16' Peterborough 604

[davelanthier]

Just acquired a 16' Peterborough w/c canoe. The brass deck plate states that it is a model 604. All the Peterborough information I have states 1921 as the last year of this model which had a 33" beam. My quandry is that this one definately has a 35" beam. Was this model still available after 1921 and when did the beam get changed? Thanks in advance.

 

[davelanthier]

Still hoping someone out there can help me on this one. Thanks.

 

[Dan Miller]

How certain are you that the measurements given in the catalogs up until 1921 are accurate? What I am getting at is Chestnut announced in their 1920 catalog that they changed the way they reported measurements - up until then the specs would have been undersized relative to the canoes. Perhaps Peterborough did the same?

I have yet to see a Peterborough catalog dated between 1922 and 1926, and in fact, they may not have issued a different one during these years (at least on occasion they used the same catalog several years, just changing the price list).

 

[davelanthier]

Hi Dan. Thanks for the reply. Anything is possible. This canoe has the curved, "Old Town" scrolled style decks. Aside from the brass plate, decks and extra width it appears to be much the same as a later 16' Champlain high end I have. This includes the off center thwart 'though it does have 2 thwarts rather than only one. Having troube posting pictues, don't know why.Will keep trying. The second owner was told that it was purchased new in 1937 but that can't be right. Hoping Dick P. might be able to help.

 

[Benson Gray]

This canoe has the curved, "Old Town" scrolled style decks.

I wonder if this might be one of the Old Towns that were shipped to Peterborough as described at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?5165 from 1914 and shown at http://www.wcha.org/ot_records/peterbro.jpg from 1906? Is there any sign of a serial number on the stems?

Benson

 

[davelanthier]

Hi Benson, I just sent Dan M. a few photos. Hope he gets them okay. I seem to be having computer problems or maybe it is all Sandy's fault? My Peterborough 604 doesn't have any numbers on the stem faces. Most of the information I found was on your Canadian Wood Canoe CD. The 1921 PB brochure shows this canoe but lists it as having a 33" beam rather than a 35" beam which is what I have.

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Dave, shoot me some pics if you get a chance, i had a sponsoned 604 with the old town decks, tapered ribs, chamfered seats etc. Let you know if its similar....

 

[Dan Miller]

Dave's Photos

Here are Dave's photos.

Dave, I believe the reason you had trouble uploading them is because the file names had an apostrophe in them. Best to leave apostrophes and other punctuation characters out of file names.

Dan

Just say "Leave the apostrophes to Frank Zappa..."

 

[Dan Miller]

I wonder if this might be one of the Old Towns that were shipped to Peterborough as described at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?5165 from 1914 and shown at http://www.wcha.org/ot_records/peterbro.jpg from 1906? Is there any sign of a serial number on the stems?

Benson

Would Old Town go out of there way to build canoes with Canadian-style inwales (see Dave's photos), even for an order they knew was going north?

 

[Benson Gray]

I don't recall seeing anything on the Old Town build records about unusual inwales on the canoes that were shipped to Peterborough. These pictures don't seem to show many Old Town characteristics other than a similar deck shape.

Benson

 

[Dick Persson]

Hi folks,

Peterborough's model 604 was made until the end of 1923 in two grades 1 and 2.
In 1924 it changed name to Otonabee (grade 1) and Rideau (grade 2). The Otonabee was produced until 1959.

In early 1930's the Rideau model became 16S. This model changed model name again in 1936 to High end Champlain # 26 P. In 1939 it became high end Champlain #1434. It was produced until 1955.

All above mentioned "models" were made on the same mold and had the measurements 16' x 33" x 12".

Dave, is your canoe 16' or 17' in length?

Dick Persson
Buckhorn Canoe Company
www.buckhorncanoes.com

 

[davelanthier]

Fantastic! Dick, you have done it again!!! May I also mention that I enjoyed your celebrity status last night. - But now it all makes sense. My canoe is definately 16'. Someone many years ago recanvased it and replaced the off center thwart with a centered carrying yoke. At that time the dismantled canoe was probably allowed to relax from a 33' beam to become a 35" beam. I dismantled my later model 16' Champlain high end about a week ago. It was a 33" beam but now already has a 34" beam. That will soon be rectified. Thanks to everyone.

 

[Dick Persson]

Dave,

Thanks for the kind words.

Make sense to me too, I thought the canoe looked a little slab-sided in the pictures.

Dick

 

[davelanthier]

So, is it reasonable to conclude that this Peterborough 604 is not a retagged Old Town? - OR - Did Old Town copy the Peterborough decks or vise versa? - OR - Did Peterborough purchase decks from Old Town or vise versa?

 

[Benson Gray]

It certainly looks more like a Peterborough than an Old Town.

Benson

 

[davelanthier]

Upon removing the old canvas from this 16' Peterborough 604 I found a signed piece of planking. [ Every restorers dream. ] It reads " Repaired and recanvased, North Bay Canoe Company, W. Schorse, Sept. 1981. " Is this company still in business? Does anyone have any history about them or Mr. Schorse? Thanks in advance.

 

[Rob Stevens]

Bill (William) Schorse had been building canoes since 1979, and is still listed as President.
The name of the company has changed from North Bay Canoe to North Bay Canoe & Kayak, also associated with North Bay Adventure Co.; http://www.nbcanoe.com/
Not sure if Bill is actively involved any longer.

 

[Dan Miller]

Bill is still a WCHA member.

He was featured in a short article in Wooden Canoe issue 33 (Spring 1988).

Dan

 

[davelanthier]

Restored 16' Peterborough 604

After 110 hours she's finally done! Ice should be off some of the lower altitude lakes soon. Can't wait to try this 100 year old girl out unless someone makes an offer I can't refuse. Seems to happen now and then. The story is that this canoe was purchased new at T.H. Reid in Powassan, Ontario by a Mrs. Mary Bunston. Does this mean anything to anyone?