Those of you who have browsed the website know the story of our old family canoe that we donated to a museum long before I got into this business. The small-craft museum closed and I lost contact with the curator and our old Gerrish rowing canoe. I’ve always regretted giving up the old boat especially now that I have the tools and skills to make her right again. Well, thanks to Benson Gray and the caring bunch that make up the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association, I’ll have that chance!
Some 20 years later, the old canoe emerged from the bottom of a barn in Maine looking exactly like she did when she left the boat house on Drews Lake. Eventually she’ll be better than when my grandfather acquired her – I believe the canoe was given to him by his employer when he build the family camp out at the lake.
It won’t happen anytime soon, there are many in front of the old Gerrish, but at least the boat is intact. I’d really given up on recovering her, figuring at some point she had been scrapped.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
The canoe was old when Grampy got it. It had been at Drew’s Lake at the Putman Camp.
Mom
How wonderful that it was returned to you!
Correction to my first comment. It had been at Nickerson Lake
Very nice find,congrats at getting her back in the family. I am a gerrish fan and have a few. Trying to gather info on them. Any serial number by chance? Open gunnel originally? Thanks, zack