Identification Help

John Visser

Curious about Wooden Canoes
I bought a canoe this past weekend that I do not recognize. I saw the FB Marketplace ad and shared it to the Fans of the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association Facebook page, and several people said it might be an E.M. White canoe, which intrigued me. That and the seller agreed to let it go for $100 because of the fiberglass covering.
I figured I'd post some more detailed photos and measurements here to get a positive ID on make and model. I'll be as detailed as possible to help with the ID and to help others that might come after looking for info on similar canoes.
Length overall: 16'8"
Width at sheerline centerline (measured to outside of planking): 33-1/2"
Depth at center: 13" Bow height is 19" Bottom is straight, no rocker at all.
Ribs are 2-1/4"x5/16", tapering to 1-1/4" to 1-3/4" at the gunwales. Spaces between ribs are 2-1/4" wide. Halfribs are 1" wide and 5/16" thick.
Planking is 2-7/8" wide. Maybe originally 3" wide but has shrunk? The plank edges are square.
Stems are white oak, 7/8" square. No markings visible here.
Decks are 4"x11", white oak. No tags or shadow of where a tag would have been.
Seats are white oak and slat style on 8"x10" frames. Appear to be original slats seats, not caned seats that were repaired this way. Bolts are brass flat head slotted drive machine screws.
Thwarts are 2-1/2" x 5/8" thick, also white oak.
Inwales also seem to be white oak, 7/8" square.
Outer gunwales are spruce or similar softwood, 1-1/4" tall by 5/8" wide, fastened through every other rib with brass flat head slotted drive screws.
There was a keel which is now gone, fastened through every other rib the regular way.
Bolts near the middle indicate there was a middle seat at some point. Stems have a very pronounced recurve/torpedo shape. Sheerline is noticeably flat. Bottom is straight and flat as well. Fairly interesting lines on this one. Hull appears to be true to original shape, no undue unfairness or warping.
Thanks for any help!
 

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Also forgot to add that the previous owner bought the canoe in Maine, and brought it back to the Hudson Valley.
 
Are the edges of the planking beveled? The diagram below from the 1948 White catalog may help if you aren't sure what this means.

Benson



1709067907263.png
 
John, it's a beautiful boat. You definitely did the right thing buying it, even if removing the fiberglass may be painful. Can't wait to see pix when you get it fixed up a bit!
 
I'm skeptical about the identification as a White. The seats and thwarts don't look like anything I've ever seen in a White. The stem profile is also very odd for White. The half ribs on Whites I've had or worked on have run far into the bilges, much father than you normally see in canoes from other builders including this canoe. As Benson said, maybe Canadian.
 
I'm skeptical about the identification as a White. The seats and thwarts don't look like anything I've ever seen in a White. The stem profile is also very odd for White. The half ribs on Whites I've had or worked on have run far into the bilges, much father than you normally see in canoes from other builders including this canoe. As Benson said, maybe Canadian.
After seeing it in person I would say the same thing. Not enough details match up.
 
I have an upper Maine canoe which remains unidentified. I had it at the assembly several years ago. I think there are/were a number of limited production builders. The simplicity of the deck indicates limited production to me. Likewise the seat. That torpedo shape seems out of place but who knows? Canada? Why?
 
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