Help with ID

[Steve Ambrose]

When this first showed up I thought it was a garage build but in the process of taking it apart we uncovered a serial number in a distinctive font: 833 33 16

The down-turned ends that we thought might have been a chop job appear to be original based on one of the stems still intact.

The original decks, rails, thwarts and seats are long gone plus it's been glassed. The ribs don't taper but are beveled suggesting original closed gunwale construction.

Any suggestions?

 

[Benson Gray]

My guess is that you have a Robertson based on the open font of the serial number. See http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/14928/ and http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/7355/ for some other examples. It is speculated that the ""33" in your case indicates that it is from 1933 but there are no known records available to confirm this. Good luck with the restoration,

Benson

 

[Steve Ambrose]

I agree (intentionally didn't mention it to see if someone would confirm). The only other serial numbers I've seen with the open font were Robertson's. Did any Robertson's ever have down-swept ends? The sheer line on this suggested it had been chopped but once we removed the "rails" and monster decks we uncovered beveled rib tips (except along the decks) and one end has an original stem meaning the odd profile is probably original.

 

[Steve Ambrose]

Looking at pictures of Robertson courting canoes the ends on this one might make sense. The courting canoe profile shows a tight recurve then the stem straightens out on its way to the tip. I can see where if the ends rotted a chop job would result in the flattened or downturned ends.