Greenwood canoe

[Stencil]

I went to see this canoe at a friends house.
It has a name burned into the deck. Greenwood watercraft.
Serial#15ST30072
It has very narrow ribs 1 1/8" with half-ribs between.
The boat is very light maybe 40 - 45 lbs. 15" long. 34" beam. Strongly recurved stems, flat-bottom, keel on bottom, planking is high quality edge grain. Anyone know anything about this boat?
Sorry no pics.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Plugging "Greenwood" into the "search" function above brings up a few old posts. This one has some pictures:

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=3357&highlight=greenwood

You may want to read through posts brought up in a search until someone chimes-in and addresses this post.

If you are able, please contribute pictures in the "canoe photo index" section of Forums, adding whatever details might help us with future identification of such canoes. Hopefully, others will add pictures of what they have and what they know about them.

Kathy

 

[Scot T]

Hello Stencil, That link is to one I posted a while back. I have two of the 16' Greenwood Prospector models. One in very good condition with only minor repairs, varnishing and recanvasing (the one in the photos) and the other needs a fair bit of work as a tree fell on it, during a snow storm, a few year back. I was hoping and still am hoping to get to them this summer but...the best laid plans of mice and men...

I don't know a lot about Mr. Greenwood but I do like his canoes and there seems to be a few still floating around the West Coast. One of mine came with a bill of sale and a brochure which listed a few models. I put it away for safe keeping and will have to look for it...safe keeping...from me!

For interest sake I've copied a section from Mike Elliot's "Canoeguy's Blog" in his web site (couldn't seem to just link to that page), I hope he will not mind..."He [Greenwood] started in Maine, building for Old Town Canoes. I don’t know how or why, but he ended up in Richmond, British Columbia (just south of Vancouver near the airport) and set up a canoe factory on Mitchell Island. He operated his business from 1934 to 1975. His canoes were essentially Maine Guide Canoes – very wide with flat bottoms, elegant sweeping lines all trimmed in Philippine mahogany. His workmanship was unequalled. Anyone who knows these canoes bows their head in reverence whenever they speak of Bill Greenwood and his canoes." If you want to read more about Mikes work see here- http://www.canoeshop.ca/

He has worked on a number of Greenwoods and mentions them a number of times in his blog so seems be the guy to talk to to find out more. I'm planning to make time to see him next time I'm in his neck of the woods.

I've been thinking about posting to the canoe ID forum but thought it might be better when the canoe is finished...maybe I will anyways.

 

[Scot T]

OK! I found the bill of sale and brochure, scanned them and see if I remember how to post...

Bill of sale is a bit hard to read but says that on Jan. 5, 1974 the canoe, a 16' Prospector Special, was sold to Ted Fletcher of _ _ _ _ _ Coquitlam for $459 + 22.95 tax for a grand total of $481.95. Good Price!

 

[Scot T]

OK! I found the bill of sale and brochure, scanned them and see if I remember how to post...

Bill of sale is a bit hard to read but says that on Jan. 5, 1974 the canoe, a 16' Prospector Special, was sold to Ted Fletcher of _ _ _ _ _ Coquitlam for $459 + 22.95 tax for a grand total of $481.95. Good Price!

 

[Rod Tait (Orca Boats)]

I have worked on many Greenwood canoes over the years. Being on the west coast, Mr. Greenwood had access to top quality cedar planking and rib stock. The mahogany trim is outstanding once cleaned up and refinished. They were indeed well built. Never met the man, but story from those that have is that at those prices (which he may very well have lowered to sell the boat), he always complaned that he could not make a living at selling canoes.

 

[jim kinzel]

I worked for Bill Greenwood for 3 years 1969 through '71.

I bought an 18' Prospector from him in 1969 for $425 paddled it for summer and that fall with no experience or tools signed on for $1.50/hour.

Bill had dropped in on Old Towne in the early 30's, and, based on what he saw in a 3 week visit, came back and modeled both his boats and his operation on what he'd seen at Old Towne.

There were 3 of us, Bill, George Flectcher and me. We averaged 80 canoes a year, built in batches of 6 (about 70 to 80 man hours a boat). We used first growth cedar planking over Sitka spruce ribs (airplane grade, 9 rings to the inch). Stems, keels and seat slates were oak. Decks, gunwales, thwarts and seat risers were Phillipine mahoganey.

Any wood canvas canoe will turn my head, but the lines, construction, and finishing of Greenwood's outclassed any wood canvas production boats (Peterbourough, Chessnut, Old Town) that I have seen.

My 18' Prospector which I still have will easily pack half a ton and has taken me through some pretty bad slop in the open salt chuck. For a time I used a 3 hp Seagull on home made mount (I don't recommend it). I also rigged it for sail with lee boards and it was scary fast.

I also have a 16' Prospector that I rescued from someone who couldn't maintain it.

The Greenwood experience was pivotal in my decision about where I wanted to live (on the Coast near the water) and what I wanted to do (work with wood).

 

[davelanthier]

Bill Greenwood.

I too have restored several Greenwoods and love them. Quality all the way but tend to be a little heavy due to the Mahogany. A serial number suggests that it was a late build as most of his canoes had no serial number. Dan Boles in Revelstoke, B.C. has the last canoe that Bill built. I have several Greenwood brochures of different years and a 1978 autobiography of Bill Greenwood done by a Mike Stewart. Very interesting read. This autbiography includes pictures of Bill Greenwood, George Fletcher and a thin,long haired " helper ". Could it be Jim Kinzel?