The First Trip

We have been renovating two Old Town War Canoes that Greystone has owned since the 1930’s. The boats were in TERRIBLE shape, but Perry White (Greystone Men Staff, then Program Director in the 1980’s) came to the rescue. Perry has learned the art of canvas canoe renovation and agreed to take on this HUGE job.

As it turns out, it takes about a year to fix a boat (a lot of very tedious and tricky wood work). Perry worked long hours to make the job perfect, for he hopes that this boat will be used for generations to come.

We have been anticipating this day for a long time. The launching of a boat that was almost dead and has been made as new seldom happens… so Perry’s wife Joan (they met at Greystone and were the first “camp couple” to be married!!!) and daughter Emily came up along with Emily’s beautiful baby girl Annie… all were given a ride from the workshop at Camp Mondamin to the other side of the lake at Greystone.

The canoe is magnificent. Five layers of varnish make the woodwork glint and gleam in the sun. The paint is glass smooth, and the feeling of the canoe in the water is sublime. These are the same boats that many of the current girls Great Grandmothers paddled with their “camp chums”. Entire cabins would take the boats out for Sunday afternoon free time or for a special cabin night EP. The delight of thousands of campers can be felt as the boat quietly glides along the blue-green waters of Lake Summit.

Both boats (one finished and ready for the water, the other about ¼ through it’s renovation) will reside in a new canoe pavilion by the lake. It is a lovely structure, worthy of the boats that now live there. We look forward to showing off these works of art on Opening Day. Make sure you check them out!