Help needed with IDing a Canadian UFO

Hi,

This canoe was brought back from Canada, north of Thunder Bay, in the 70s or 80s and has remained "raftered" ever since. The only pics I could get ar from this perspective where he could not see close enough to see any serial numbers, etc., but there does not appear to be any. The rafters are 8ft apart, so he estimates the canoe to be 12ft long. The story goes the canoe was used by a surveyor who fashioned the yoke so he could carry the canoe while taking notes.

Chestnut?

Thanks,

Joe
 

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Another try with Canadian pics

Sorry. Will try again. Dan, also forwarded email with pics to you. Thanks, Joe
 

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I think it could be a Chestnut Bob's Special. It has heart shaped, crowned decks and looks like thinner than standard ribs.
 
I think it could be a Chestnut Bob's Special. It has heart shaped, crowned decks and looks like thinner than standard ribs.

I think you might be on to something, single thwart ( if it hasnt been changed a bunch of times) and bulbous midsection of a Bobs..
 
Thanks for all of the help. I was able to see it in person, although it was a bit difficult to access in the rafters amidst the raccoon residue. It looks to be 14' long, 30" wide and 12" deep. It's hard to see from the pics, but some of the planks and ribs look to be painted red and perhaps replaced. The majority of the ribs are 2.5' across, with a bit of narrowing toward the gunwales. There appears to be about 2.5" in between the ribs. The bullet hole under the thwart goes through both sides and looks to have come from a pretty steady shot. I could not find any serial markings. There are stem bands. The heart-shaped decks almost look a bit convex and are thinner at the ends where you would pick it up. Thanks again!
 
A tip of the hat to Joe for turning mre on to this marshmallow canoe. I should take Osborne's advice more often, 'You can't buy them all, you have to walk away from some'. But I had to drag this one home. He is what I think, a pre-fire Chestnut. Nicely bowed, deeply undercut, heart shaped deck. 14' x 29.5"" canvas to canvas x 12" top of gunwale to top of planking deep. It has a wide steel stem band which I took to be after market, but I see they had wide stem bands, but the steel makes me think after market. The cant ribs are the same width as the others 2 3/4 tapering to 1 1/2". And, open gunwales, and a nicely shaped portage yoke, which I believe is original equipment.. I was thinking a pre-fire 'Little', but the open gunwales indicate something else. Perhaps a Chestnut 'Great Northern Railway Canoe'. (it was used by a surveyor around Thunder Bay, and my ability to measure depth is suspect..... Finally, it has a somewhat odd planking pattern (see photo). Any comments?
 

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I did have a Minetta. When the termites came out of the stem and deck, I sold it to a fellow who wanted to hang it over a pool table. I'm still looking for a 13 - 14'er in good restorable condition. This one has a lot of replaced ribs and planks. Done well, but the wood is getting old. So I might just slap some canvas on it, spray it with polyurethane, and make it my everyday beater.......
 
Does look like your Minetta. But no visible serial number. I'll need to look at the ribs and see if they are cedar. Pretty little canoe, what's left of it. The bullet hole adds panache........ If I fix it up, I'll have to get one of those bullet hole decals.
 
"So I might just slap some canvas on it, spray it with polyurethane, and make it my everyday beater....."

It's your canoe,...you can screw it up anyway you want to!
 
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