Old Canoe from Rangeley Maine

[smallboatshop]

This canoe was purchased some years ago and came from the Rangeley Maine area. It is a 16 1/2' closed gunwale in white cedar with 32 1/2" width and about 13" depth. Planking is 2 1/2" and only 1/8" thick, tapered ribs 2 1/4" and 2" apart. 20" mahogany decks with nice undercut, curved carry handles.

The thwarts appear to be mahogany as do the seats, but the seats also appear to be replacements as they are not as well done as the decks and carry handles and do not seem to have the proper hole spacing for caning. Interesting that the stern seat is trapezoidal. The stems are two piece with the planks attached to the inner piece and butting up to the outer piece. The deck tip and inwale ends look like the butted the stem rather than set on top of the stem.

The sheer planks do not go to the top of the ribs but are set about an inch and a half below. The ribs are not feathered as they attach to the inwales but are cut down to 1/2 thickness. The canvas was tacked to the ribs and between the ribs. See the side cap photo.

The only canoes that we've see with curved carry handles have been Carletons but we haven't see these construction details before.

What do you think?

 

[Fitz]

Rangeley is well known for guideboats, but some canoes were likely built in the area too. There is some discussion of canoes and copies of some canoe advertisements presented in the book, "The Rangeley and Its Region". I have never seen a canoe attributed to a Rangeley builder, and use of mahogany seems out of place based on materials used in Rangeley boats, but who knows. I suppose there is a chance it was built in the area.

 

[Larry Meyer]

This reminds me of the 1870s Gerrish Steve Lapey has and that I wrote up for Wooden Canoe. That Gerrish has just that kind of curved carry thwarts, a very like stem profile, and also the planking didn’t go all the way to the top. Overall the shape is like that of Malecite birchbark canoes that Gerrish seemed to favor. But there are a lot of differences too. The two part stem is something I have never seen elsewhere and suggests someone with good woodworking skills trying to come up with a better, sturdier design for the stems. The deck is not at all alike.

That Gerrish also had no seats and you seem to be suggesting that the seats on this might be a later addition. Overall this one seems to be a one-off by someone with good skills maybe copying some canoes, possibly Gerrish’s being good candidates.

 

[smallboatshop]

i need to make new top caps for this canoe. Have others found a successful way of bending these thin pieces?

Thanks.

 

[1905Gerrish]

All Gerrish canoes are marked as such either by tag or paint. Interesting mystery canoe that will probably remain such forever!