Peternut Age and Model?

Fitz · Oct 23, 2005

Here is another Peternut I'd be interested in getting folk's input on. It is a 15 ft canoe.

Some details: It originally had just a center thwart, the other two thwarts were added.
Beam is 34-1/4 inches inside of outwale to inside of outwale.
Depth is 12 in. bottom of inwale to planking.
Keel is screwed on through every rib.
No serial number.
Ribs are 4 inches on center, 2-1/4 in wide, 1/4 in. thick.
Inwales are not tapered.
Top of stem not beveled.
Cane seats, one missing.
Brass tacks and stem bands.
Cant Ribs are wide - 4 inches.

Probably a Chestnut, but does anyone have some idea of the model and age?
Also, I need the dimensions of the cane field for the bow seat to reproduce.

Any info greatly appreciated.

David McDaniel · Oct 23, 2005

Looks like a Chestnut Chum, or Peterborough Minnetta. If its a Pete it should
have number stamping in the stem with two four diget numbers, four for model
and the other serial no. If its a Chestnut it will have a five or six didget no. or
no number at all. Dan Miller has a canoe that is very similar, perhaps he will
chime in here soon!
Later Dave

Dan Miller · Oct 23, 2005

Hi Fitz,

I've got the same canoe. Mine is a Chestnut, and I believe it is a Gooseberry (2nd grade) that dates to before the 1921 fire. Mine has two thwarts as well, the center thwart and quarter thwart are pretty close together. Apparently, this isn't all that uncommon. These 15'ers (I've also got a later model Peterborough Minetta) are about my favorite solo canoe.

I can do the seat dimensions for you - if you don't hear from me in a couple of days, remind me. Right now, I've got to get back to installing my heating system (Brrr!)!

Cheers,
Dan

Fitz · Oct 23, 2005

Thwarts

Thanks fellas, yes I think Gooseberry is a good call. The second thwart doesn't match the center, but it is perhaps more nicely done than the center, so I was considering it as an add on. Also the previous owner told me that the old fishermen that used the canoe removed the bow seat and added the thwarts with enough spacing to allow for some chairs to be placed in the canoe.

It's only a 15 footer, so I wonder about stability with chairs, but the spacing between the thwarts seems to be enough to allow them and it does make sense.

Yes, if you get warm and get a chance, seat dimensions would be appreciated.

Fitz

Dan Miller · Oct 24, 2005

Hi Fitz,

Seat dimensions: rails and stiles 1 5/8" wide. Outside of frame, excluding mounting "ears" is 15-1/2" x 10-1/4". Caning field is 12-1/4" x 7".

Attached are a couple not-so-good photos of mine. Note that mine does not have the wide cant rib. I would guess that makes mine earlier, but I have no idea when the wide cant rib became used, and whether there was overlap of the two methods...

Cheers,
Dan

Dick Persson · Oct 24, 2005

Hi Fitz,

Are the ribs really ¼ in thick? Your canoe seems to have a small amount of tumble-home; what is the beam measured at the widest point of the hull?

The bottom of your canoe shows quite an arch the Chestnut Twozer/Gooseberry bottom is flatter.

Cheers
Dick Persson

Stephan · Oct 24, 2005

Was this the canoe that was on Ebay a short while ago?

Steph

Dan Miller · Oct 24, 2005

I spaced out on the beam... yours is a bit wider than mine, you may be looking at a Bobs/Bantam

Cheers,
Dan

Fitz · Oct 24, 2005

Yep

There is substantial tumblehome and if I measure the beam at the widest part of the canoe and add a little for planking and canvas I get approximately 37 inches. (That is standing on my head in the dark with the flashlight in my teeth)

.

Yep, the ribs are 1/4 inch thick at the rails.

Yep, I confess, you saw it on Ebay first. Despite what you may hear my first legitimate purchase on said electronic contraption.

