Hello, I am new around here on this site. We have always loved wooden canoes and have had many over the years. We are retired now but still run across some old canoes in our area that are offered for sale. We have a friend looking to sell a nice old canoe. We only had a short glimse at it. It has a Serial number TCFSC2230273. It looks to be only 14 or 15 feet long and is in excellent condition. I did not see any makers marks other then the serial number plate. The plate is held on by Pyramidal tacks or nails. Thanks,John
Who Made This ?
- Thread starter Woodglen
- Start date
According to the US Coast Guard, the MIC "TCF" is for Thompson Composite Engineering.
http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/mic_detail.aspx?id=TCF
They are listed as the buyers of Trailcraft, who used to make kit canoes and sell plans for a canvas over stringer type canoe.
http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/mic_detail.aspx?id=TCF
They are listed as the buyers of Trailcraft, who used to make kit canoes and sell plans for a canvas over stringer type canoe.
TrailCaster12
Curious about Wooden Canoes
That link says the following:
"Sorry, the page you requested has moved or no longer exist."
Thanks ,
I wish I could find out exactly what model and manufacturer mine is. I'd like to find the original owner's manual and or installation kit instructions for this model. It would also make it easier to sell if I can determine definitively what manufacturer and model it was. I can't find this model anywhere . I've looked with Thompson and Trailcraft. I messaged a guy that runs the Thompson forums. He said he didn't think it looked like a thompson. One thing that makes me lean trailcraft is that the residual decal imprint on my boat looks like that trailcraft logo decal.
"Sorry, the page you requested has moved or no longer exist."
Thanks ,
I wish I could find out exactly what model and manufacturer mine is. I'd like to find the original owner's manual and or installation kit instructions for this model. It would also make it easier to sell if I can determine definitively what manufacturer and model it was. I can't find this model anywhere . I've looked with Thompson and Trailcraft. I messaged a guy that runs the Thompson forums. He said he didn't think it looked like a thompson. One thing that makes me lean trailcraft is that the residual decal imprint on my boat looks like that trailcraft logo decal.
TrailCaster12
Curious about Wooden Canoes
The owner of the boat also lived in Kansas and TrailCraft boats were made in Kansas.
MGC
Scrapmaker
We seem to be having a potato/potaaato dialogue about your find.
This forum is frequented by people who have an interest in wooden and wood and canvas constructed boats/canoes.
To most of us, the mention of Trailcraft brings to mind the kit style "stringer" constructed canoes as mentioned by Dan. Your fiberglass canoe may have been branded as Trailcraft by the Thompson Composite, but to most of us, that fiberglass hull is not a familiar entity. If you use the search feature on this site you may revisit the many discussions about Trailcraft. You may be the first to introduce a "modern: hull assigned to that brand.
I wonder if you might entertain a more familiar audience at the Paddling website. Paddling has long lent itself towards more current and less traditional craft.
That's not to suggest that there are not crossover users. Some of us remain active on both sites.
All of that to say, if you tell me Trailcraft, I think of wood stringers and canvas. I suspect that will be true of many of us.
This forum is frequented by people who have an interest in wooden and wood and canvas constructed boats/canoes.
To most of us, the mention of Trailcraft brings to mind the kit style "stringer" constructed canoes as mentioned by Dan. Your fiberglass canoe may have been branded as Trailcraft by the Thompson Composite, but to most of us, that fiberglass hull is not a familiar entity. If you use the search feature on this site you may revisit the many discussions about Trailcraft. You may be the first to introduce a "modern: hull assigned to that brand.
I wonder if you might entertain a more familiar audience at the Paddling website. Paddling has long lent itself towards more current and less traditional craft.
That's not to suggest that there are not crossover users. Some of us remain active on both sites.
All of that to say, if you tell me Trailcraft, I think of wood stringers and canvas. I suspect that will be true of many of us.
TrailCaster12
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Thanks for that suggestion MGC. I greatly appreciate it. What is the paddling website you are referencing? Is that part of this forum or a different site?? Like I said, I am new to this forum and to the greater canoeing forum world. 
I took a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area & Quetico in Canada in 1991 as a kid with my Dad, brother, family friend and his son in a couple aluminum canoes. That is most of my canoeing expertise.
My Dad had a Grumman aluminum canoe that we took. I sold it for him a couple years ago.
I took a trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area & Quetico in Canada in 1991 as a kid with my Dad, brother, family friend and his son in a couple aluminum canoes. That is most of my canoeing expertise.
My Dad had a Grumman aluminum canoe that we took. I sold it for him a couple years ago.
Trailcaster, if you input your HIN on the following decoder site, it will indicate that the boat was built in February 1973 by Tc Freeride, a Nevada company still in business. But further notes indicate that Tc Freeride likely acquired Thomson Composite Engineering, which, in turn, had earlier acquired Trailcraft, which indeed made fiberglass kit canoes in the 1970s.
There is a 1970s Trailcraft canoe brochure for sale on eBay, which may be of interest to you:
There is a 1970s Trailcraft canoe brochure for sale on eBay, which may be of interest to you:
Vintage 1970s Trailcraft Canoe Brochure
TrailCaster12
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Thanks for that Free HIN report site. Thank! I am really happy to get that.
I didn't think any of those sites would give a full report for free. That's awesome!
Thanks for that link to the eBay listing. I appreciate it.
A guy at a print shop said he could reproduce this, but he'd need a high resolution scan or better image of it.
Does anyone have this decal in a high resolution images or scan? Thanks!
I didn't think any of those sites would give a full report for free. That's awesome!
Thanks for that link to the eBay listing. I appreciate it.
A guy at a print shop said he could reproduce this, but he'd need a high resolution scan or better image of it.
Does anyone have this decal in a high resolution images or scan? Thanks!
TrailCaster12
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Thanks for the tip. I called around and found a guy that lives in the town where the boats were made. He used to work at the factory back in the day. He tracked down a couple decals at the town museum. However they're not willing to part with them. I thought maybe the guy might be able to take a close up picture of it. If so, maybe the local print shop could reproduce it.
Todd Bradshaw
Sailmaker
I could be wrong, but I seem to remember having a Trailcraft catalog that showed both their stringer/canvas canoes and a fiberglass kit canoe. The glass canoe came in two pieces which the "builder" would glass together. There was a photo to demonstrate the strength of the seam with the boat bridged upright on horses and a couple of fat guys standing inside of it. Either real, or a bad dream, I can't say which. 
TrailCaster12
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Haha! That's awesome. Thanks for sharing that. I'd love to see that catalog.
The eBay listing at https://www.ebay.com/itm/135668798119 shows all of the features Todd mentioned.
Benson
Benson
TrailCaster12
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Yeah, thanks. I appreciate it. That is very good info.
