Help With Identification please

[Nick Dennis]

i have been offered this canoe in the UK to re-home.

Here is the description:
The Canoe is 15 feet long by 41 (yes 41) inches wide and 11 inches deep. The
only canoes that are close to these dimensions that I can find on-line seem
most often to have been freight canoes. It has a thwart just to the rear of the
bow deck secured by diamond shaped bolts (Old Town or Carleton?). Elsewhere the
bolts have flat round heads or are "stretched" ellipses. There was a much faded
sticker (now painted over) which has the word “Maine” below a number 76 which
may be a reference to an annual registration. Under the paint on the hull (on
both sides) there is another number ME4692K which again could be a
registration number. There are no serial numbers on the stems. The centrally
placed seat is probably not original and
there are two holes amidships which might have been for rowlocks suggesting the
canoe may well have been rowed at some point. The removal of thick paint on the
bow decks revealed very faint traces of what may have been stamped initials
(possibly HBC).

Here are some photos.





Thanks,

Nick

 

[Craig Johnson]

Seems quite wide and shallow and all the thwarts look like replacements. One set of diamond head bolts would square with that. Could have had the seats and thwarts out and relaxed into the current width and then had new thwarts replaced at then new width? or not.

 

[Nick Dennis]

Here's a "before" photo that I have been sent.

 

[Benson Gray]

The ME4692K numbers on both sides of the bow are typical registration numbers for a canoe with a motor in Maine. The center thwart doesn't look like the usual Old Town or Carleton shape. The lack of serial numbers on the stems imply that this was not built in a factory. There are a huge number of possible builders as shown on the list at http://wcha.org/legacypages/maine-list.htm from Maine alone. I can't offer much more so it is likely to remain a UFO. Sorry,

Benson

 

[samb]

Here's a "before" photo that I have been sent.
View attachment 36545

Nick
The green one in the picture is the one that was up for sail when I bought my 18' HW. I'm sure it was longer than 15'.

Sam

 

[Craig Johnson]

That disproves my theory. Definitely built that wide.

 

[alick burt]

I've just been reading The Open Canoe by Bill Riviere.
With a width of 41" could be a hunting fishing canoe ( the extra width being good for casting etc.)
Also HBC could be Hudson's Bay Company or Harrison Boat Company or anything beginning with H and ending in boat company???
Just a few thoughts as I'm no expert
Cheers
Alick

 

[alick burt]

I've just been reading The Open Canoe by Bill Riviere.
With a width of 41" could be a hunting fishing canoe ( the extra width being good for casting etc.)
Also HBC could be Hudson's Bay Company or Harrison Boat Company or anything beginning with H and ending in boat company???
Just a few thoughts as I'm no expert
Cheers
Alick