McGreivey canoe

I don't know of any available serial number records for Jack McGreivey's canoes so please let me know if you find some. It should have a hull identification number on the starboard stern with an encoded date. Good luck,

Benson
 
I spoke with Craig and with Benson at the 2019 Assembly.

Craig and I are going to correspond more about this particular canoe. I thought my dad told me he built only one canoe on his Detroit mold, and didn't like it and burned it, but it appears he did sell it, but unfinished.

The serial number isn't what I'd expect. The serial number of mine is 1924 17, where 1 is the model (Racine copy, in my case), 92 is the year (1992), 4 means the fourth that year, and 17 is the length.

I'd expect Craig's to be 2982 15 (model 2, 1998, #2 that year, 15'), but I need to get into and make copies of the build records, which Mark Giovannetti has.
 
I just read a post from by 2008 on another thread by the previous owner of this canoe. He said he'd bought it the year before from my dad, so a 1998 build year wouldn't fit that. I was working for him in 1998, and I don't recall a half finished canoe sitting around for years.

Unfortunately, the other guys who worked for him then are dead now (Bill Elliot, Don Keith, but especially Jack Luszyk, who helped my dad design and build the molds).
 
Hi John.
Definitely a new build. Possibly 10 is number built, 98 is year and 2 is model.
 

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There was a half built canoe around for quite a few years. I first saw it when he displayed it at Ive's Park 4th sidewalk sale days (when?,). He was still at St. Lawrence then. It had some real issues clinching the tacks so it sat unfinished. As I recall it was not a Detroit...it was his first Racine. I'm 99% sure that same canoe was in the (garage) shop at Cato in the early 90's. I remember talking to him about it. I'd need to dig through some old correspondence to nail down a more exact date.
 
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I have a Detroit 15 that I bought from Jack in 2006. The serial number is 10051 15. It was new in 2006.
Until recently Ron Hampton had a Detroit 15. It's picture graces June in the current 2019 calendar. He recently sold the canoe. I may call him to see if he recalls the number and to who he sold it to. Ron was at the Assembly - I should have spoke to him then.

Jim
 
Hey Jim. Too funny. Our paths cross again. I am the one who bought the canoe off of Ron. It is the boat we are talking about. The serial numbers are still a mystery.
 
If John is correct about the serial numbers perhaps the first two digits 10 are just added so as to not start at 0 as some builders did . Then the next two can be the year which would work in Jim's case and maybe mine. The last digit would not be the model because Jim and I have the same model but his ends in 1 and mine ends in 2 but it could be the number built that year. Guess we need to see if there are still records and if they shed any light on this.
 
From the serial number, the build year is 1998. If indeed it was bought from my Dad years later, then I suppose it sat outside on the mold under a tarp, unfinished. The last shop fire was about then (New Year's Eve and Day 1998/99, I think), so it was probably in progress and sitting outside when the fire happened, and he never got back to it.

He probably was building it as a test of the mold, not for a customer. He spent 1999 mostly on rebuilding the shop, and apparently never got back to it, and never got any orders for any other Detroits, as far as I know.

I'm hope to double-check that in (and copy all of) the build records next week.
 
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I looked at the build records today, and it turns out that I was way off about Craig's Detroit.

My dad actually built FIVE Detroits.

He built a third mold, a Broadbeck copy. That's the one he never sold any of, and which he may have built one of, and then burned it. That mold no longer exists. It may have burned in one of his shop fires, or he may have destroyed it himself.

He built 20 Racines and 5 Detroits.

I had the model number scheme slightly wrong.
1 - 17' Racine Chippewa (13" decks) [9 sold]
2 - 17' Racine Seneca (30" cedar decks) [5 sold]
3 - 17' Racine Seneca (48" cedar decks) [none sold]
4 - 17' Racine Navajo (30" mahogany decks) [5 sold]
5 - 17' Racine Navajo (48" mahogany decks) [1 sold]
6 - 18' Broadbeck [none sold]
7 - [??? number perhaps reserved for another Broadbeck variant ???]
8 - 15' Detroit standard [none sold]
9 - 15' Detroit lightweight (#10 canvas) [2 sold]
10 - 15' Detroit bantam (#12 canvas or lighter) [3 sold]

I also came across a file with calculations and drawings (not full plans) for a 16' Racine. I suppose he was considering building one, but never did.
 
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Thanks John. That is great information to have and I am sure Benson will add it to the data base. So my canoe, 10982-15, would be a Detroit Bantam built in 1998, the second one that year, correct?
Jim, the original seats are no longer with my canoe. Ron had it set up for solo. Could you post some photos and dimensions of yours.
I am glad to know what canvas is on it because I will be recanvasing it and want to keep it as light as it is.
Ron told me that he donated the original seats to the Gifford Pinchot Mini Assembly gear swap, so if anyone picked up a set of mahogany canoe seats there and are interested in letting them go back to the original boat I would like to buy them.
 
Ok, so based on what John posted regarding his dad's serial numbers my Detroit with number 10051-15 is a Detroit Bantam built in 2005, first one built that year. That makes sense because I bought it in 2006. Jack said he built it light with 1/4" ribs and 1/8" planking. When I bought it there was no seat and no thwarts. I made my own with no attempt to copy what Jack normally made or what Detroit made prior to him so, sorry Craig, can't help you with your question. The decks and outwales on mine are made of cherry so I made my seat and thwarts of cherry also. Jack said he would normally use #12 canvas to keep it light.

Jim
 
So the format is the model number with one or two digits, a two digit year built, a one digit sequence number for that model, a space, and two digits for the length in feet? Thanks,

Benson
 
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