I bought two old racing canoes today at an estate sale, both fiberglass, an 18'6" tandem and a 16'6" solo boat. Boats are made of thin fiberglass with wood gunwales and cane seats. Here's a link to some pics:
http://www.tjadventures.com/images/canoes/PIC00134.jpg
Solo boat, upside down:http://www.tjadventures.com/images/canoes/PIC00135.jpg
Tandem boat, showing inside and missing bow seat, I'll probably get a new one from Wenonah:
http://www.tjadventures.com/images/canoes/PIC00135.jpg
Tandem boat upside down, the guy who owned it must have been in the Coast Gaurd, as the bow has USCG stripes!
http://www.tjadventures.com/images/canoes/PIC00138.jpg
http://www.tjadventures.com/images/canoes/PIC00139.jpg
Anyone recognize the design, and have any info about these boats. There are no makers marks or serial numbers on either boat, maybe they were home made?
The tandem neeeds only the front seat to get back on the water, the solo boat needs new wood gunwales. I'll spruce these boats up and sell them probably, as I already have three other canoes, a Wenonah tandem (Spirit II), two solos, a Wenonah Prism and Mohawk Odyssey 15.
Any info you can share would be appreciated.
guessing
That the solo was an old Mohawk. But only saw sales literature so I could be wrong.
Construction details inside hull
From the distance without any closeup detail, there are several possiblities. A photo of the inside construction details would be most helpful. Any ribbing, bottom core, seat hanging detail, float tanks, etc.
Bill
More pictures of vintage racer
Here's some more pics of the tandem boat I picked up at the estate sale this weekend
Bow looking aft, as you can see there is no bow seat:
http://www.tjadventures.com/images/canoes/canoe/PIC00021.jpg
Bow seat area, thwarts and bracing. Every thing is lightly glassed in place:
http://www.tjadventures.com/images/canoes/canoe/PIC00022.jpg
Stern seats and thwarts:
http://www.tjadventures.com/images/canoes/canoe/PIC00023.jpg
Inside of boat:
http://www.tjadventures.com/images/canoes/canoe/PIC00024.jpg
Upside down, stern looking forward:
http://www.tjadventures.com/images/canoes/canoe/PIC00025.jpg
Upside down, bow looking aft:
http://www.tjadventures.com/images/canoes/canoe/PIC00026.jpg
The boat is made of what looks like two layers of thin fiberglass, and painted, no gel coat.
The boat was owned by a guy named Don Mccloughan, his paddling partner was Frank Havens, an Olympic Gold Medalist in the 10,000 meter solo event. This Olympic victory was sometime in the 50's or 60's. They raced this boat in the Olympic "High Kneel" style, together they ruled the canoe racing scene around here until the late 1990's.
I would like to modify the boat as a conventional tandem by adding a bow seat.
Don was in the Coast Gaurd Reserve, hence the USCG stripes...
Any info one can provide about it's design, designer and potential as a tandem cruiser will be appreciated.
The solo canoe looks like…
it’s perhaps an old Vermont Canoe/Northeast Mfg.
I think we have the mold out back. It’s looks just like it. I do not know what the name of the model was, nor when and how many they made. It apears to be a downriverish type hull because it’s so deep.
That’s all I know.
Rob
Northeast Canoe
Northeast had a 16-5 sole called the RV Special. It was a downriver racer designed by Ralph Vincent who was a top downriver paddler. It's specs were.
Length 16-5,Beam at gunwale 28 1/2, Beam at 4 inch water line 28, Depth 14 1/2, Bow Height 18. They also had 3 18-5 models, the FW Challenger, the DR Challenger and the DE Cruiser. I think the RV Special and maybe some of the 18-5 boats were later made by Common Canoe Co out of Craftsbery Vt.
The boats in the pictures remind me of the Northeast or Common boats.
Old racing canoes
Well, I was able to find out about both boats by contacting the paddling partner of the guy who owned them. He said the boats were hand built by the owner and his son, the tandem used a Jensen mold and the solo boat a Mad River mold. Both boats were made for down river racing, something I had never heard of. Apparently, flat water down river racing as it looks as neither boat could take any white water or rocky rivers.
I think on the tandem I will get two web seats from Wenononah, replacing the cane seat, beef up the thwarts and floor brace with a little more glass, refinish the gunwales, and it will be ready to go. The solo will need much work on the gunwales, and it may get a web seat as well.
I think
That makes them pirated hulls. Ironic one would have a USCG Stripe.