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Antique Courting Canoes

Glenn MacGrady

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"There’s more than just a little wickedness in the history of the canoe, and the largest collection of it resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the possession of Ken Kelly. His collection of old-style courting canoes, vehicles of furtive love in a bygone era, fills the rafters of his quaint northern Michigan cottage, garage and the second story of a nearby warehouse."

 
Not the first choice for a tripping canoe now, or even when canoes were more popular than golf and skiing combined in the early 20th century (I recently learned), but I'm just curious whether anyone here owns or has paddled a long-decked courting canoe.
 
I have a 16’ Robertson too, but not a long deck. I bought it from Yellowcanoe. It must have lead an easy life for being 100 years old (at least) as the interior is in great condition. The center thwart is off set to accommodate the paddler and non paddler.

1674829942540.png

It’s up top waiting for paint,

97550AD5-E28F-4AA6-B22E-51F66589219C.jpeg
 
I have a 16 ft. Robertson, but it is waiting for me to canvas it.

These canoes were also raced as shown in the attached 1927 video of a race on the Charles River (MA). Note the portaging techniques!

Those guys were making some pretty good speed!!
 
I'm just curious whether anyone here owns or has paddled a long-decked courting canoe.

The answer depends on how you define "long-decked courting canoe" since not many people have canoes with decks that are over three feet long like many of Ken's. The thread below describes the canoe with the longest decks that I currently own.

Benson



 
I have a 16 ft. Robertson, but it is waiting for me to canvas it.

These canoes were also raced as shown in the attached 1927 video of a race on the Charles River (MA). Note the portaging techniques!
Wow, a Canadian high kneel! High kneeling and heeling?
 
I was going to make some sort of joke/pun/innuendo about 'long decked' canoes but there were too many to choose from.

Alan
 
"I have a 16’ Robertson too, but not a long deck. I bought it from Yellowcanoe. It must have lead an easy life for being 100 years old (at least) as the interior is in great condition. The center thwart is off set to accommodate the paddler and non paddler." Robin

Can you explain what the offset thwart is?
 
These canoes were also raced as shown in the attached 1927 video of a race on the Charles River (MA).

Interesting video. Thanks, Fitz. Yes, very impressed by a high kneel heel. I suspect there were a lot more highly skilled single blade canoers in 1920 than there are now, at least on flat water.
 
Can you explain what the offset thwart is?

I'm not Robin but an 'offset thwart' usually indicates the lack of a center thwart. The offset may be about 18 inches if the canoe is intended for solo use by someone who will be kneeling in the middle or the offset may be a few feet if it is intended for courting with your date reclining against a back rest while facing the stern paddler. Any offset makes it difficult to portage the canoe alone.

Benson
 
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Someone told me that the era of courting canoes is where we get the term "canoodling" from. I half-way believe it.
 
I believe it too, as shown in the links below with a slightly different spelling,

Benson



 
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