Has anybody ever seen a canoe cannon mounted on a canoe?

cannoncollector

Curious about Wooden Canoes
Hello ..I am a collector of antique signal/salute cannons of the 1880s to early 1900 era........One Manufacter from New Haven Ct. R.H Brown & Co. gave the title of "canoe cannon" to thier smallest, bronze, breech loading, blank ,cartridge , signal, cannon... all the larger sizes were classified as Yacht cannons on thier Naval carriages...I have been searching for old original photos of one of these little cannons actually mounted on a canoe!.I would guess this would be an accessory for the man that had everything!...I will try to post some advertising,I have for this cannon....Thanks All!
 

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Cannon

I like it! Primary use must have been starting canoe and other races. I'd like to see more advertisements or pictures.


Bob
 
Canoe cannon

Well if that don't beat all...

Antique reproductions could be created, and made available at our favorite online canoe stuff store! :D
 
In searching around, the only mention of this kind of thing I could find was in the book "Hawaii Off the Beaten Path".

In 1791 a great naval clash between Kamehameha and Maui's Kehekili took place offshore. Known as Kepuwahaulaula (the battle of the red-mouthed guns) this bloody but inconclusive conflict saw the first widespread use of Western canons, mounted on canoes.

Sure gives new meaning to the term 'war canoe'. :rolleyes:
 
I like it! Primary use must have been starting canoe and other races. I'd like to see more advertisements or pictures.


Bob

I have had only one opportuntity to aquire one for my collection, and just paid the price!..I will take a photo of my original and post it, also the breech design by this manufacter was patented, in 1888 and started selling them at that time also. I will also post the drawings.I consider it one of my best..
 
In searching around, the only mention of this kind of thing I could find was in the book "Hawaii Off the Beaten Path".

In 1791 a great naval clash between Kamehameha and Maui's Kehekili took place offshore. Known as Kepuwahaulaula (the battle of the red-mouthed guns) this bloody but inconclusive conflict saw the first widespread use of Western canons, mounted on canoes.

Sure gives new meaning to the term 'war canoe'. :rolleyes:

I dont think they were refering to this little signal cannon, They started producing them in 1888
 
I like it! Primary use must have been starting canoe and other races. I'd like to see more advertisements or pictures.


Bob

Here are photos of one....the little barrel is only 7 inches long, and according to the advertising, fires a .58 caliber blank cartridge....notice its little lanyard fired firing pin, and little shell extractor lever, the breech pivots up and over for loading...It is sitting next to its BIG BROTHER a 36 inch 1 guage yacht signal cannon..
 

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What a beautiful little cannon! Thanks for sharing these pictures. The ultimate canoe-find might be an all-wood Rushton with one of these mounted on it...

I wonder if there are any pictures in the archives of the American Canoe Association.

Kathy
 
I'm having fun imagining them as one of the many-items attached to courting canoes... and adding to the "rules" on the Charles River!
 
Punt Gun?

This string of messages brings to mind small cannon-like punt guns (muzzle loading) that market hunters used to mount on the front of small boats (punts). The idea was that they would load a bunch of shot, sneak up on a flock of ducks, then fire away before they had a chance to take off, the goal being to kill as many as possible with that one shot.

I would guess that there may be some old punt guns floating around out there for those that may want to collect them; it would also seem reasonable to assume that someone somewhere actually used one of the things in a canoe?
 
sneak up on a flock of ducks, then fire away before they had a chance to take off

I am kind of enjoying the idea of blowing Jet Ski's and Aluminum canoes out of the water...noisy things.:D
I might hang on to the sponson canoe after all.
 
not only that but--

What's the point of having gunwales unless you have a gun mounted to them? Interesting thread.
 
What a beautiful little cannon! Thanks for sharing these pictures. The ultimate canoe-find might be an all-wood Rushton with one of these mounted on it...

I wonder if there are any pictures in the archives of the American Canoe Association.

Kathy

Thanks, I thought the canoe people would appreciate it!....I will look into the archives of The American Canoe association...For original old photographs of one of these actually mounted on a canoe...that is my goal right now, also maybe I will get to a canoe show and photograph it myself!...any good ones near Philadelphia Pa?
 
We have a tradition at our assemblies of a "paddle-by and salute", during which folks paddle past a congregation of on-lookers and then salute them by raising their paddles with the blade up. The salute would be a bit more dramatic if done with a cannon mounted to the gunwales...
 
cannon

I have seen a film of national canoe day in Canada with
Kirt Wipper, and there is a furtrade canoe with a cannon mounted on it.
But I can't remember where I saw it. Maybe one of the Canadian members
will remember!!!
later Dave
 
holy crap! I am Army Field Artillery and I have always wanted a cannon. now I really want a canoe cannon. freakin' awesome.
 
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