Detroit

[Denis M. Kallery]

Well the last show has produced for Kathy and me another canoe. It is another Detroit, !5 foot 4 inches Hudson River . Better shape than the first one we got which is also a Hudson River. This one has Oak inner gunnel and decks and thwarts. There are 6 broken ribs and some bad planking. No top cap or side cap on the rails. The medalion is made of thinner brass - pressed not cast. At this point there is too much varnish on both the medalion and the stem where the SN. is to read either well. This Detroit has half ribs and doesn't look like it ever had a keel. There is a bit of hogging in the center. I'll ask Kathy to post photos.
Well that's twelve now.
Denis

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Showin' Off

Just a few "before" pics...

 

[Dave Wermuth]

wow

Twelve? Wow. You still got snow, eh? Too bad.
Congrats on the Detroit. The half ribs,--- they almost looked like a later addition, no?

 

[Denis M. Kallery]

Dave,
Yeah we still have snow It looks to me that the half ribs are orignial. If not they were nicely made. There is something in the stem that I will have to look at in more detail I will take photos of it.From the medalion on this one I think it is a later build than the other. The other medalion is also stamped [at first I thought it was cast -but you can see the stamping marks on the back] The older one is almost twice as thick and the lettering is much more pronounced. If Kathy remembers to bring the camera over tomorrow I'll take photos of them both.The most recent is also about a 32nd larger in diameter.
Gil, Hi !
What is a Cloverland? This boat came from Houghton. Was in a garage up there.When we found out it is a Detroit we couldn't turn it down. Not that I need another one to work on! We really need to get the barn built this spring!
Peace, Denis

 

[Kathryn Klos]

More Show & Tell...

Brass medallions from both our Detroit canoes suggest our newer boat is of a more recent vintage... but we'd have to know more about the company to do more than guess about its age. One medallion is heavier brass and the lettering is raised--- actually "puffed up" in a way that made us think it was cast rather than stamped. The other medallion is thinner and flatter, reminding me of what happens when you put a penny on the railroad track... well, not these days perhaps... back when there were trains.

The other pictures show the construction of the inside of the stem-- it's the same at both ends and looks original to the boat. We need to look at our other Detroit and see if it's the same.