Who made this square back?

Treewater

Wooden Canoes are in the Blood
Here are pictures of a 16 ft Square back. It is 41 inches wide. The deck is not original. The rear seat is original but without original caning. Thwarts are original and ribs as well. Wales are spliced in a poor repair. Yes, it has been fiberglassed. Weighs 110 lbs. This is a much bigger canoe than I thought when I first saw it.
Tim
 

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No Guesses?

I took this canoe to the water. It is so big it is near imposslbe for one person to paddle in a wind. a 3HP motor just made things worse. The bow rose up and half the canoe was in the air. Note that is has a pretty good rocker already. It has very hight sides and I would say it take at least two people to paddle and about 400 lbs in front to motor. So someone make a guess, who built such a thing and why?
 
trim it

I fished and camped with a 17' tremblay flatback with a 4hp mercury and if I could figure out how to shrink the bitmap images I'd post one. It really preferred about 500 pounds or more before it settled into the water (comes in handy when you weigh half of that). Empty it was like sitting on a leaf and not much fun. I've had as much as 700 pounds in it camping for a week and at half throttle it was a joy. If you take it out solo get a large plastic tote and put it in the front and fill it with water to balance it out. If I was closer I'd happily take it off your hands and fill it with kids and go fishing. If you dont want it substitute rocks for the water .:p
 
End Chopped?

Thanks for the ideas. My inspection of the canoe indicates the square end is original or if a modification, a factory job which is quite neat and well planned. In small ways, the ends are each different. The rear seat is a factory job. The forward is not and there is no indication there ever was a forward seat until it was remuddled by someone. Indeed, It came from ebay but it was clearly not a Penn Yan to any casual observer. It this is a Canadian boat it may have been built as a motorized freight canoe, if there is such a thing. Fill it with kids? Great idea. It would accomodate a large family for sure.
Tim
 
Tim
I know Lewis Canoes of New Brunswick made large square back freight canoes. Twenty footers as I recall.
They were subsidized by the Canadian Gov. because they sold the canoes to the First Nations. In 1982 my then wife and I looked into buying the company and moving it to Marquette, Mi.He had several molds and all the machinery but with the duty and the amount he was asking we couldn't work it. He passed away shortly thereafter. There is an article about him in an old "Wooden Canoe" as I recall but don't remember which one. Nice old fella. I heard his son have the forms etc.
Denis
 
Freight Canoes

Thank You Denis, I have seen little modern day mention of freight canoes but I felt they must exist. I'd be curious just how they were used. I can envsion mine being loaded with 800/1000 lbs of goods and motored across lakes, unloaded and portaged. One man could go a lot of miles with a lot of goods in one day.
Tim
 
Nice boat.Im looking for a 3-4 horse kicker for one I need to finish
 
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It was about a year ago I found a Lewis 20 foot square stern. I had discussed with Denis about this canoe. This canoe really looks nouthing like mine. I will try to get some pictures posted. Milton Lewis was my mothers uncle and I have been trying to contact a cousin to get some more information on the canoes they built in Perth-Andover New Brunswick. Mine has also been fiberglassed but is in good shape with a couple of rib ends needing replacement. Goes very nice in the water with electric or 2.5 HP motor. Solo it does need a water ballast in the bow.
 
Square Back

I have several Canadian Canoes, and 1-16' Peterborough Freighter. I use the freight canoe on hunting and fishing trips, sometimes with or without a motor. I just used it the other day to float down a river in the snow with no motor. What a great trip. I have also used these canoes in Northern Quebec on Carabou hunting trips. These canoes are extremely stable a great for their intended use, even today.
 
Photos?

Wonder if those with "freight Canoes" would post pictures. I have Googled "freight canoe" on the internet and come up with a just one builder. I gather only Canada still makes canoes for freight. Seems like these large broad and square end canoes are what is needed for that Caribou. I'm not sure how two men, hunting and camp gear all fit in a 17 ft canoe when you try to add a moose or two that have just been shot. Motor or no motor you need size to carry weight.
 
I'm not sure how two men, hunting and camp gear all fit in a 17 ft canoe when you try to add a moose or two that have just been shot.

They fit a lot better than if you try to add a moose or two that have'nt been shot..:D :D
 
Photos of 'freighter' sailing canoe

Some years ago, while returning to Ottawa, ON, from summer decoy auctions in southern Maine, I was driving through northern New Hampshire. It was a lazy Saturday morning, and I noticed a sign advertising a country auction. Curiosity compelled me to stop. The sale was for a deceased older couple who never threw anything away, including two older canoes and paddles. There was so much stuff, the sale lasted three days and it still wasn't over. Luckily, the canoes sold within the first 3 hours or so.

One was a large older canoe that was rumored to be an 'Old Town'; however, a little spit on the thumb, and a quick wipe, uncovered remnants of an early Chestnut label. With that, many of the locals lost interest, it being "just an old Canadian canoe" to them. Also, it was 19', very heavy, beamy and deep, and rigged for two sails, which were there, complete with masts and spars, though in tattered condition. If I could get it cheaply enough, I wanted it for presentation to the Canoe Museum. As it was, I had to talk a father and 12-year old son out of buying it as a restoration project. They were dreaming of camping and portaging. When I suggested they try to pick up one end, their visions of paddling/portaging merrily from lake to lake quickly evaporated. I did suggest they go after the other canoe, a 15 or 16 footer that made a lot more sense.

The photos show what I came back with: a Chestnut 19' Hudson Bay-type. It sat in storage at my nephew's for a year or so, until he rigged it up on the grass one day. Shortly afterward, Roger MacGregor took possession of it, in the course of his research on the Chestnut factory and its products. Later, it wound up at the Museum, courtesy of Roger, just as I had hoped all along.

Just thought you might enjoy the tale as well as the photos.
 

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Very impressive

Thank you Roger. That is very impressive. It seems the canoe was modified for the extra sail. Also, seems to have very sturdy ribs. Thank you for posting.
Tim
 
An excuse to post pictures, an ideal December deal, dreaming of past and future summers
peter
 

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Square Stern

In regards to hunting Caribou in northern Quebec, I think we used a 23' or larger square stern Chestnut canoe. We typically had 3 hunters with gear and still had room for our Caribou. I would admit we were a little over loaded on the way back to camp. I presently own a 16' North Boy Peterborough and a 16' Old Town , both square stern canoes. We may use the Peterborough next week to canoe down the Ausable River in Northern Michigan.
 
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