Unknown Builder

[Pierre Girard]

By way of introduction - I have a couple of old canoes someone has fiberglassed and I've decided to re-canvas them. One is a 1936 OT. I was told it is a Yankee model (?)

Here are some photos of the other, A friend gave it to me. It has had some less than expert repair over the years. Any help identifying it would be appreciated. It is seventeen feet with sharp entry and exit. At first I thought it was homemade, but now I believe it was manufactured. The decks look like a shop project, and the metal bow and stern protectors look like chrome trim pieces off a 1940s automobile. I don't know if I should put up the full size photos so here are the URLs

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v516/pjjgirard/?action=view&current=CAnoeOldPatch.jpg

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v516/pjjgirard/?action=view&current=CAnoeOldPatch001.jpg

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v516/pjjgirard/?action=view&current=CAnoeOldPatch002.jpg

 

[martin ferwerda]

The pictures of the canoe, planking pattern and bow shape, sure look like a Thompson Indian.

 

[Pierre Girard]

The pictures of the canoe, planking pattern and bow shape, sure look like a Thompson Indian.

Martin:

Thanks for your response. I looked at a site listing Thompson Indians

http://dragonflycanoe.com/id/thompson.html

Would you call the bow shape "traditional" or "long nose?"

I know what an Ojibwe longnose looks like, having dabbled in birchbark canoe building, but I'm not sure what the Thompson company meant by that designation.

 

[martin ferwerda]

The bow shape in your pictures is the "long nose" typical of Thompson, the lower portion of the stem juts out more than the upper part of the stems.

 

[Dan Lindberg]

It kinda looks like it's missing an outer stem too, as the edges look a bit wide.
Hard to tell about the decks from those pics.
Dan

 

[Pierre Girard]

It kinda looks like it's missing an outer stem too, as the edges look a bit wide.
Hard to tell about the decks from those pics.
Dan

One stem has had some "repair" work - which basically consisted of wacking off the original stem and placing a new piece on top of it - without it really being joined to the original stem in any way other than being nailed to the planking. I suppose I'm going to have to address this.

Will take a better photo of the decks.