Planking on Morris Canoes

[Scot T]

I was reading recently that planking on, I believe my memory is correct, some or all B.N. Morris wood/canvas canoes was overlaped. I would assume that it would have been much like the all wood canoes. Is this correct and can anyone tell me more about it?

Now I cannot find where I was reading it and it's driving me crazier than I already am.

 

[Dan Miller]

Maybe you are thinking of E.M. White canoes, where the planking has bevelled edges? Not sufficient to make the canoe watertight, though.

 

[Scot T]

Thanks Dan, that must be it. I didn't think it would make it watertight but it would make for a nice clean looking joint.

I'm just cataloging a bunch of tidbits (things to consider doing...) for when I put together a w/c later this summer. Right now I'm working on a bunch of Huron's as practice boats and although they are fine floating craft (the 14'6" I'm almost finished looks like a sweet little boat, I'll try it in the local pond next week), the workmanship is...uh...pretty rough, dare I say. Coming from a classical guitar building background, I'm used to working with tolerances in tenths of milimeters not 1/4's of inches so the gaps between the planks on these guys seem a little much.

So, how much is the overlap, 1/4 inch or so? Did he do it on all his boats? Any on line references/information you know of?

 

[Benson Gray]

So, how much is the overlap, 1/4 inch or so? Did he do it on all his boats? Any on line references/information you know of?

The angle was not very sharp so the overlap was not more than the thickness of the planking. Some of the best reference information for this is the Historic Wood Canoe and Boat Company Catalog Collection available from http://woodencanoe.org/catalog/prod...d=406&osCsid=0da65342fca4b72ee3240ceeffe92335 and http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm#historic as shown below from a 1940s White catalog.

Benson

 

[F Harvey Bowley]

Beveled planking

I Believe Myron Smart beveled his edges