Morris #9565

[divedog]

Just picked up another Morris! It’s 16 feet and needs some TLC, but most of it is there. Inwales, outwales, thwarts and seats are Mahogany. There is enough of the D-shaped out wales to get a good profile, although someone reinstalled it with some huge finishing nails. The usual few cracked ribs and broken planking. No floor grate or attachments. Keel appears to be Mahogany, but is very square shaped (not V-shaped), so I’m not sure if it is a replacement. S/N on the stem with a painter. Really stoked.
Kathy, hoping you’ll chime in and let me know what I have!
By the way, I think I have a WC canoe problem… this is number 7 for me.

Mike Wootton - Spokane, WA

 

[dtdcanoes]

Oh Mike, you 're in good shape with the numbers......wait til you are in the double digits before you start worrying. Good luck with the new one.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Congratulations on another nice find, Mike. And seven canoes seems a very reasonable (and normal) number to have, when speaking of wooden canoes.

The current thinking re Morris serial numbers puts 9565 as circa 1913-- and as it's more toward the 1912-end, it could easily date to 1912. Open gunwale Morris canoes aren't nearly as common as closed gunwale-- they were more expensive, as the rail system was mahogany-- with those beautiful D-shaped outwales. Any rib-repairs should be much less of a challenge when you don't have to mess with pocketed inwales. Looks like the decks are 24", which is the most common length for long-decked Morris canoes-- but short decks were more common, overall, than long. Nice painter ring sitting right where Morris put them!

Don't worry if this canoe isn't restored by July-- take it to the Assembly anyway! The more the merrier and the more we stand to learn from them.

Kathy

 

[divedog]

Thanks Kathy!