What have i Got?

[Keith 66]

Thanks for having me aboard. First post from Essex UK, I saw this canoe on fb marketplace last week, then it popped up on ebay.... And so shortly after i find i have won it for not a lot. Picked her up today & pleasantly surprised as its better than it looked in the photos.
She is approx 16' 6" overall & 16' 2" at top of stems. Beam 35" with tapered outwales exttending 1 3/8" beyond the hull planking. Depth inside midships 12".
The seller has had her two years just sitting outside uncovered, He did not know where she camr from save that the previous owner had bought her in excellent condition & owned her for some years. Planking is Mahogany with a narrow white timber plank below the sheerstrake.
Ribs are either White Oak or could be Ash, not sure. No id marks or signs of Decals that i can see, Hull is fastened with copper tacks As are the outwales.
She has a vestigal full length keel with 4 rubbing strips each side then a slightly deeper bilge runner then two more rubbing strips above that. Hull has another rubbing strip just below the contrasting plank.
To my eye she doesnt look to be that old, Im guessing 70's or 80's? but i could be wrong. Stems are rotten at the top & will have to be replaced as will several other bits. Only 4 broken ribs so far though i expect more will be suspect. My son & his girlfriend arrived & vacuumed her out after a scrub out & she looked a whole lot better.
Any ideas as to what she is & who built her? I will not be covering her in epoxy!

 

[samb]

With all those bilge keels, I'm guessing it's French. You might try posting the pictures on https://canoebois.forumactif.org/ there is not much activity there recently so you might need to wait for a reply.

Sam

 

[ALCEDO ATTHIS]

As say Samb , it is like a french canoe , but you have a big problem : it'is twisted , picture 5/6

 

[Keith 66]

Yes you are right it is twisted. This is what happens when someone fills a boat with fence posts, last photo shows this.
She is now indoors & the first job for me is to pull her straight before she really dries out.
The suggestion to her being French looks pretty certain, I have just found an old listing online from wooden ships a yacht broker in the UK who specialises in wooden boats. There is this very canoe, if it isnt i will eat my hat.
Listing states "Built in 1930 in France for an owner on the river Loire, refinished by present owner & sold by Wooden ships". This ties in with what the seller told me today he reckoned the guy who he got it from had paid a lot of money for her but she had fallen on hard times. Guy i got it from has owned her two years but had nowhere to do it. I can contact the broker tomorrow & see if he has any more records of the canoe & when he sold her. I am surprised she is that old to be honest.
Anyway now i know what she once looked like & what i have to do. Something to inspire me! Here are a few photos from the old listing.

 

[ALCEDO ATTHIS]

you can search here , and contat them

Le Carré des canotiers - Réseau pour la sauvegarde et la promotion de l'histoire et du patrimoine du canotage, des loisirs et sports nautiques

www.carredescanotiers.fr

 

[Andre Cloutier]

Interesting boat, the builder hasnt used half round hardwood ribs, but wider flatter stock like cedar canvas construction. Rilco industries did that in Ontario, but while the boat was ship lapped red cedar, they were still covered with a canvas.

 

[ALCEDO ATTHIS]

as you can read in may link upside , many canoes haven't name plate or others , they where built by many craftmen for others great stores , so you an have a x or y builder , it's the same thing in us for the great company
so if you have holes for deck plate or other details who made it different as other , it''s better to find his indentity
sorry i'm french and I dont want using google translate ,sorry for the mistakes

 

[Keith 66]

Many thanks! I tried registering on thr canoebois forum but it wont accept my email address for some reason. Le Carre des Canotiers has some excellent info, I am using google translate as my schoolboy French is rather rusty! The research begins.

 

[ALCEDO ATTHIS]

it's our wcha frenchy french , you can find many deck plate of builders , forgeted brands , builders etc
sorry for your not accepted adress at forum canoé bois , Samb and me are on it , but no visit in this time

 

[Keith 66]

These Canoes are a deep rabbit hole to fall into! I spent this afternoon making a building frame / Jig to hold the canoe so it can be straightened out & worked on. The twist in her hull has reduced considerably just by sitting her carefully on my long bench.
I have had several visitors today, All fell in love with her on the spot!
She is in good company as the boat next to her in my shed is an 8.5m fast motor launch built by SE Saunders in 1905, She has had a major rebuild & is well advanced.