Maine UFO for a trapper?

[Treewater]

I got this boat in Maine a few years back. It was at the meet four years ago and could not be identified. While its identity may never be known I am interested in the mind set which built and used the canoe. It was one of the few canoes built w/o a forward seat. It was intended to be solo. The construction was light in the thwarts and seat. The user never put full weight on the thwarts when moving about since they are ash and thin. The seat must have been leather and it was tacked underneath. That shape is unusual by itself and will not lend itself to babiche. Width is 36 inches. Length 15 feet. About 55 lbs is my guess when it is done. Decks are cedar and concave steam bent with pronounced rounding on top like a Morris. Steel screws and brass tacks. Planking all 2 1/2 wide give or take a 1/4 inch. Gunwales spruce. My guess is the user/buyer was a professional trapper. Construction is too good for it to be a home built one-off. Certainly the user was not a guide or recreational user. No serial numbers or any tags. Thoughts anyone?

 

[Benson Gray]

There is a broad range of options as shown at http://wcha.org/legacypages/maine-list.htm which is known to be a partial list. One likely candidate is the Howe Fur Company in Coopers Mills. There is more information about this company at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?8195 and http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?8740 has some catalog pages. Good luck,

Benson

 

[Treewater]

Thank you Benson. This is more narrow than a 15 ft Howe. 36 inches vs 39 inches. However I see Howe marketed to trappers and cited a one or two seat canoe, indicating a market for one seat canoes. As I said, this canoe was intended for work and the thin thwarts are what tell me the user was more skilled than I. He (or she) could move around w/o putting full weight on the thwarts. The ribs are tapered and rounded nicely if not uniformly. See pic. I'll cover it in the next few days so I photgraphed the planking well.

 

[Treewater]

My 4th recanvas

It is 11 PM and the new skin is on the UFO. I just brushed on 2 qt of concromium, the only anti-mildew agent I could find locally. If I can find the ingrediants for filler locally I may fill it tomorrow.

 

[Treewater]

According to my records this canoe was purchased by its second owner in Guilford, Maine. Someone more familiar with Maine than I can perhaps identify canoe makers in the near vicinity during the 30's, 40's or 50's.

 

[Benson Gray]

Guilford is in the southern part of Piscataquis County. The list at http://wcha.org/legacypages/maine-list.htm has no entries for Guilford but there are 34 builders listed in Piscataquis County so that might be a good place to start. Good luck,

Benson

 

[Fitz]

There were a few builders in Dover-Foxcroft, which is a mere 8 miles east of Guilford. Guide canoes with one stern seat, some of which were trapezoids, were popular. I was gonna guess, "Packard" from D-F, but in my experience he built bigger canoes, but who knows. I think the heart shaped deck was popular with Packard. I may start work on a "Buck and Packard" (also D-F) soon and may be able to share some details. Your ribs look more refined and these guide canoes don't seem to have keels. This project boat has been remuddled a bit though. I will keep you posted.

Fitz.

 

[Treewater]

If I go down the list for Piscataquis County the ones falling in the correct age range, my estimate, are ; Davis, Edgarly, Masterson, Packard, St. Germain, Sawyer, Smart, and Templeton. Obviously some of these, like Davis, are father to son operations. but narrowing it to even eight is progress, if I am correct. I think Packard is too early. I'm just guessing from the overall looks, steel screws, nice tacks and such. Maybe even the narrow planking which might indicate they could not get wide boards because the big old trees were gone. Anyone know how to tell white cedar from red cedar when they are both aged and old.

 

[Dan Miller]

Several of the builders on your short list have been written about in Wooden Canoe:

Harry Edgerly: Issue 120:8-11

Henry Packard: Issue 64:8-9

Fred and Arthur Templeton Issue 52:9

Myron Smart: 159:9-13

A Handy-Dandy Index to the Journal can be found here: http://www.wcha.org/index-to-wooden-canoe/

Dan

 

[Treewater]

Thanks Dan. I only have #159 and I scratch Myron Smart since the one example is not even close. That leaves me looking for issue 120 and issue 52. Do I purchase those back issues on line at the store?

 

[Dan Miller]

Go here for back issues: http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-Magazine-Back-Issues/

They are available as individual paper back issues or a whole (digitized) collection.

 

[Treewater]

UFO from Maine

I was asked for more pictures on PM and could not post there so here are photos. This is likely the most utilitarian canoe I have. Ribs are 1/4" thick and sometimes uneven in width, planking something between the Old Town 50 pounder and the regular OT's. I'm not home to measure the thwarts but they are perfectly straight and consistent end to end. As I have said, they are thin, about 1 1/2" by 1/2". The single seat is made for leather and note it is semetrical with the sides, not square. Canoe is exactly 15 ft long. No tumble home. The only departure from the Guide boats is the upsweep on the decks. it is clearly intended to be light but carry a large load, alone. If I were to say there were "frills" it would be the deck which is shaped not flat but I suspect they bought those from someone else. Workmanship however is very good. I see no flaws.
My atlas show it's likely place of origin to be at the edge of civilization, that is, built up towns. I may be wrong and no offense intended. I still think it was built for a trapper.