Wooden Canoe F
Wooden Canoe F
Wooden Canoe F
Canoes Models 3
Building Material 8
Kits and Plans 11
Books, Videos, and T-shirts 11
Restoration and Repair 12
Order information 12
Please refer to the web site for more pictures and information and,
“What's Happening in the Shop" for the boats that we are currently working on.
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Canoe Models
WHISPER 10 FT.
In the tradition of the short “trapper” or “pack canoes,” Whisper
provides easy portability, stability, and maneuverability for the
small pond fly fisherman and waterfowler, and is a great choice
for young beginner paddlers for pure water fun and safety.
In standing and poling the Whisper, it is so stable you find your-
self walking and turning around just as if you were on the
ground. The Whisper is one of the few canoes that allow you
Whisper Specifications:
to plant your pole and turn 360 degrees without removing the ~ Length......... 9' 81/2"
pole or shifting your feet. ~ Depth.......... 111/2"
~ Beam........... 333/4"
Although small, the Whisper is still enjoyable for two adults . ~ Bow Height..... 161/2"
~ Weight......... 35 lbs.
SKIMMER 11 FT.
- Solo Wood & Canvas
- All Wood
- Kayak
A lightweight, solo sport canoe, ideally
suited for just messing around. A shallow
arched bottom gives a very maneuver-
able boat with good tracking ability. A comfort-
able canoe for a child, to practice your paddling
Skimmer Specifications:
skills, or for private exploring. ~ Length.......... 11' 2"
SKIMMER - KAYAK ~ Depth........... 111/4"
The Skimmer is also available as a modified ~ Beam............ 291/2"
~ Bow Height...... 17"
kayak, with a wood frame and canvas cover ~ Weight (W/C)....... 28 lbs.
fitted over the top of the hull. A generous ~ Weight (All Wood)... 29 lbs.
four-foot cockpit makes for easy entry and exit. The boat is
easily maneuverable by either a single canoe paddle or the
popular double-bladed kayak paddle.
CHEEMAUN 15 FT.
The Cheemaun 15 will serve tan-
dem paddlers very handily on
short trips and for day paddling,
but is also good for the solo
wilderness traveler.
Cheemaun’s volume allows solo
adventurers plenty of space and
buoyancy for a complete outfit—
often absent in solo canoes, and
the straight keel line makes
straight tracking an easy matter.
The relatively flat bottom affords
the paddler an opportunity to ex- Cheemaun Specifications:
~ Length......... 15 ft.
plore the shallow streams feeding ~ Depth.......... 12"
into a waterway, and likewise provides the stability necessary ~ Beam........... 35"
for safely carrying young passengers, and for poling. ~ Bow Height..... 20 1/2"
~ Weight......... 62 lbs.
Popular options for the Cheemaun include an 18 inch extended
deck, rounded coaming, and an outside rub rail finished in
bright mahogany which accents the hull shape and separates
the top and bottom paint.
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HISTORIC B.N. MORRIS 15 FT.
The Morris canoes built in Veazie, Maine from the 1880’s to
1920 are considered to be some of the finest wooden canoes
ever built. No forms survived the 1920 fire that destroyed the
factory. A customer commissioned me to recreate this lovely 15
foot canoe after finding an original at the Adirondack Museum.
We go to great lengths to be faithful to the original in all our
15' B.N. Morris Specifications:
reproductions. The Type 1 canoes had the short decks, spruce ~ Length......... 15'
inside rails, and mahogany trim. The Type 3 model is finished ~ Width......... 301/2"
off with extended decks, floor rack, keel and outside stems. This ~ Depth.......... 121/2"
canoe can be finished off as a Type 1 or Type 3. ~ Bow Height..... 25"
~ Weight......... 60 lbs.
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MEDFORD EXPLORER 16 FT
The Medford Explorer 16 comes from the tradition of the
great Canadian traveling canoes. Because Canada has so many
portages and fast deep rivers, their traveling canoes tended to
be shorter and deeper than those developed in the northeast-
ern United States.
The extra depth gives the canoe almost the same carrying ca-
pacity and reserve stability of a longer, wider canoe, yet is eas-
ier to portage because of its shorter length. The Explorer’s
sharp entry lines and extra depth make it capable of handling Medford Specifications:
rough water and carrying a good load. Yet its highly maneu- ~ Length......... 16'
verable hull makes it easy to paddle and portage. ~ Depth.......... 14"
~ Beam........... 341/2"
Explorer makes an excellent solo canoe for wilderness travel ~ Bow Height..... 211/2"
or for just exploring the waterways closer to home. ~ Weight......... 70 lbs.