Dan Miller · Oct 24, 2005

Looks like you got a 50-Pound Special, Fitz. Now you'll have to figure out if you've got a 1st grade (Bobs) or second grade (Bantam). Pre-fire canoes can be differentiated by closed gunwales (1st) or open gunwales (2nd). Post-fire canoes differ apparently only by the quality of the cedar - perfectly clear cedar for 1st grade, and "not always clear" cedar for 2nd grade...

Cheers,
Dan

Stephan · Oct 25, 2005

I was thinking it was the Chestnut "One man canoe" model. Made from 1922 - 1950s. The one seat and strange thwarts seems to match the canoe exactly.

Stephan

Larry Meyer · Oct 25, 2005

The width makes it closer to a Bobs.

Also I was having a look at the reprint catalogue and it specifies ¼ inch ribs for the Bobs.
I wonder too about the fact that the keel is screwed into every rib. The section on keels in the catalogue states that the keel is standard on the Bobs as its extra light construction requires the reinforcement provided by the keel. Screwing the keel in at every rib would seem overkill, except that it serves structural reinforcement

Dick Persson · Oct 25, 2005

Fitz,
I agree with Dan, it is a Bobs. Like Dan said; is it a 1st or 2nd grade and how old is it?
A couple more pictures might help. Please post close up pictures of the deck and its undercut, inside stem where it ends on the rib, and a side view of the stem-gunnel-deck joint.

Stephan,
The 15 ft Chestnut “one-man canoe” model had only a 28 inch beam.

Larry,
I have worked on many Bobs and have seen at least a couple with keel fasteners from every rib. Have also seen really early Chestnut’s with the keel fastened with short screws from the outside through the planking into every rib. The question is; were they built that way from the factory or were it later additions?

Cheers
Dick Persson
Headwater Wooden Boat Shop

Fitz · Oct 25, 2005

Screws

I forgot to mention:

I suppose there is a chance this canoe was recanvased at some point and possibly more screws added to the keel - I'll take a closer look at the screws. There is no canvas on the boat now. What made me wonder about a recanvasing is the fact that the outwales are secured with slotted screws, not Robertson.

Any idea if Chestnut used slotted screws too?

I'm not convinced about the unbeveled stem top either. It is not as pronounced as the one in Dan's picture. It looked to me like it was thicker and maybe not beveled, but the planking overlapped anyway. I'll get some more photos when I get a chance.

The planking appears very clear. I haven't noticed any knots. The butts of planks were sometimes left with spaces that are filled with putty, not unlike a 70's vintage Prospector I rehabbed. Otherwise the planking job appears pretty neatly done with good materials.

Thanks for the input!

Fitz

Dick Persson · Oct 26, 2005

Any idea if Chestnut used slotted screws too?

Yes, they did. I've seen it on their canoes built as late as around 1919 - 1920.
Below are a couple of pics from a Chestnut Peach from just before the WWI.

Cheers
Dick Persson

RobK · Oct 26, 2005

My Chestnut (which I believe is a "Peach") also has slotted screws.
I believe mine was built in the late 50's.

Rob

Fitz · Oct 27, 2005

Detail pictures

Here are some details of the suspect Bob's. The deck cutout, the stem end, the wide cant rib and stem, and the deck/stem/inwale/planking detail.

The deck cutout is out of focus, but it is heart shaped and "eased" under the deck.

I need to pull some screws out of the keel, but there maybe a slight difference in every other screw suggesting some were added, also it looks like someone really struggled with them to tighten the keel at some point. Some of the slots are stripped badly etc.

Peternut Age and Model?

Fitz

Wooden Canoes are in the Blood

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David McDaniel

Canoe Dude

Dan Miller

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Fitz

Wooden Canoes are in the Blood

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Dick Persson

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Stephan

Canoe Enthusiast

Dan Miller

Jack of No Trades

Fitz

Wooden Canoes are in the Blood

Dan Miller

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Stephan

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Larry Meyer

Wooden Canoes are in the Blood

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Fitz

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Dick Persson

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Curious about Wooden Canoes

Fitz

Wooden Canoes are in the Blood

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