Ct ufo

Greetings,
Last week I was given a 17' wood/canvas canoe, I am unable to ID the manufacturer. The canoe is closed gunwale (spruce), the planking and ribs are white ceder. Canoe depth is 12.25", width is 29.50", the rib width is 2.5". The thwarts are not original, there is only one seat frame and it is a replacement, there are no serial #s stamped on the inner stems.
Any thoughts?

Thank you,

Jody Bronson

With the horizontal planking pattern and stem profile, I would start by comparing it with canoes built by the Racine Boat Company and Racine Boat Manufacturing Company - See Wooden Canoe issue 116.

The deck looks like a replacement as well.

Dan

Even with the tapered ribs, I would lean towards a Massachusetts builder.

I'm with Gil,

That deck looks original because it was the foundation for a long deck as in the attached Arnold canoe deck picture. The way they relieved the inwale for the decking was just a bit different.

Or maybe a.... Kennebeck.

Paul

wanted to add a picture of how the decking fit.

I believe that the decks are original also, they appear to be a base or foundation decks as suggested. What other clues should I be looking for.
Thank you for your help.

Paul Miller said:

That deck looks original because it was the foundation for a long deck as in the attached Arnold canoe deck picture.

Click to expand...

Hey, learn something new every day!

Hey Joel,

I have attached another picture of a known Arnold showing the planking pattern that is very similar to your suspect canoe.

You might check under the edge of the inwale for screw holes that would be the signs of deck supports for long decks. Also where the deck combing might have been notched into the inwale back 3 to 5 feet from the stem tip.

The one picture of the stem does not show the very end of the stem and sometimes that can tell us something.

How wide are the ribs?

I'd look harder on the top of those stems for some number, maybe just 3 digits and a 16 or 17 for length.

The next pictures shows what many Charles River builders did to the plank at the gunnel because of the greater tumblehome.

Paul

Paul,
I scanned the stems carefully in natural light after scraping away some grime, there are no numbers stamped. Included is a photo of the stem end. I don't believe this is a courting canoe because of the seat location. Also attached is a photo of the seat frame, given that it has closed gunwales I assumed that the seat should be hand woven, not pressed cane, but perhaps the seat is original and it's another clue. Thank you for your time and assistance.
Jody

While I don't really think it is a Robertson, you might check the thwarts out for a maker's stamp. Sometimes there is a stamp in the thwart near the gunwales. Some better photos of the thwarts and stem may help in ID.

Cheers,

Fitz

Hi Joel,

The canoe doesn't need to be a courting canoe to be from a Charles River area builder and Robertson could be a good guess.

That thwart sure looks like those found in canoes built by those builders.

I meant the other end of the stem as in the picture attached.

1. Known Kingsbury, pic from this website
2. Unk that look like the same stem, my canoe
3.Known Arnold Stem, my canoe
4.Known Robertson, pic from this website

Hi Paul,
Here are the photos you requested.
I don't believe the thwarts are original, they are 5 7/8" at the widest point and thwarts have three attachment holes where they secure to the gunwale, there are only two drill holes in the gunwales. The thwarts are 9/16" thick mahogany.
There is no notch in the gunwale for a coaming, the ribs are 2.5" wide.
Jody

I was able to bring the canoe to my friend Schuyler Thomson in Norfolk CT this weekend (he just returned from vacation). Schuyler is also scratching his head about ID of the builder, we have ruled out Robertson. The Robertson catalog Schuyler owns gave dimensions and nothing matches up. He is quite sure the canoe is from a Charles River builder, perhaps it's just a UFO but I'll keep searching for more clues.
Jody