VOYAGER 20 FT
Built in the traditional style of the famous Maine Grand Lake
Stream canoes only larger, the Voyager was designed by
Maine Guide Mick Fahey to carry heavy loads on large and
windy lakes. More than just a large canoe with a square tran-
som, the stern rises and tapers so the transom does not create
a lot of drag, espe-
cially at low power
or when using a
paddle or pole. Voyager Specifications:
~ Length......... 20'
The standard Voy- ~ Depth.......... 20"
ager is built for ~ Beam........... 48"
rugged use with ~ Bow Height..... 32"
heavy 3/8" ribs, ~ Weight......... 180 lbs
3/16" planking, half ribs, heavy inside keelson and outside
keel. Spray rails help knock down heavy waves and keep the
boat dry. Spruce rails, ash transom, deck, thwarts and stern
seat are used on the basic model.
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Material
For those interested in doing their own canoe work, Northwoods Canoe Company
carries a small selection of materials that are very difficult to find. Many of these
items are custom made and the quality of all materials is guaranteed to be of the
highest caliber. If you are not satisfied with any material, please return it for a
100% refund.
BASICS
White Cedar Mildew Resistant Canvas. Standard #10 grade,
Northern white cedar is absolutely the best 58" wide, treated to resist mildew. Unlike the old
wood for canoe ribs and planking. Its light lead-based canvas fillers, modern oil/silica and la-
weight, strength, flexibility and rot resistance tex fillers do not protect the canvas from mildew
can not be matched by any other wood. Al- and rot. Fungicides and preservatives applied
though Maine has vast quantities of white cedar, separately can interfere with the application of
it is still very difficult to find, select and sort out the filler. This new type
the knot and defect-free lumber that is required of treated canvas offers
for canoe construction. long lasting protection
from rot and will not
The rough stock, ribs shrink away from the
and planking offered rails.
by Northwoods Ca- Lightweight #12 x 60"
noe Company are Standard #10 x 60"
from plain sawn lum- Heavy #8 x 60"
ber, which means
most of the pieces will Untreated Canvas. The canvas that has been
have flat grain patterns. All wood is of the best used traditionally on canoes. It has not been
premium canoe grade. preshrunk and contains no chemicals.
Standard #10 x 60"
Northwoods Canoe Company has been able to
Heavy and Wide #6 x 72"
obtain a treasured amount of quarter sawn white
Heavy and X-Wide #8 x 84"
cedar which is available ONLY as pre-cut plank-
ing, 3" wide, 5/32" thick, in six to eight foot
Canvas Filler. Northwoods Canoe Company
lengths.
offers the traditional oil-based filler. The tradi-
Rough Stock 1" thick boards, 3" to 6" wide, 6' or 8' tional alkyd oil and silica-base filler is mixed at
long. (Length in ft x Width in inches/12 = board feet) the canoe shop. It is a durable filler that has
Pre-Cut Planking Stock 5/32" thick, 3" or 4” wide. proven performance on thousands of canoes.
Pre-Cut Rib Stock 23/8" wide; 5/16" thick, 60" long. This filler needs three to six weeks for drying
Quarter sawn Planking Stock 3" wide and creates a hard durable surface for enamel fin-
ish paint. It can be stored almost indefinitely, at
Canvas any temperature, but the ingredients will settle
Our canvas is the highest quality, midwest duck. over a long time and must be remixed. Instruc-
We have a variety of canvasses in different tions for application are included and also are de-
widths, weights and treatments: scribed in The Wood & Canvas Canoe.
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Bedding Compound. Applied under stem fect for bolting the seats and thwarts to the canoe’s
bands, keels and other wood joints, it seals inwale. The bolts are 4 inches long and threaded all
joints to prevent water damage and leak- the way so that they can be cut for shorter bolts.
age. It remains soft and flexible for many Comes complete with nut and washer.
years so the joint may be taken apart later.
Old Town Style Diamond Head Bolts. This is a
Git-Rot. Git-Rot pours into the finest brass bolt 7/32 inch diameter (#12/24)
openings, penetrates deep and completely with a diamond shaped head. This bolt
saturates rotten wood arresting the will match historic Old Town Canoes. It
progress of dry rot. Cures in 48 hours to comes with a nut. Available in 4'' and 6''.
a tough resilient adhesive that bonds the
wood together. Good for the tips of the decks, stems Silicon Bronze Woodscrews. We now have a new
and rails that show the first stages of rot but don’t yet source for silicon bronze woodscrews manufactured
need to be replaced. here in the United States to more strict specifications.
