Morris Special Indian

[charvey]

Really didn’t want another canoe but a EBay Morris needed to be saved. The canoe had been in the same family for a long time in New Hampshire and found it’s way to South Carolina. The previous owner will be providing documentation of her recollection of the history. I just didn’t want this canoe to become a bookshelf so I bid on it and won it for a small fee.
The canoe is definitely a 16 foot Morris Special Indian. Closed gunnel, two cant ribs, two original thwarts that are 1 3/4 wide and non adorned, original seats. I’m inclined to believe that these thin thwarts may date the canoe, is this true? The stems have rivets in place, but the ribs do not have rivet holes on every rib which to me appears odd. The non rivet ribs are original since I can see how they are attached in the rounded pockets in the gunnel where the side caps have broken away. There is no tag, nor holes in the stem, nor holes in the left gunnel, nor holes in the original thwart. What years do all these characteristics indicate? The canoe is 30 1/4 inside gunnel beam, but one gunnel is broken amidships. Mahogany thwarts/seats/decks, and spruce gunnels. The only downfall is the fiberglass outside covering and I have a sneaking suspicion that the last person who did this glass job over zealously sanded the planking very thin.
Only two of my photos will download, need to work on this and take more photos if interested. This will be a total restoration.

 

[charvey]

The plank width is 4 3/4 for two courses to the gunnels, and 3 3/4 on the bottom.

 

[charvey]

Second attempt at pics

 

[Dave Osborn]

I’ve never seen rivets on Morris canoes excep on the stems.
Did they rivet ribs at some point??

 

[charvey]

Dave, I was mistaken in my description. The ribs have holes from screws (not rivets) for securing the keel. The keel which is currently on the Morris is not original. The question remains why are there not holes in every rib?

 

[Brly]

"The question remains why are there not holes in every rib?"
Someone added a keel later and they didn't know it should have screws in every rib. That's my guess.

 

[Dave Osborn]

Yes, I was confused. Was thinking of rivets through the ribs at the gunwales like Racine did.
I’ve never seen one without a keel. It’s possible that there wasn’t a keel originally.
Or there could have been a shortage of screws in the shop, or one day they did every other rib like every other builder that day.

 

[MGC]

Most of us have not worked on a Special Indian..at least I haven't. Keels were not standard on them. They were an extra.
Keels were standard on the later models...