This is not the canoe that I take for my yearly trips.  But I'd bet this canoe has seen more time on the lakes of the BWCAW/QPP than most of yours has.
The canoe is a 1955 17' Joe Seliga originally built by Joe for the Charles L Sommers BSA Canoe Base on Moose Lake.  It was used by the guides at the base to take out groups of scouts from 1955 until 1979.  The Sommers Base had difficulty storing and maintaining their fleet of wood and canvas canoes so they sold them off to guides starting in 1971 until around `78 or `79.  The canoe made its way to me last year in poor condition and I took it to master canoe builder/craftsman/restorer Alex Comb of Stewart River Boatworks for a complete restoration.  I just got it back about three weeks ago and he did such a fantastic job returning the canoe to "better than new" condition.
It is "better than new" because it was one of the Seliga canoes originally covered in fiberglass.  It now has a beautiful new skin of canvas filled, primed, and painted in shiny Epifanes epoxy yacht enamel.  Alex also replaced all the ash thwarts and seats in black cherry which is not only lighter but much prettier.  He probably shaved close to ten pounds off this boat.  With all the sanding of the ribs and planking in order to refinish the hull, it is very thin: 1:4" ribs and close to 3/16" planks.
It really paddles nicely, is very stable, hauls a ton, but with a full length keel it tracks well but does not turn quickly.
The thought of hauling this canoe over the Meadows portages or Heartstop Hill makes me cringe though.  I guess I'm spoiled by the light weight of kevlar.  But this canoe was made for canoe tripping and the stories she could tell...

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Another picture...

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Another picture...

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I was able to get an original Seliga sticker (thanks Dan Lindberg) for the new deck....

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HJ,
The word that came to my mind was perfect. The lines are impeccable, just gorgeous.
It's nice to have something you can truly be proud of. Good for you! [smiley=thumbup.gif]

Isn't this boat for sale net...recognize the bow stem in the pictures...Seliga Dreams :) I would paddle that boat over techno kevlar any day, any trip, forever. That is what she was made for.

My first trip to the Quetico was as a 14 year old Boy Scout out of the Sommers base in 1971.  We did the PP, North Bay, Sarah, Brent, Darky, Minn, LacLaX, Crooked, Basswood Loop.  What a great trip!  :)  Of course the second day doing the Isabella/Side portages into Sarah nearly killed our group but after that we realized we could do just about anything.  ;D
Our charley guide paddled one of these canoes and each day one of the scouts got to paddle in it with him.  I remember the reverence with which he handled that canoe and how different an experience it was from the Grumman aluminum cans that we were in the rest of the trip.  That stuck with me and a few years ago I started to search for one of these fine canoes.  After a few got away from me, I was able to get this one and liked that it was actually one from the scout base.  For all I know it could be that same one I rode in as a kid.

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Great lookin canoe.
Sounds like an enduring love affair. :)

Yeah, I agree with MT, there's a lot that can be said for today's lightweight techno boats but for shear aesthetics nothing matches the craftsmanship and line of one of the old ribbed beauties.  And you've got yourself a gem.  Enjoy!  
PS: If they're at hand, could you post her specs?

Nice canoe!  Yep, nothing compares to the estetics of wood/canvas.  The feel, the sound.

The one problem I see is an easy fix.  Red paint.   :D

She's a beautiful canoe!  I've only had the opportunity to paddle and portage a Seliga once, and it was spectacular.  By the time I was guiding for the Sommers base, Aluma-Craft were the norm, Grumman canoes were esteemed, but the Seligas were legend.  If you ever need someone to portage that canoe for you, let me know!

Thanks for all the compliments!  [smiley=dankk2.gif]
Red makes for a nice "racy" looking canoe.  Joe Seliga painted them in all colors of the rainbow.  I chose green because it was the color of the Sommers Base Seliga fleet.
Specifications?  17" length, 36" max beam, 13" height amidships, full length 3/4" keel, slight rocker.  White cedar ribs, 6" western red cedar planking, oak stems, sitka spruce inner gunwales, mahogany outer gunwales, black cherry decks, seats, and thwarts.  Hull is covered in #10 canvas, filled and painted in Epifanes epoxy yacht enamel.
If you like wood&canvas canoes check out the boats that Alex Comb builds at   (You need to Login or Register.  The Traveller would be my dream canoe for solo tripping.

Canoeguy also has a good blog focusing on wood-canvas canoes

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