They are all Flathead (slotted drive) in #8 x 11/4" ,
Ambroid Glue. A waterproof liquid cement, flexible #8 x 11/2", #8 x 1 3/4" , #8 x 2"
and fast drying. It is the traditional glue for canvas re-
pairs and patches. No mixing is required, dries in Canoe Tacks. 11/16 inch tacks for regular canoe
minutes, and is easy to use at home or in the construction; 1/2 inch and 7/8 inch tacks for light or
field. A single 1.8oz tube is enough to apply heavy construction. The tacks are
several patches 3 or 4 inches in diameter. solid brass with an oval head. The spe-
cial chisle point on the end allows the
HARDWARE nail to clinch, like a fishhook and not bend over like
Stem Bands. Custom made for the Northwoods Ca- a common nail. Approximately 1000 tacks per pound.
noe Company, the traditional 3/8 inches
wide, oval face, hollow back, solid brass Bronze Ring Nails. 7/8 inch long, #14 gauge, bronze.
stem band. The bands are good for all Most commonly used to fasten the ribs to the gun-
types of canoes and small craft either as wales. 5/8 inch long, #15 gauge,
protection on the stems, keels or for other trim. Stem- bronze. Most commonly used to
bands can be predrilled and countersunk for #4 screw fasten the planks to stems.
5" o.c. Standard Lengths: 4.5 ft., 6 ft., 9 ft. Note: 9 foot
bands are cut to 8 1/2 feet when shipped. Stem Tacks. Small copper tacks
for fastening the canvas to the hardwood stem. 3/8
Stem band screw pack.This pack con- inch (for older used stems), 5/16 inch (for new stems),
tains enough (plus extra) bronze #4 1/4 inch.
screws to fasten a pair of 6' stembands.
25@ 5/8" long and 5 @ 7/8" long. TOOLS
Clinching Iron. Custom made for the
Carriage Bolts. Silicon Bronze carriage Northwoods Canoe Company, a hand
bolts manufactured to our specifications. These 3/16 held cast iron clinching iron. The iron
inch bolts (#10/24) are similar can conform to the many different shapes
to the bolts used by the B.N. of the canoe’s interior without gouging or
Morris, Chestnut and E. M. scratching the wood. The hollow center makes it easy
White canoe companies. Their to hold and easy to use. Weight - 3 pounds.
small diameter makes them per- We now offer the clinching iron in bronze. The
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bronze does not stain moist or wet wood as the cast recommended for padding so you don’t marr the
iron can. This is normally not a problem as the rails.).
stain can be sanded off later. In those situations
where it could be a problem the bronze is a good Finger Plane. This lightweight 21/2 inch long plane
alternative. The bronze iron is sanded and pol- is just right for the delicate trimming
ished. It makes an attractive gift even if it never on soft cedar ribs and planking. It is
used to clinch tacks. Clinching tacks with it does easy to use, and its small size makes
nick the bronze, however the mass is such that the it invaluable in the canoe shop.
nicking is not a problem. Weight - 3lbs.
Canoe Hammer. This hammer has a much larger
Tack Puller. An invaluable tool in any canoe shop head than most lightweight tack hammers, which
is the tack puller. This ver- makes striking canoe tacks much easier. Its light
satile puller, with two dif- weight is appreciated when reaching around the
ferent heads, is well designed for canoe to clinch the tacks. 7 ounce head, 12 ounces
lifting stubborn canoe tacks with mini- overall.
mal damage to the planking and for a wide va-
riety of other applications. I’ve used and modified Planking Gauge. Every canoe has many planks
many different tack pullers, and this one is my that need to be tapered to fit the curve of the hull.
personal favorite. This planking gauge is just the
ticket to trace an accurate curve
Canvassing Pliers. A wide jawed set of vise grip onto a new plank. Most often
pliers for grabbing the canvas for stretching at the used in new boat construction
gunnels or at the stem. The rounded edge make for but not necessary for the com-
a great fulcrum as you rock it over mon restoration.
the inwales.(a small wood button is
Books,Videos, and T-shirts all videos produced by Rollin Thurlow at the Northwoods Canoe Company
Each canoe has its own individual characteristics and there are no standard prices. Price es-
timates cannot be given until the canoe is inspected in the shop; prices are subject to change
once it is taken apart and the true condition is determined. Receiving and delivery of the
canoe can be arranged by general freight. Boats can be stored at the shop until they are
worked on. A $300 deposit is required and the balance is due upon the boat’s completion.
All boats are worked on in the order which the deposit is received. Currently completions
are running approximately 24 months from the date of deposit.
ORDER INFORMATION
You may either phone in your order, or send order form by mail, fax or send by
E-mail (email is unsecure) - [email protected]. Use the Price List to help you
fill out your order.