Morris canoe?

[Girlchild3]

Hello all. I'm a newbie to WCHA
I believe I have a BN Morris canoe and I would like confirmation please. I believe it is a model A with torpedo ends. Serial # is 11754 and she is 16' long and about 32" wide. If more specific pictures are needed for ID please let me know.
I'm also looking for someone in the New Gloucester ME area who might consider helping me restore her for a reasonable fee.
Thanks all.
Michelle

 

[Michael Grace]

Your canoe is a Morris. One of the key diagnostic features is a flared cedar stem with a rounded-corner, rectangular brass tag attached to it with brass escutcheon pins. Your last photo just barely shows this. Your canoe also has the keel mounted with screws through every rib, and ribs, gunwale caps, thwarts and decks also characteristic of Morris. One of our members has literally written the book on Morris. It's available in the WCHA store:

http://www.wcha.org/store
http://www.wcha.org/store/morris-canoe-legacy-american-family

Check the builders and suppliers directory on this site:

http://www.wcha.org/builders-and-suppliers-directory

for help finding knowledgeable restorers - there's plenty of help to be had in Maine and surrounding areas. Your canoe needs work, but with proper care it could be restored to beautiful and functional condition. Please keep us posted on progress. And feel free to post more questions or thoughts on these forums - this is the place for excellent discussion and helpful advice.

And if you're not a member of the WCHA, please consider joining. The cost of membership is low, and the benefits are many, including a wonderful journal, Wooden Canoe, and the Annual Assembly in the Adirondacks (next month!). If you can find the time, come to Assembly July 11-16. You'll be very glad you did, and you might leave hopelessly (but happily) addicted to wooden canoes!

http://www.wcha.org/annual-assembly

Michael

 

[Benson Gray]

I'm also looking for someone in the New Gloucester ME area who might consider helping me restore her for a reasonable fee.

Welcome and I agree that your canoe looks like a nice Morris. The Builders and Suppliers Directory at http://www.wcha.org/builders-and-suppliers-directory has several options. The closest two are probably Dan Eaton of the Smallboat Shop at http://www.smallboat-shop.com in Denmark, Maine and Bob Bassett of the Kimball Pond Boat Barn at
http://boatbarn.wcha.org in Vienna, Maine. Good luck with the restoration and feel free to reply here if you have any other questions,

Benson

 

[Girlchild3]

Thank you Michael & Benson. I am definitely going to join WCHA and get the book as well (I'm having trouble logging in at the moment). I did check out the location of the Annual Assembly but it's 6 hours one way for me. I'm originally from RI so that's a lot of driving
Here are more pictures too.
I also meant to ask if there is an eco-friendly way to remove the finish from the inside and get it back to bare wood? I think I may be able to do that part myself and I am anxious to see her real beauty.

 

[MGC]

You might surprise yourself with how much you can do...certainly more than just stripping the old varnish.
Sadly, eco friendly and successfully stripping don't seem to align...only the most evil noxious products really work..especially on the old hardened varnish we see on your boat. Something like Jasco semi - paste that you can buy at Lowes works pretty well. Wear gloves, keep it off of your skin, let it sit for a real long time and keep it moist. Sometimes a bit of saran wrap laid over the top can speed up the process. Be careful when scraping the goo off..the wood is soft cedar and is very easy to scratch up... keep the scraped off goo in a can..it will harden up and is safer to dispose of that way. The scraped off goo can be used to color any ribs or planking you are replacing...
As you get close to the wood, use more remover and brushes to pull up the varnish..if you have been patient enough and applied enough remover, a brush should lift off the majority of it.
When you get the varnish off you can follow with TSP to wash off the remaining crud, you might also use Teak-nu to get the color blended...
Or..take it to someone and have it stripped...stripping tanks make shorter work of this job.
Replacing the missing planks is not too difficult and neither is replacing ribs.
If you are not comfortable with woodworking, think about taking your boat to school...many builders offer repair classes and encourage you to bring your own boat as a project... pm me if you'd like a suggestion..

And buy this book.....http://www.wcha.org/store/wood-canv...tory-construction-restoration-and-maintenance

 

[jwil]

I have had good luck with the eco friendly orange stripper from Wallmart and other local stores use lots of coarse steel wool and an old toothbrush for right next to the ribs.
had a bad situation occur from using the chemical stuff a few years ago and swear to never use it again.

 

[jwil]

here is a recent photo of the results
someone in its past had used some sort of contact cement between many of the planking gaps....

 

[Girlchild3]

Wow! Looks good Jwil
How long did you leave the stripper on?

 

[jwil]

I did one to three ribs at a time and yesterday in 80 degree weather it was on for about three min. then reapplied with wet (stripper) coarse steel wool to finish

 

[Benson Gray]

coarse steel wool to finish

You may want to consider using bronze wool or plastic scrubbers. Some people have had problems with steel wool leaving bits behind that eventually rust and create brown streaks later. Good luck with the restoration,

Benson

 

[Girlchild3]

Oh nice. I thought I was going to have to leave the stuff on for days. That sounds doable.
Thanks for the heads up Benson. I will get some plastic scrubbers as well.