Author Topic: Cedar strip Guide Boat question.... (Read 1832 times)

longhunter · « **on:** July 27, 2003, 03:21:52 AM »

Aboat 14' looks like it was prob. canvas covered but has one layer of fiberglass boatcloth on it now.Is somewhat like a peapod style,REAL wide at the midship area,has original oars and bronze oarlocks.Just one real cool piece.Anyone have a clue where and when these were made?and a guess as to value?I was set on glassin it again and usin it as a trappin boat but some folks think I'm nuts ,that its worth more as an antique or something..........It is NOT a canoe,but is pointed at each end........Any help appreciated.

Skipper · « **Reply #1 on:** September 08, 2003, 02:32:43 PM »

It sounds home made to me. There's a lot of plans sold to build wooden boats with. My first boat was a plywood home made jon built by my uncle and modified by me. It had an outside layer of glass mat covering it. The little craft made many a trip. It did set sort of heavy, and the plywood doesn't take stumps and rocks well, but I fished out of it from age 13 till I was a Jr. in college.

Skipper

Cap'n Jon · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2003, 02:59:34 PM »

Was it flat bottomed? If it's the guide style then it is well used and is hard to tell how old because it is made by a few boat builders in each northern state.

longhunter · « **Reply #3 on:** September 20, 2003, 02:19:35 AM »

It is somewhat flat on bottom....as flat a s a wide canoe type craft would be.It is a cedar dtrip and ribbed,just like the early canvas covered canoes.I have owned a bunch of those old canoes,loved em and wished I still had them.I was taken with this one cause of its obvious stability,figured on working it trapping.....I know that Old Town Canoe used to make some here in Maine....Folks are still saying it is worth more to sell it as an antique or have it restored...that it'd be a shame to use it like I wanted.............

Cap'n Jon · « **Reply #4 on:** September 20, 2003, 06:35:43 AM »

I would say go ahead and buy it! It would also come in handy if ya got a deer while checking your traps. I like those style boats...like the old 3-4 seat chris craft's...There is a canoe builder in town and he makes some nice cedar strip canoes. He gets over a grand for each one and like you say it's a shame because they end up in somebodies loft instead of being used!

longhunter · « **Reply #5 on:** September 20, 2003, 07:12:19 AM »

I've a friend who was a Mainr guide years ago that said they were habdy bringing out moose from up the river....I guess one of these boats would handle the quartered moose and him..pretty impressivem for such a small craft.I have it here now...I really would like to use it..thats what they were made for.Guess I'm just an old fart at heart....I hunt with a model 14 remington in 30 rem.,made in 1910.My big rifle is an 03-A3 in 30-06,my shtgun an old lefever sxs 12 ga,aactually made by Ithaca...and I still like using paper shells....The old days.......the old ways.........ah well.Hopefully I can get this baby up and going for next fall,won't make it this year.It will be another season in the Old Town Packer I guess........

savageT · « **Reply #6 on:** November 13, 2003, 05:31:54 AM »

Quote from: longhunter

Aboat 14' looks like it was prob. canvas covered but has one layer of fiberglass boatcloth on it now.Is somewhat like a peapod style,REAL wide at the midship area,has original oars and bronze oarlocks.Just one real cool piece.Anyone have a clue where and when these were made?and a guess as to value?I was set on glassin it again and usin it as a trappin boat but some folks think I'm nuts ,that its worth more as an antique or something..........It is NOT a canoe,but is pointed at each end........Any help appreciated.

longhunter,
Your description of this boat sounds very much like the old St. Lawrence River Skiffs that were very popular around the turn of the century. They were made of light-weight cedar lap construction with canoe ribs, pointed at both ends, with webbed seats. The Boat Museum located in Clayton, NY has examples, some with sailing rigs. There were also Guide Boats in the Adirondack Mts. made much the same. What I would give to own one today!

Jim

longhunter · « **Reply #7 on:** November 13, 2003, 07:55:04 AM »

Thanks for the reply on this.I still have it,[ut it under cover for another season.Guess I will not trap with it ,till I learn more about it.If I ever get a didital camera,perhaps I could email photos or something.I am thinking of getting this back originalif anyone knows anything about canvasing a boat,any help would be great . This one and I probubly got a date on the river at some point,perhaps hunting would'nt b as hard on it as trapping....
L.H.