Penn Yan Kingfisher question..

chris pearson

Michigan Canoe Nut
This boat is marked MC296. Can someone gestimate the year? Has the Frearson phillips style screw heads throughout. Also has one thin layer of glass on it. I was wondering about the cast aluminum seat supports but I’m “sure” they aren’t production? The inwales are pocketed a bit for them. Thoughts?
 

Attachments

  • 1AACF4A2-F803-46D2-A81C-C505FAC44159.jpeg
    1AACF4A2-F803-46D2-A81C-C505FAC44159.jpeg
    381.6 KB · Views: 275
  • FFFBB297-AE13-421E-9C24-CA76AAF8040E.jpeg
    FFFBB297-AE13-421E-9C24-CA76AAF8040E.jpeg
    276.9 KB · Views: 266
  • 963E56D0-66D5-4D5C-A100-F47DB8AC5CBD.jpeg
    963E56D0-66D5-4D5C-A100-F47DB8AC5CBD.jpeg
    276.7 KB · Views: 273
  • C7C589A2-BFBC-49AA-B8C7-5EF6A6A1259D.jpeg
    C7C589A2-BFBC-49AA-B8C7-5EF6A6A1259D.jpeg
    297.6 KB · Views: 271
  • 33482568-4BFF-4225-973D-88DDB88430D8.jpeg
    33482568-4BFF-4225-973D-88DDB88430D8.jpeg
    370.5 KB · Views: 250
Chris,
Your kingfisher was probably made around 1950 or 1951. The '49 catalog shows caned seats on one long stringer and a flat top on the transom. The '52 catalog shows plywood inserted seats on individual seat cleats and an artistically curved transom top. After WWII and before 1958, most PY serial numbers started with the year, but not always. I believe that the kingfisher model was made as early as 1939. Of course, your kingfisher could be older than 1950, since the PY workers were notorious for using whatever material was the closest. If there were no seat stringers handy, they would have substituted cartop cleats without hesitation. Production was always the most important commodity. The seat braces and oar locks aren't like any PY that I have ever seen.

It would be a good boat to leave on the fiberglass and paint it Aluminum. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gil
 
I hear they row like a dream!
A friend took lines from a Kingfisher and built a couple on a form. I now have that form.
Someday maybe.....
 
Gil, you are so silly!! I pulled up photos of other Kingfishers with same oarlock hardware but the aluminum braces most likely were add ons. Dave, I’ll try rowing it this weekend!
 
Chris, What material are the oarlocks. I saw the images that you referred to, but have never seen the oarlocks in person. I can't recall seeing oarlocks on any kingfisher.
 
Back
Top