Two Shows, Two Canoe Models

Two consumer shows (exhibitions) this weekend yielded some photos of two very different canoe models. The Pinetree State Sportsman Show, in Winslow, Maine, is mainly for the hunting/fishing crowd. The Maine Boatbuilders Show, in Portland, is a boat show with a difference: a focus on craftsmanship, not glitz. (Click any photo to enlarge.)

 

This four-foot long model, by Burt Libby, was on display in the booth of Kimball Pond Boat Barn, the only canoe exhibitor at the Pinetree State Sportsman Show. Burt is a well-known builder of full-size cedar-canvas canoes, and this model shows excellent craftsmanship and close adherence to scale in most respects. Not for sale, the model was an attention-getter for the Northeast (i.e., Maine) chapter of the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association, which Kimball Pond owner Bob Bassett was making room for in his booth. Kimball Pond Boat Barn is a builder and restorer of small boats, primarily cedar-canvas canoes.

This bark canoe model with two paddles was on sale at the Maine Boatbuilder Show by Jeff Pearson Antiques. I didn't have a chance to learn much about it, but a booth attendant thought it represented a Malecite style canoe. Price was thought to be around $1200. I don't know if that's accurate, nor if it's reasonable, but it does have a nice aura of authenticity.

The longer of the two paddles was in better condition.

The shorter paddle had a bad crook in the shaft and a big chip out of the blade.