Wood-and-Canvas Canoe Repair

This is a five-day course.

Canvas-covered canoes were built by the thousands from the 1880s through World War II and beyond. Many of these canoes are survivors, turning up in barns, garages, yards, and boathouses. While the canoe you find may be in any state of disrepair and neglect, the beauty of the canvas-covered canoe is that every part is repairable or replaceable. This six-day class is a hands-on introduction to the art and process of restoring canvas canoes.

The class will begin with an introduction to the canvas canoe, including the history of canoe manufacturing, how the canoe is built, and how to identify the canoe’s builder. We’ll start by evaluating the project canoes, identifying what work needs to be done, and the order in which tasks are completed. Students will get first-hand experience dealing with rotted or broken gunwales, decks, and stems, removing and replacing broken ribs, and replacing damaged planking. Finally, students will learn how to stretch canvas onto the canoe and how to apply the canvas filler.

Throughout the class, we will have discussions of alternative techniques, where to find specialty materials and tools, resources for the canoe restorer, and many other topics related to canvas-covered canoes and canoeing in general. The instructor will provide canoes for the workshop; students are invited to bring their own canoe along for evaluation and advice, and to get started working on them. If possible, student canoes should have the interior stripped of varnish or paint prior to the class.