Help identifying a distressed canoe

[normsims]

Folks,

I think I know what this is, but I'd like expert confirmation. Some friends bought this boat with thoughts of hanging it from the ceiling of their cabin in New York State. They didn't know what it was. Apparently, someone chopped off the back of the canoe and put a transom for a motor on it. Mostly the features look like an 18-foot Morris, but the hull is a little flat. I don't know enough about the Kennebec canoes to rule them out. Your thoughts?

Norm Sims

 

[Dave Osborn]

A splayed stem would confirm a Morris ID.......

 

[normsims]

Dave,

Yes. I've blown up these photos as far as they'll go, and there are hints of a splayed stem. I've asked for more pictures showing the stem and the cant ribs. Were there any differences in hull shape in the Kennebec canoes?

Norm

 

[MGC]

Dave,

I've blown up these photos as far as they'll go, and there are hints of a splayed stem.
Norm

Did the same and can see the beaver tail stem behind the seat. Lot's of other indicators as well and if my imagination is not playing tricks it looks like the outline from where the tag was once located on the inside rail.
One more for "The Squirrel Whisperer."

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Yeah it looks like a Morris to me. Maybe had a Folsom arms tag on the deck?

 

[normsims]

I received more info on the canoe. It's clearly a Morris, 16 feet long. The attached photos show the splayed stem, three cant ribs, a mark on the gunwale where a serial number plate was attached, ribs that taper into pockets, and the mark on the deck where some emblem was attached. I can't figure out why the red stain on the deck.

Kathy, any estimate of the age on this one? Thanks.

Norm

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Cool that it has features that permit narrowing-down the date a bit: With three pairs of cants, it's at least 1905-ish and they stopped placing the oval serial number plate on the inwale in about 1908-- so the canoe possibly dates from 1905-1908, as nearly as we can say given the current information.

Kathy