Solo Canoe idenification help

[Jimmy D]

Hi Everyone

I just purchased this Cedar Canvas/Dacron? canoe.

The information I received from the seller was it was built for Bill Swift Sr. of the Swift canoe company in Ontario, Canada. It was in the Muskoka showroom for a while when they decided to sell it. The past owner said he could not find who the builder was and was not sure when it was built.

The serial # on the bow stem reads QC6MS006G595 as far as I can read it.

Very good construction, it is said to be a one off build custom made, modeled after the 1934 Chestnut Robinson/Crusoe model, 15' 28" beam, 12" deep and weights 42 lbs.

right now it's painted robins egg blue with cherry outwales, thwarts and seat wood, seat is cane, what appears to be white cedar or spruce inwales and birdseye maple decks, white cedar ribs and red cedar planks, I was told it is Dacron covered but could be light weight canvas?

Here are some photo's of it below.

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks
Jim Davis

 

[WoodNCanvas]

I was with Jim when he bought canoe (I was along to provide "expert" advice....of course "expert" really just same as "EX-SPURT" or "former drip under pressure" LOL LOL)....seriously my 2 cents wasn't needed and Jim has bought a great canoe....as I told Jim, I would wonder if a builder in Muskoka area didn't build and looking at details involved and finish I thought of Will Ruch or Pam Wedd as possibilities as builders....only other thing I would add is that not sure that robin's egg blue was original colour or name stencilled along side which reads "Ghost Dancer"....also believe inwales spruce rather than cedar

BTW, Jim Davis is a great photographer (I use one of his shots in my avatar)....I look forward to Jim hopefully sharing some pictures with us....he also owns a Peterborough Minetta....

 

[Benson Gray]

The past owner said he could not find who the builder was and was not sure when it was built.

The serial # on the bow stem reads QC6MS006G595 as far as I can read it.

If the first three characters in the serial number are actually QCG and this is a modern Hull Identification Number (HIN) then it was built by Canoe-1 at Gravenhurst, Ontario in July of 1995. This information and more can be found at http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/m...il.aspx?id=CGG or at http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/mic1.aspx?mic=QC&sort=mic to look up another company. Details about how the HIN has changed over the years can be found at http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/hin.htm if you want additional background. It appears that Brackley Boats at http://www.brackleyboats.com/ now operates from this address and may be able to offer other informaiton.

Benson

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Looks like lots of love and care was taken in the creation of this canoe--- very nice! I love the birdseye.

 

[Jimmy D]

Benson

Thanks for the information, I looked again at the serial # and what I had listed as 6 looked different than the other G but looks like your right, it was hand written.

The canoe is definitely well built with attention to detail, There is a little work to do on the wood to clean up some nick's and wear and tear which began today. The hull will be sanded and painted red very soon.

Thanks again, I will look further into it.

Jim

 

[Jimmy D]

Update info

Update on the Canoe, I spoke with Will Ruch. He said from the info found this canoe was possibly made by Mike Shumaker sp? formerly of Canoe-1, hense the MS in the serial# QCGMS006G595.

Mike are you out there I wanted to get some info on this canoe.

Thanks
Jim Davis

 

[hopkintoncedar]

Another Shumacher/Shumaker 16 footer as found in Connecticut, original owner's nephew says it was picked up in Ontario upon completion by the original owner in 1995, no serial number that I can find, unsure if I am going to keep this one as I already have no room in the garage but I could not pass it up, Todd