by Mike Elliott, Kettle River Canoes
A Chestnut Prospector wood-canvas canoe is available “for adoption”. $4,500 to get it restored to your specifications. Let me provide some background information on the adoption process as well as the canoe itself.
The Canoe Adoption Program – Since the beginning of Kettle River Canoes in 2003, I wanted to focus entirely on the restoration of wood-canvas canoes. At the same time, there are people looking to purchase a fully restored canoe. I wanted to meet this need without having to maintain and store an inventory of restored canoes. What emerged is the KRC Canoe Adoption Program. Here is how it works:
- I am contacted regularly by people who have an old canoe and can no longer use it. In this case, a man in Vancouver, BC has a 17’ Chestnut Prospector (model name Garry) that was built around 1970. It is his canoe and he will keep it until someone agrees to adopt it.
- If you want this canoe, contact me (email: artisan@canoeshop.ca or phone toll free 1-855-KRCANOE (572-2663).
- The first step is to transfer ownership of the canoe from the current owner to you. In this case, he is asking for $1,700. The actual buying and selling of the canoe is done by the current owner and you as the “adopting parent”.
- Once the ownership has been transferred, KRC is notified and I transport your canoe to the canoe restoration shop in Grand Forks, BC. As the new owner, you pay a transportation fee of $200 to get the canoe into the shop.
- Then, KRC has a close look at the canoe to determine exactly what needs to be done in the restoration. You have complete control over this process. The colour of the canoe and any other details are completely up to you. In this case, the full restoration is $2,600 plus taxes. Options such as lowered seats or a Chestnut-style portage yoke are available at additional cost.
- There are always several other canoe restoration projects in the shop when your canoe arrives. Therefore, it is impossible for me to give you a time-line for your canoe restoration. All of the work done at KRC is custom-fitted. We cannot work to a deadline.
- When the restoration of your canoe begins, I post pictures of the work in a dedicated photo album on the KRC FaceBook page. There, you can follow the progress of the project.
The Chestnut Prospector – The Chestnut Canoe Company was located in New Brunswick and produced more than 150,000 canoes from its start in 1897 until they closed their doors in 1978. They produced a wide range of canoes to meet every conceivable need. Without a doubt, the Prospector is the best wilderness tripping canoe ever built. Most modern canoe manufacturers have a “Prospector” model and they try – with varying degrees of success – to emulate the lines of this canoe. However, this is the real deal.
The Prospector was designed to transport heavy loads through wild rivers and lakes. This particular canoe is 17’ long. It has a 37” beam providing excellent stability; depth of 14½” in the centre; weighs 82 pounds; carries 950 pounds. The ribs are 2-3/8” wide with 2” spaces between the ribs. It is fitted with three main thwarts and two hardwood slat seats. As with all true working canoes built by the Chestnut Canoe Company, the Prospector originally came in a light green colour called “Chestnut Grey”. That said, the colour of your canoe is entirely up to you.
The hull has an arched bottom and substantial rocker at the ends which allows the canoe to dance through Class 3 rapid rivers. The Prospector is perfectly designed for rough conditions in wilderness lakes and rivers. The hull is flared about 4’ from the ends to throw water away from the canoe when it hits big waves. This is not just a canoe – the Chestnut Prospector is a true classic.
