Old Canoe, but what?

parlowmillfarm

New Member
I recently acquired an old canoe which was fiberglassed about 30 years ago.

It was sold by A&F when they were at 57 Reade Street ( between 1906 and 1913) There is a brass tag with the number 6787.

Any ideas?
 

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Heehee... actually, the first things I will bombard Parlowmillfarm with are the two Morris videos, to nail-down identification. Actually, we know it is a B.N. Morris-- but I'd like Parlow to know why we came to this conclusion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAz-rspieqE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN462MWTABc

Our current theory re dating Morris canoes places #6787 as circa 1908.

The 6XXX series canoes are of special interest because it's during this series that the brass serial number plate changed from an oval-shape that was affixed to the inwale above the first full rib on the left side at the bow-end, to a rectangle with clipped corners on the bow stem (on the floor, beneath the deck).

**Notice I haven't asked ONE question.... yet**

But here's the first question: --> (1) Where is the serial number plate? 6586 has the oval on the inwale; 6981 has a rectangle on the stem. The answer won't be headlining news at 11... but it will help us with the finer details in our WCHA Morris Database.

Some Morris canoes sold by Abercrombie and Fitch have the serial number on the A&F tag and the Morris tag is missing. So (drum-roll) question #2 is, "does the Morris serial number appear on the A&F tag?"

Question #3 has to do with whether you (Parlow) want information on Morris canoes, and if so, I will email you a copy of the most recent Morris story from "Wooden Canoe". I'd need your email address. Mine is kathrynklos@gmail.com.

Basic Morris information is in the videos (except the fire happened December 15, 1919 and I didn't know the exact date when I made the video). There's more information in the archives of these Forums--- you can click on "search" above and type in "morris" and a lot of posts should show up.

More pictures of your canoe would be helpful... and statistics such as the length of the canoe (16 feet and missing one thwart?).

Thanks for providing another Morris for our database!

Kathy
 
It was sold by A&F when they were at 57 Reade Street ( between 1906 and 1913)

Since it does not have an A&F tag on the decks, how did you figure out that it was sold by A&F? Just curious..

Nice canoe by the way. It should be a beauty when you get the glass off of it and replace the canvas.
It looks like you have polyurethane on the wood, not spar varnish. Before you do any varnishing you'll want to figure that out.
 
Kathyrn
Thanks for the post. I enjoyed the videos.
Answer to your questions:
1. From last post by me you can see the tag location is a rectangle on the stem.
2. There is no serial No. on the A&F tag. The tag says:

Abercrombie & Fitch C.
Canoes Motor boats
57 Reade Street
New York

A&F moved from Reade Street in 1913, see http://www.3stepads.com/71734/abercrombie-fitch-launched-abercrombie/

Move to Reade Street was announced in Vol. 24 of the mag “Recreation” (1906)

3. I just got hold of a reprint (by WCHA) of Morris Canoes. I will contact you for more.

4. 15’3” L X 3’ W

Added: I have the carry yoke too.

MGC,
Yeah, I believe it is poly.

As for the A&F tag, it is on the canoe and I do have a photo, but it is so out of focus as to be worthless. I'll get a new photo next week. If you magnify the canoe view photo, you can just make out the tag ( or what looks like a blob)

Here are the other photos I have, If more shots of different stuff is needed or helpful let me know, so I can get new shots.

Thanks to all!!
 

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Nice find! And if it was glassed that long ago odds are it was polyester resin which usually doesn't penetrate the planking nearly as bad as modern epoxy :)
 
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