Help With Identification of Manufacturer

[Nick Dennis]

In my quest to assemble information for a presentation which I am giving at next years Assembly I would like some assistance on thoughts as to who may have built this canoe.

It resides in the UK and its present custodian is David Millward who has owned it for many years. It is a cedar rib canoe but with a canvas. Shape in unlike my Peterborough Cedar Rib or others made by the Canadian Canoe Co or Ontario Canoe Co.

Any thoughts welcome

Cheers,

Nick

 

[Michael Grace]

Hi Nick,

Can you post some detail shots? Helpful would be images of the thwarts, the thwart attachment blocks, the stern seat and how it is attached, the stems, gunwales, decks etc. And is there any indication as to whether the inwale (or inner cap) is original to the canoe vs. added later? The stern deck and its coaming appear to be shaped differently from the bow, but the bow deck is hard to see in the photos here. Maybe one deck/coaming is original, but maybe not the other? Do the "ribs" have the tongue-and-groove typical of known cedar ribs canoes? Same shape and dimensions or different? And does the direction of the tongue-and-groove reverse amidships?

Thanks for posting these beautiful images of an interesting canoe.

Michael

 

[Nick Dennis]

I need to go and see David Millward and interview him and have a real close look at the canoe. At present a few hundred miles separate us so be patient for updates.

If I remember the story of its purchase correctly he offered 10 Shillings but ended up paying £1 for the canoe! Past times

Nick

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Looks like an Ontario Canoe Company boat that passed through my hands briefly. If its not been modified, the one piece decks often point to an older craft, though the outwales look newer. Very nice chair tho!

 

[Nick Dennis]

I have managed to speak with David Millward about this canoe. He confirmed that he purchased it in 1964 for £1 having had his opening offer of 10 shillings rejected. When David got it the canoe was not canvassed and leaked badly; it was painted green. In 1966 David and a boatbuilder friend set about fixing the canoe up and at that time it needed new decks, new keel, some plank repairs and new outwales. To keep it watertight and add strength, a canvas was added at that time in 1966. Prior to that it had been with the same family in the UK since 1910. I will hopefully get a closer look at it next spring.

Nick