patience (and the Stelmok book mentioned above) should be able to do without too much difficulty. Any supplies you might need for restoration are available from Rollin Thurlow (find him through the WCHA site link).

Ed King

: A neighbour is restoring his father's old cedarstrip/canvas canoe. He has
: removed the damaged canvas leaving flat ribs covered by thin (1/8" or
: less) 2.5" wide cedar strips. The strips are not tight to each other,
: but have approximately 1/16" gaps between them. Several of these
: strips are missing and will need to be replaced.

: He wants to eliminate the canvas and leave the outside as natural looking
: wood with the brass nail heads (attaching the cedar to the ribs) showing.
: His idea is to replace the missing cedar strips, leave the gaps and just
: fill them with epoxy/sawdust mixture, then glass the outside with one or
: two layers of 6 oz. fibreglass. There is not much strength with the very
: thin cedar, but he is hoping that by glassing the outside and using the
: ribs for strength, he can get away with just varnishing the inside, where
: the ribs prevent him from glassing. Any advice before he gets much
: further?

: John