I have found just enough information about how to read the tables of offsets and loft the mold stations of the Chestnut Canoe 15' Ranger ( at least I am encouraged to give it a try)...... worst thing can happen will be a really crooked canoe :)

I did find the offset corrections for the Ranger on the Bear Mountain site. I have the 2000 version of CanoeCraft and apparently that version has a typo in the offset tables.

This canoe has lit a fire in me..... stars are starting to line up to use that stash of 16' cedar planks (5/4 X 6 X 16') I bought :)

I have a road trip to Massachusetts in the days ahead. On return, I will drive a bit through Canada and stop in Peterborough..... maybe I will get to meet Ted Moores at Bear Mountain. I also want to go to the Canadian canoe museum..... maybe exit Canada at Sault Ste Marie and head west over the UP

That sounds great. Good luck!

I followed your build this last fall/winter and greatly enjoyed it. I am planning on taking the plunge this fall/winter and building the same one, if I can find a good review between the two, one with no rocker and the other with. Don't know which one I would like to do. If I have any questions, mind if I ask you?

What intrigues you about the Ranger that you want to build it? I like that 15' length myself.

HPD,

I have some advice for you on lofting that I learned from my Bob's Special:

1) Use heavy paper, such as poster board. Not the REALLY heavy, multiple layer stuff, but the heavy weight paper. You will need to use the cut and trace method instead of the carbon paper method, but I like the cut and trace method better anyway.

2) Make yourself a batten. Mine was about 1/16" X 1/4" X 2'. You will need to play with the thickness to get it to curve consistently, but without too much force. A set of french curves can help, too, but they are not mandatory.

3) Draw a perfect grid with 2" squares on your paper. The layout will be more accurate and faster, unless you have a drafting table.

4) Draw all of the forms on the same sheet. Any errors will jump right out at you. You know what to look for.

5) When you are connecting the dots, put your paper on a couple layers of cardboard, and use pins through the plotted points. You can then rest the batten against the pins as you trace it.

6) The points are not going to be perfect, only to within 1/16". You may need to compensate with your batten.

7) Have it scanned at an office supply store when you are done!

Good luck!

Ben:
Thank you. I am chafing at the bit to get going with this canoe. I probably won't get started to late fall, but I like to think about these things and line my ducks up

Tom:
You put another carrot in front of me with the long black ash post on another thread. I always like to hear your 2 cents. Thank you.

Minnesotian:

Why the Ranger? Gut feeling? Heart throb?

I built a model of the Chestnut 16' Prospector and that got me into a bit of the history of the Chestnut Canoe Company. I like the history.

I did not want to build a 16' boat. The Chestnut Ranger at 15' has the same beautiful lines of the Prospector 16' and at 15' it will build nicely in my shop (practical aspect). The Ranger comes in rock solid at 104 on the Bear Mt Tippy Canoe Scale. I like that because this boat will be used to putt around in and cheer me up. It will hold my wife, my elderly dog, me and lunch.

Paddling a wood canoe just makes me feel good..... I look at the wood, the lines, and watch the ripples. Somehow, the Ranger just seems right...... a canoe for every purpose. If I want to go fast and feel like a rock star, I'll paddle my Merlin. If I have a big trip, I'll take my Bell Northwind. The Ranger fills another need, I guess.

HPD,

Now I will have to come back and see your next project!

SunCatcher

PS If the wife can't go you could take the old dog, lunch and a friend :)