Morris seats

[ticonderoga]

I am in the final stages in the restoration of my Morris #4027 and have a question concerning the proper way to "hang" the seats. The original seats were cut short and rehung using metal flat stock so I dont know how low to hang the bow and stern seats. I have an idea due to the length of the L bolts, but I want to get it right. Also what material was used, was it mahogany, spruce or zinc plated pipe? Were the "spacers" round or square ? I would like to keep the canoe as original as possible. Thanks for any input.

 

[Dave Wermuth]

I recently inspected an old Morris that had the seats right up under the rails. It looks to be original. ANOTHER Morris I looked at this summer had been worked on but also had the stern seat right up to the inwales. No spacers. Perhaps others with real knowledge will weigh in.

 

[Fitz]

I just went and looked at two Morris canoes in the yard. They are not as old, (teens), but the seats have not been monkeyed with. The bow seats on both are secured directly to the inwales. The stern seats on both have about a half inch or so long brass tube spacer under the rear seat rail. The front rail of the stern seat is mounted directly beneath the inwale.

 

[Ed Moses]

Thought I'd jump in here with some info on a Morris S/N 3649 15 footer which is closer to your Morris' year of manufacture. Front seat is mounted flush with the rails, all four bolts, but the rear seat has 3/4" silvered pieces of 3/8" ID copper tubing as drops in the rear seat bolt locations and no drops in the front bolt locations. Looks like someone heated and coated the copper tubing with solder then wiped them off. I also have an 18' Morris, no S/N that has front and rear seats attached the same as on the circa 1906 15 footer. The copper tubing drops on the 18 are also solder silvered as on the 15.
Both of these Morrises were never "monkeyed with" as Fitz so appropriately puts it. They were totally original with still water worthy, original canvas.

 

[Fitz]

Ed's dimensions and materials may match mine as well. I just couldn't get a very good look.

 

[ticonderoga]

Thanks for the info. I never would of guessed the bow seats were flush under the gunwale. I have heard some Charles river builders used the silvered copper pipe for drops. It's a different look and seeing it's original, I'll do it that way! Thanks Just had a thought : would having 24" decks change the seat placement, there fore the length of the drops?

 

[Ed Moses]

Sorry I did not include the wood material used on the Morris seat frames. All were mortise and tenon mahogany with no glue, real tight mortises. I understand that Bert used mahogany on all decks and seat frames unless he received a special order from a customer specifying some other wood species. I restored a 16' Morris ,S/N 2766 for a customer and this canoe had the same seat placement scheme as mine as well as all mahogany decks and seat frames. The rail caps on all three Morrises were spruce. S/N 2766 had a bright interior, no oxblood stain that Bert used to simulate mahogany on the interior of most of his canoes. I was most appreciative of this bright interior as the stained interior is an absolute bear to strip! The stain turns the stripped varnish & stain to a tar like substance. If you are going to consider staining the interior of yours as Morris did , Kathy Klos has posted a stain mixture that Denis Kallery formulated to closely replicate that which was used by Morris. There is a thread that you can find by doing a search for Morris stain .

 

[Paul Miller]

I will throw in with the rest of you as all of my Morris canoes have seats set the same way.

If the decks are longer the seats would be even further from the stem of the canoe with less need for spacers. Or maybe you lower the front seat and bolt the rear directly to the gunnel. They did not set the seats any different in those long deck canoes that were less than 24".

I will mention that the canoes Bert built under the Veazie name had Ash or Maple seats, thwarts, and decks. I have one with Maple.

Paul