Help with Canadian Canoe ID

[webmax]

I just bought another canoe but I don't know what it is.

It is 16 feet long, 36 inches wide, and 14 inches deep. That would fit a prospector and it looks like one too.

The screws are all robertson, and I bought it in Canada so I guess it's a canadian made canoe.

It's very light and in good shape, but it has fiberglass on the outside, don't think this is original.

I looked at some canadian catalog images and if I would have to venture a guess I would say it could be a prospector camper from the Canadian Canoe Company.

It has the serial/model number 3778 on the front stem.

One of the images shows the canoe with my Huron. The Huron is sturdier and heavier then the other one

Any help on what this is would be greatly appreciated.


Cheers,

Max

 

[Tashunka]

The heart shaped decks, the global shape and the seats make me think of a Mattawin.
In fact, I'm pretty sure it's one.
Mattawin canoes are often considered as huron canoes,
but Huron canoes have always rawhide on the seats.
Mattawin canoes were made in Quebec, in the St Michel des Saints area.
Make a research on the forum with the "mattawin" keyword,
and you'll find an article from Mr. Michaud, telling more about these canoes.

 

[Tashunka]

Here is a few mattawin canoe pics I found on my computer. The first 4th are a litle 12', and the last 4th, a longer model.
They look very much like your canoe:

http://picasaweb.google.com/fallenbranch/MATTAWIN?feat=directlink

 

[WoodNCanvas]

Because of your location in Alberta, wondering if it could be a Greenwood Prospector built by Bill Greenwood in BC....or even possibly a canoe built by Wabasca First Nations near Edmonton; from the Chestnut forms they had bought to set up production (which failed)....they had 16 ft. Pal and North Man forms. However no heart shaped decks that I was aware of....looking at photo of two canoes (Huron and questionable one) plus photos of Mattawin could be Huron canoe as well

 

[davelanthier]

Don't know what it is but I know it is not a Tremblay, Chestnut, Huron, Peterborough, Greenwood, Faber, Langford, Lakefield or Wabasca.

 

[walt]

Pretty darn sure it's a Northland, built in Huntsville Ont by Albert Maugh(sp?) and crew. It would very likely have been fibreglassed originally. Last 2 digits of # indicate the year built...thus 1978.
His boats generally feature cherry trim throughout, approx. 1/4" untapered ribs, 1/2" aluminum stem band and fibreglassed with a gelcoated or painted exterior.
Though fairly elderly by now I would think, I hear he's still building out of his home in the Muskoka area. He used to have a large shop on the highway into Huntsville until it burned down a while back.
As a little kid I paddled the family Northland (3472!) so I'm quite confident in identifying it as such.

 

[Larry Bowers]

Hi,
As Dave said it is none of the ones he listed. I do think it is a Thompson canoe, built in Hairy Hill Alberta.

I have one here right now, the decks are heart shaped same rib shape etc. the one here has raw hide seats as well just laced differently. Also the way the gored planks are done is identical. This one also has aluminum stem bands too.

I will take some pics and post them so you can compare.

Larry

 

[Tashunka]

I added four more pics of another Mattawin canoe, for you to compare.
This one doesn't have canvas, so it may help you:

http://picasaweb.google.com/fallenbranch/MATTAWIN?feat=directlink

 

[Rob Stevens]

Hey Walt,
That's Albert MAW. I have a wideboard canoe built by Robert Maw (Albert's father?) as shown by the brass thwart end plates.
The only other one I know about is in the collection of the CCM in P'bo.

Sorry, I can't shed any light on the mystery canoe. It certainly is a different shape than the Maw I have.

Pretty darn sure it's a Northland, built in Huntsville Ont by Albert Maugh(sp?) and crew. It would very likely have been fibreglassed originally. Last 2 digits of # indicate the year built...thus 1978.
His boats generally feature cherry trim throughout, approx. 1/4" untapered ribs, 1/2" aluminum stem band and fibreglassed with a gelcoated or painted exterior.
Though fairly elderly by now I would think, I hear he's still building out of his home in the Muskoka area. He used to have a large shop on the highway into Huntsville until it burned down a while back.
As a little kid I paddled the family Northland (3472!) so I'm quite confident in identifying it as such.

 

[Shane]

Your pictures make the identification very easy — it's a Northland by Albert Maw (Huntsville, Ontario). Bow, seats, eye bolt, keel metal, serial number piece, carry yoke ($15 option), all Robertson screws, etc. are absolutely identical to mine, which I still have (like new) hanging in the garage. Had Maw build it for me in 1967. Maw is I believe still alive (left him a phone message last week when I was sealing the keel per his instructions). He actually cured the leather (Moose hide) for the seats. Strips will have little tacks on the underside of the seats to secure them. This is an exceptionally tough canoe. My brother bought one at the same time I did (spring 1967) which we both special ordered. They were $200 each at the time. He used his on a very rough trip on the Missinaibi into James Bay. Rough trip that cracked a couple of ribs (in the canoe) but kept going. Maw did a repair and restoration on it. Just got off the phone with Albert. He's now in Novar (near Huntsville) and still building canoes — after triple by-pass surgery. Phone 705-789-2481. BTW, fiberglass is original, and very effective/light.

 

[Sharon Thompson]

This is not a Hairy Hill Thompson Canoe or a Wabasca Canoe both built by my husband, Jamie Thompson. The deck is a slightly different shape from our decks which are slightly dished with a centre ridge, in maple. The rawhide seat lacing on ours was a snowshoe weave. A few of our first canoes which we built in Hairy Hill had aluminum stem bands, but most of our canoes had brass bands. Our 16' moulds were fashioned after Chestnut's Cruiser model but one inch deeper. Somewhat unique was our practice of shaping the side planking to a full point at each end. Please excuse the owner's sloppy paint on the gunwales.