Care and Repair of the Canoe
The canvas-covered cedar canoe will stand a vast amount of hard service, but it should not be dragged over the ground or over the boarding of the landing float, neither should it be so placed that any strain will come amidships while the ends are well supported. When storing for the winter, keep it under cover, resting bottom side down on a floor, or turn it bottom side up and support it with boxes, or other standards, at the center as well as at the ends. While unused at the camp, turn it bottom side up on the bank. Birch bark must be kept out of the sun, and the paint of canvas-covered canoes will last longer if kept in the shade. When the paint becomes rough, sandpaper it down smooth, and give it a couple of coats of canoe paint. When the paint is worn off and exposes the canvas, give the bare cloth a couple of coats of shellac before painting.
Paddling should be Done on the Knees When Traveling Where High Winds and Seas are Encountered
A repair kit should be taken along on all long trips, consisting of a small can of white lead, a can of orange shellac, and a sheet of oiled silk. For small cuts in the canvas, a coat or two of shellac will suffice, but for bad gashes, cut off the loose threads of canvas and rub on a little white lead under the raised portion near the hole and on the surface, cut a patch of the oiled silk to cover it, and paste it in position. When the lead is dry, give it a couple of coats of shellac. For making quick repairs, a roll of electrician’s tape will come in handy. The birch canoe is quickly repaired in the same manner as suggested for the canvas-covered craft, and as the shellac is waterproof and dries quickly, all ordinary repairs may be made by the stream side with but little loss of time.