I found an ad on Used Nanaimo: “Vintage Wood Canoe: 16ft Made in Canda – Faber Canoe. Please CALL for more information or to arrange a viewing. Thanks. (No emails please)” I called and spoke with a retired gentleman living in Chemainus and arranged to see the canoe.
It turns out he’d only recently bough the canoe and was simply flipping it for a small profit. He therefore knew nothing of the history of the canoe except that i had been store on it’s side up against a building and hence the obvious rot along one side. It also had a puncture hole in the bottom. How someone manage to punch a hole from the inside I’ll never know.
He also told me a rather sad story. This was the 4th canvas covered canoe he’d flipped. The previous three had all gone to restaurants or other commercial establishments that wanted them only for display purposes. I made me sad to think that these once fine canoes would never again likely see the water or be enjoyed the way they were meant to be enjoyed.
At the end of the day a deal was struck and the Faber was mine. At least one wood and canvas canoe would see the water again!
