Identification And Value Help Needed: 1 Canoe, 2 Guide/skiff All Wood Boats

[Barry Christenson]

As a WCHA Chapter Head I am frequently contacted with questions about canoes, mostly identification and value. Today’s question comes from a property manager tasked with selling a St Lawrence Boatworks canoe and two unknown brand guide or river skiff wooden boats that belong to a lake home owner here in central Minnesota. He has no information regarding origin of any of the three. Neither of the wood boats has a serial number or manufacturer plaque. The canoe has a nice St Lawrence Boatworks brass tag, but no serial number. The canoe appears to be unused since restoration. The first guide boat shown in the photos is 15’ 4” with a beam of 38”. The canoe is 16’ and 31.5” wide. The second guide boat is 15’ long with a 39” beam. Any suggestions as to origin of the boats, possible age, value, etc will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Bump.
87 views and nobody knows anything about these?

 

[Benson Gray]

The information at http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/57/ will apply to the canoe and most of the principles will also apply to the boats. However, these are specialty items so they could be worth a lot to the right buyer. This time of year they aren't worth much to most buyers. Guide boats are well outside of my expertise. Good luck,

Benson

 

[MGC]

Since this is a canoe site and although many of us have some experience with guideboats, most of us are not experts. There is one particular member that may have it in his genes but for the most part the rest of us can spot a Hamner or a Rushton but good luck identifying a Grant or a Cole.
It would be very helpful to see pictures of the outside of the hulls of the skiff/guide boats. In particular, stem construction, planking laps, nailing patterns are necessary details.
One "guideboat" looks like a St. Lawrence skiff style construction to my eye..not a guideboat. Value of skiffs and guideboats are all over the place depending upon age, builder and especially condition. These pictures do not provide a very good idea of how good the hulls are.
SLBW canoes don't turn up too often and it's sort of nice that it's restored, but given the way that it was restored it might have been worth more in original condition. The thwarts appear to be correct, but the seats are not. The quality of the canvas, paint, varnish...none of those are apparent but given the way the seats were done I'd be suspicious. As with the guideboat/skiff, the photos are lacking to draw any reasonable conclusions.

 

[Canoeal]

Yeah, IDing guideboats is tough. The canoe has a lot of new parts so that doesn't make it any easier...but it has a tag. The one skiff is apparently a St. Lawrence skiff also ...not that it helps much.

 

[Barry Christenson]

Thanks for the input. Per Michael’suggestion I have attached the few hull photos I have. They are of the second, larger guide boat /skiff. Let me know if they offer any further insights.