Andylovell
New Member
I have recently acquired what I suspect is an early Lakefield Canoe Co. all wood canoe which is in need of heavy restoration. The boat was salvaged from the River Thames near Oxford during floods in the mid 1970's and has been hanging in the roof of a barn since then.
It appears that apart from the damaged sustained prior to its rescue from the river it was at some time a hire boat and has had a hard life. Now it has been stripped of the many years of varnish I have discovered a number of historic repairs.
I have not found any serial numbers on the thwart blocks or stems, the decal has long since gone from the bow deck but there is a ghost of where it once was which is an oval, suggesting the earlier design, not the later image with the banner beneath it. Of the thwart tags the forward and stern read The Lakefield Canoe Co. Lakefield Ont. the centre thwart however one is missing but the outline of where it once was and is identical shape the surviving tag which reads Strickland & Co Lakefield.
I am wondering if they used old stock in the early days after the merger of Gordon and Strickland or if this was a repair at sometime latter.
The boat is a sailing model, 15'6" long and built of what I think is possibly Northern white cedar planking (not a species I'm familiar with here in the UK) on possibly Oak ribs with copper fixings. The bottom of the hull planks are dark whilst the sides are very light sap wood giving the appearance of what was once a very attractive boat. Any suggestion on age or model appreciated.
It appears that apart from the damaged sustained prior to its rescue from the river it was at some time a hire boat and has had a hard life. Now it has been stripped of the many years of varnish I have discovered a number of historic repairs.
I have not found any serial numbers on the thwart blocks or stems, the decal has long since gone from the bow deck but there is a ghost of where it once was which is an oval, suggesting the earlier design, not the later image with the banner beneath it. Of the thwart tags the forward and stern read The Lakefield Canoe Co. Lakefield Ont. the centre thwart however one is missing but the outline of where it once was and is identical shape the surviving tag which reads Strickland & Co Lakefield.
I am wondering if they used old stock in the early days after the merger of Gordon and Strickland or if this was a repair at sometime latter.
The boat is a sailing model, 15'6" long and built of what I think is possibly Northern white cedar planking (not a species I'm familiar with here in the UK) on possibly Oak ribs with copper fixings. The bottom of the hull planks are dark whilst the sides are very light sap wood giving the appearance of what was once a very attractive boat. Any suggestion on age or model appreciated.
