EM White

[jwil]

what would the rails be made of? I am assuming western red planking and white ribs correct? any help in dating it? With Bob's excellent help just canvassed my 26 Charles river, off to another one I picked this up last year to add to the quiver as it fills a nice void for when (and if) the 17 Penobscot ever gets finished.
thanks

 

[Benson Gray]

The early White catalogs specified spruce rails as shown below from a circa 1933 catalog but the later ones didn't provide as much detail. Cedar is specified for the planking and ribs but the types are not specified. Your canoe probably has a serial number on the inside stems with an embedded date. Good luck with the restoration,

Benson

 

[jwil]

Thanks Benson, I have found the decks rails seats and thwarts are mahogany it has the brass white plate. It Is a 16' boat. There are no serial numbers and the seats were caned not pressed would this help date it pre 1940? It came from a camp her inMaine originally
Thanks

 

[Benson Gray]

There are no serial numbers and the seats were caned not pressed would this help date it pre 1940?

Yes, the lack of a serial number with hand caned seats indicate that it is probably from before the mid-1940s. The square stern seat usually means that it was built after the 1920s.

Benson