230 
FOREST AND S T It E A M 
April, 1918 
PUTTING THE CANOE IN COMMISSION 
WHEN THE ICE LEAVES THE LAKES AND RIVERS YOUR CANOE MUST BE ALL 
READY AND IN THE PINK OF CONDITION FOR SPRING FISHING AND CRUISING 
By JULE MARSHALL 
Merriment 
H AVE you decided how 
you will refinish your 
canoe for commission 
this spring? Perhaps it is 
next Sunday that you will 
sneak off to the boat house 
and turn the boat over, and 
the question too. We know 
how it is for the same thing 
has gripped us for many a 
year. Also, we have 
watched the results of 
many laudatory as well as 
disastrous treatment. 
The amount of work you 
put in will depend, of 
course, on the condition of 
the outfit and the use it is 
to be put to. Many a one 
will have two or even more 
canoes to tackle. One canoe, no doubt, will 
be comparatively new and will be used 
carefully and finished finely. Another will 
be a veteran craft used for rough going, 
which will be given a tough but less care¬ 
ful treatment that will see it through yet 
another season. 
Whichever it be, certain things must be 
done. It should be cleaned, repairs must 
be made, the surface must be smoothed, 
then varnished or painted and perhaps 
decorated. Without a doubt, last season 
saw you using the canoe right up to the last 
minute. You did not think of its condi¬ 
tion when you put it on the rack on the 
last occasion for the big winter snooze. 
Now you examine it carefully and find it 
really reflects the kind of work you put 
in on it last spring. 
The canoeists can spend many a pleas¬ 
ant hour in this outfitting season, especially 
where there are a number of others at 
work on similar crafts. A lot of interest¬ 
ing points can be gained by comparison. 
Considerable fun as well as experience is 
derived from mistakes. All are imbued 
with the spirit and fellowship of the sport. 
Plenty of merriment is sure to abound. 
If you want to see the picture go to one 
of the canoe clubs or public canoe houses. 
The canoeist differs from his brother, the 
large boat owner, in that the latter sails 
in parties during the summer but in spring 
and fall works alone. 
Now then to work. Let’s take those 
“horses” from under Jack’s canoe; he had 
no right to leave his old tub blocking up 
all the room anyway. Lift the “best boat 
in the house down” (easy now don’t let 
her slip!). There she is bottom up. Oh 
man, look at the grease and dirt on my 
coat sleeve from the bow of the boat. 
Well, if he want to work we’ll have to 
get into the grand old duds. 
The first thing to do is to get a couple 
of buckets of clean water on the stove. 
When the water is quite warm, empty a 
half package of some scouring powder into 
one of the buckets and dissolve by stir¬ 
ring. Then with a good stiff scrubbing 
o 
abounds when canoeists gather in the outfitting season 
brush, scour thoroughly the inside and out¬ 
side of the canoe. Before the wood dries, 
rinse just as thoroughly with clean warm 
water. The scouring powder must be en¬ 
tirely washed away, for if left to dry it 
will eat and raise the old varnish or paint 
in a manner not easily remedied. Soap and 
water will clean well but will not get at 
the grease and grit like a scouring powder. 
By all means, do not use lye, potash or 
pure ammonia unless you want to see how 
fast the canoe will disintegrate. Scrub 
your blades and other canoe paraphernalia 
at the same time the canoe is cleaned as 
they have not been immune from the 
season’s grime. Put your things away 
for the week and cover them if 
Scour the canoe inside and out 
possible from the dust. 
UR next work day, 
perhaps a week 
hence, should find the 
canoe dry and ready for re¬ 
pairs. Keel and stem 
cracks may be filled in with 
white lead. Then by tight¬ 
ening the screws, the sur¬ 
plus will be squeezed out 
leaving the seams tight for 
the season. Canvas tears 
can be mended by burning 
shellac, layer after layer, 
until the ragged edges of 
the canvas are so well knit- 
ed together as to be actu¬ 
ally stronger in this place 
than it was previous to the 
rip. Celluloid cements and 
marine glues will answer the same purpose 
but are not always quite as lasting. Do 
not apply outside patches as nothing under 
the sun will make them stay put. Like¬ 
wise, do not use tacks or screws for 
beaches and floats drag them out in no 
time. If you have to patch, cut the old 
break with square corners and cut the 
patch to fit neatly inside, sealing it with 
the shellac process. In burning the shel¬ 
lac, do not let it burn to a crisp. Simply 
let some of the alcohol burn off, blow it 
out, and when somewhat cooled and still 
“tacky,” press it home tightly with your 
fingers. 
Checks in wooded canoes may be easily 
plugged with wedges. These are straight 
slivers cut the same length as the check 
or crack, trimmed to a knife edge on one 
side. The wedge is smeared with glue and 
tapped into the check from the outside of 
the canoe and left party protruding until 
fully set. Later it is trimmed off flush 
with the planking. A very small check' 
should be counterchecked to prevent it 
from extending further. This is done by 
pushing a knife point well into the wood 
at right angles to and at each end of the 
check. Slightly opened seams should not 
be filled with anything save the varnish, 
as they will swell tightly when once the 
canoe is in the water again. Wide open 
seams in old dried out canoes had better 
be caulked. This is done by twisting 
strands of cotton batting similar to a yarn, 
soaking it well in softened white lead and 
pressing it into the cracks with a chisel., 
More white lead is used to fill in any 
space left in the cracks. When this is 
fairly hard, the seams should be varnished 
before the canoe is to be entirely finished. 
Deep scars or scratches in wood may be 
obliterated by first cleaning the indenture 
and then laying a steaming hot towel over 
the spot. The steam will raise the wood 
in the scar to the level required, but sev¬ 
eral applications may be necessary. 
Smoothing the surface is the last step 
preparatory to the varnishing or painting. 
Here is where many of us attempt more 
(continued on page 243) 
