Surviving the Polar Vortex, ( Winter in the Frozen North)

[Sheil Kottkamp]

Survived this past winter by beginning a restoration on a Thompson 16 foot Hiawatha canoe, which I believe was built in 1942. We were physically subjected this winter here in the Midwest to 3 polar vortex weather systems, i.e., extreme cold! Working on this canoe helped me get through those events. The canoe had the typical wood rot on each end, this is usually due to leaving the canoe outside upside down in the grass/dirt where the ends of the canoe are exposed to more moisture. Decided since the decks had to be removed during the restoration to replace them with long decks, Thompson offered this option and I think it adds a lot to the canoe. I've added a pic showing the long deck and the original deck side by side.

[LancerBoy]

excellent!

[T Ross]

Looking good! Nothing makes spring come faster than a winter boat project