Morris seats

I just finished caning a seat from a Morris, forward as you see. I am about to start seats from another Morris and realized they are not the same. The one I just caned was stained mahogany but seems to be some other hardwood like maple. Also, the edges are rounded where the uncaned Morris seat has square edges everywhere but on the front and back edges which are rounded. I am certain the "maple" seat came off a Morris but perhaps it was a replacement. Does anyone know if Morris varied their seats?

 

Your canoe must not be a Morris, most likely a Veazie made by Morris. I have one also. All maple trim, decks, seats and twarts. Kathy will chime in I'm sure.

 

Thanks, I suspected that. Yes, waiting for Kathy to pass judgement.

 

A Veazie seat would be maple but would be shaped the same as a BN Morris seat-- at least, from what I've seen.

 

Thank you Kathy. So we'll add one more canoe to the Veazie group. Sorry I have no serial number.
Someone ran the router around the two inside ends, the ends that form a "U" where it bolts to the wales. Could have been done later. I did not ask but I presume the tongue and groove assembly was typical Morris. It certainly is sturdier than the dowels.

 

Can you post or send me pictures of the Veazie? What is the deck-type?

 

We identified this canoe some months ago. The pictures are on the thread:
http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?10327-Similiar-to-Rhinelander-and-Morris&p=54179#post54179
At the time it was identified with everyone's help as a Morris. Now it is a Veazie. If there is something else I need to look at I will.

 

I remember that discussion, Tim. Your canoe is an example of the fact that a Veazie is a Morris with trim that isn't mahogany... and that's the only difference. The Veazie canoes themselves differ from each other though. In deck-type (if short deck), the earlier ones have the "key-hole" style and the later ones (teens or so) have the curved deck seen on later BN Morrises too. (The key-hole deck is simply that same curved deck with a rounded-part taken from the center to give it an ogee-shape.) So, if a Veazie has a short deck and no serial number, you can date it as "earlier" or "later". Decks on Veazies are sometimes mahogany even if the other trim elements are not-- Morris did what was convenient. There's one Veazie in the database with a mahogany heart-deck and maple otherwise, and more than one with the curved deck in mahogany and maple thwarts and seat frames (stained mahogany). And then there's the fabulous 16 footer with all-tiger-maple trim, including the deck. But the hull is exactly the same as any other Morris.

 

Thank you Kathy. Alas, my canoe had no decks when I got it.

 

I'd go with the simple curve anyway-- very practical and probably what was originally there. Or whatever deck-type works for you. I have a no-deck Morris too. The replacement decks looked like Grandma's kitchen cabinets, in plywood... which worked for someone but isn't my canoe-aesthetic.

 

I happen to have a pair of Morris decks. I would be willing to trace/measure them up for you if you are interested in trying to replicate them

 

If you send them to me, I will drill them for you and install a big lifting ring free of charge - really spruces them up

 

Funny guy.....I guess my loathing for bore holes in the middle of mahogany decks is well enough known.
I actually was thinking about mounting some really sweet burgees on my decks but could not figure out how they would stay in on carries???
There must be some trick to that. Maybe you glue them in? West Sytems? Hot glue?

 

The real traditionalist would use Ambroid, of course.

 

And the nihilist would put lifting rings

 

Galvanized I assume?