Cedar Boat Stain

[brodie123]

I'm looking for suggestions on what color stain to use on my Peterburough cedar strip that I am stripping down to the plain wood. It appears to be white cedar. I'm looking for what be a common color used for cedar boats. After the stain, I plan to use clear coat urethane.

Any recommendations are appreciated.

thx

 

[roffey]

Canada eh? I think most of them had red bottom paint, green seats with a clear top coat.

 

[brodie123]

That would make it a very white boat - the cedar is very light. Should I not tint it a little?

 

[garbageguy]

Sounds like a beautiful boat. I like natural wood color, just my .02. Please do share some photos

 

[roffey]

you may want to experiment a little first but I believe when you seal the wood it will darken. Having said that I had a little run about when I was a small lad. It had mahogany decks, I stained them a dark red then a clear coat... when docked people would ask me about the boat. Wood boats are a beautiful thing when restored, nothing compares in my humble opinion ..

http://www.trentsevernantiqueboats.com/ptbo.htm

 

[brodie123]

Thanks. I did some testing with a very light stain and another spot without. The very light stain really brings out the grain. Thanks !!

 

[roffey]

love wooden boats, post before and after pics...

 

[Ned L]

I would also like to see pictures.
... you might say I’ve done a bit of messing around with wooden boats.

 

[82rude]

I owned a 17 foot cedarstip for years.I did not use stain,i used a quality varnishas did most boat builders of the time.Theres clear varnish and other shades.My fav was honey as it brought the beauty out in western red cedar which was the most popular cedar .Concider doing up to the water line in fiberglass and 2 part epoxy resin or even no glass but coated with a gallon or so of Fasco Steelflex epoxy resin.My bottom was glassed then painted with forest green paint.

 

[JimS123]

If you want it to look like new don't use stain. If you want it to last in the water don't use urethane.

Marine grade spar varnish is the only preservative that should be used on a wooden boat.

Pettit Captains varnish is what I personally prefer, but many of my contemporaries prefer Epifanes. I find the latter to be a little harder to apply.

If you intend to enter the boat in a sanctioned ACBS event, the way you prepare it will determine whether you place or not.

 

[82rude]

Many moons ago we had a big downturn at the steel plant and a friend of mine decided to learn something new.He went for a few years to Nova Scotia to learn how to build wooden boats from the masters.When i owned my woodie he came in handy as a fixer and as a teacher .I admire people that build woodies still,its mostly a lost art here in the west.Their great conversation starters as many a person from lets say 60 to ? can remember owning or at the very least riding in one of the many styles that were popular back in the day.Back in the 1900,s and up the Muskoka's use to be ground zero for some of the great names back in the day.Many fine examples can still be admired today ,many.A good place to pook around if your close and theres still several craftsmen and shops around there.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

The more "clear" varnish, urethane or spar varnish you apply it will get a bit darker after every coat. I wouldn't stain it because the clear coats will make that stain darker as well and you won't end up with the original colour (as in the Canuck spellig in colour) and may not be happy. I would use good old fashion spar varnish. I have been very happy with it. I've done furniture in many coats of spar varnish and they came out great. There are applications where I don't want a glass finish using urethane.

roffey here is right, those old cedar strips like the classics they made in Powassan Ontario for Lake Nippissing and area were all painted, usually red on bottom and clear on top, sometimes red 3/4 up then white up to the gunnels. My father in law had a Powassan Cedar at the cottage on Lake Nipp, an 18 footer. It was his fathers built before the war. It weighed a ton. When it was 40 years old it looked new.

The Muskoka's were the epicentre of wooden boats for years. I love old, and new wooden boats.

 

[JimS123]

The Muskoka's were the epicentre of wooden boats for years. I love old, and new wooden boats.

Lake Tahoe and the Saint Lawrence River still are the homes to many classic wooden boats.

I grew up using my Dad's cedar strip Wagemaker, and my wife's Dad and Grandpa both had Peterboroughs. As stated above, the Canadian boats all had red bottoms. The American versions were mostly green.

Grandpa said you couldn't catch fish unless the bottom was green. My first boat (a wooden runabout that I built myself) had a copper bottom. I didn't catch fish until I painted the bottom green. Grandpa was right.

Of course my F-I-L said they used to catch a ton of fish. But their cottage was in Canadian waters. Go figure...

PS - September 16-22 is the Annual (World) International meeting and boat show of the Antique Classic Boat Society. Events will be staged in Clayton, NY (home of the world renowned Antique Boat Museum), and Alexandria Bay, NY, both on the mighty St. Lawrence. There will be attendees from 30 states and many Countries as well. Hotel rooms are sold out for miles.

 

[82rude]

My Geisler was green right from the factory in Powassan where I picked it up.You had a couple of color choices.The largest one is the Georgian and is 18feet long and weighs 500lbs.Mine was the Kippawa which sadly is no longer being produced.With the 90 rude on her she was one fast woody.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

82rude, I wonder if they are still making those Cedar strips in Powasson? Over 30 years ago an outfitter on Callendar Bay on Lake Nippissing had fibreglass molds for the exact 18 footers and was making them at his camp shop. Waltonian Inn, a Hamilton Ont. guy I knew via Croatia.

Caught a classic wooden boat show in Alexandria Bay some years back. Fantastic. One guy had his brand new wooden boat on display something like 6000 hours of labour, that 3 years at 8 hrs a day 5 days a week. He dropped a L-88 Vette engine in it.

Off topic maybe? oops sorry.

 

[82rude]

I heard they still do and they still advert online.I mentioned Giesler boats so the o.p. could check them out and maybe get some ideas.Peterborough are long gone as a company and by coincidence that's where omc,s were made also.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

I heard they still do and they still advert online.

Heading up Hwy 11, Sundridge to a pals cottage Labour Day on Lake Bernard, it's just up the road I will check it out.

 

[82rude]

http://www.gieslerboats.ca/index.htm

 

[JimS123]

Caught a classic wooden boat show in Alexandria Bay some years back. Fantastic. One guy had his brand new wooden boat on display something like 6000 hours of labour, that 3 years at 8 hrs a day 5 days a week. He dropped a L-88 Vette engine in it.

Off topic maybe? oops sorry.[/QUOTE]

No, I think it fits in quite well.

Alex bay has their annual classic boat show every year. Its usually earlier in the summer, and this year was no exception.

The show I spoke of was not the local one, but the International one held in a different place every year. Some past ones were Mystic Seaport Connecticut and Lake Tahoe. We are fortunate this year to have one local to us.

PS - My woodie is all packed up and gassed up and ready to hitch to her classic car. No forums tomorrow as we'll be plying Lake Erie and the mighty Niagara.

 

[82rude]

This post is jogging memories .Just remembered my Thompson brothers 14 foot cedarstrip and 40 johnson superquite?Also had a local built courtney craft 16 foot lapstrake with a underpowered 40 merc on it.She should of had a merc tall six on the back.JimS123 have you ever gone to the Port Carling show or Hessel Michigan?