Hello Folks
Having spent a bit of time on the WCHA forum I discovered that after stripping people often use Teak Cleaner to clean the hull and even out the colour. This is normally used for both teak decks and garden furniture and comes in two packs that are used one after the other.
Both stages require rinsing so I decided to move the hull outside to make this easier.
I also decided to do the decks at the same time so started with pack one on the first deck.
and then I proceeded to coat the hull.
after a few minutes the deck was rinsed and pack two applied.
The Hull was also rinsed and then pack two was applied.
Then all was rinsed and left to dry.
It was then I remembered I had left the other deck inside and it still had its coaming to be removed and it also had the importers plate on it. I went inside and removed these before bringing it outside and proceeding with pack one on the top of the deck.
As I began to clean I suddenly noticed some lettering on the deck under where the plate was fixed.
I couldn't quite make it out but I think it says Gordon!
This is a bit of a surprise as up till now we have been thinking it is a Strickland canoe but I now suspect we could be wrong although Strickland and Gordon set up the Lakefield Canoe Co together at around the time we think this canoe was made so it all fits. Anyway I will be showing this evidence to my WCHA friends to see what they think.I could just about make out the G O and R but the rest was very faint but you can see a border above it and this might be visible on some known Gordon Canoes.
Cheers
Alick