Hi. Would anyone have knowledge regarding ribless cedar strip canoes? This one is about 30 or 40 years old and appears to be in good shape.
Besides the stability factor, I’d like to know how much weight it will hold and how strong it is. Also, are there any special storing conditions?
Thanks in advance for your help.
strippers
Impossible to know without much more info. Some items are: dimensions and configuration of hull, type and size of strips, type of exterior material for waterproofing, if fiberglass then what type and thickness of cloth, what sealer was used and what quatitiies? Doe it have stem forms or butted stems? etc. Most strippers are homemade and vary widely.
Check with
the Wooden Canoe Heritage Assocaition. A great group of people addicted to wood canoes. www.wcha.org I’m sure someone there will be able to help. You can also post pictures. Good luck.
JC
"ribless strip canoe"
The strength of the canoe is based on the integrity of the glass inside and outside. Those layers form a sort of box beam with the wood inside. Look for areas where the glass fabric shows as a white pattern. Ideally there should be none. Look for areas where the glass is pulling away from the wood. Again, this is not good. A stripper that old was probable made with polyester resin. This is both good and bad news. Polyester resin doesn’t hold to the wood nearly as well as epoxy. It therefore is easier to remove and replace if necessary.
The weight holding capacity depends on the length and width.
Look for any cracks, dents or deformations in the hull. I would not pay much for a strip canoe that old, but if cheap it could be a good buy.