Update: I'm STILL sanding that Peterborough. Progress has been made, though, now I'm sanding the outside.

I think that I've figured out why it doesn't sand well, they must have bathed it in linseed oil. So many of these old canoe the finish just goes gummy when you try and sand it, and no amount of stripper gets out that last "in the wood" layer.

Oh joy.

Pictures later.