1917 Kingsbury Canoe — We think! Keep Calm & Paddle On . . .
In 2007, we considered ourselves novice canoers — and we still are in the year 2021. We purchased the wood and canvas canoe from Ross Bros. in Massachusetts which was represented to us as a 1920 - 30s Waltham. We had it trucked to Saugus, California. Observing, reading and looking into the matter more, I realized it was not a Waltham. When I called them with concern, they told me it probably came from a Charles River builder and that it didn’t matter. Well, it did and does matter as it was represented as something else. But, we just swallowed our disappointment and moved on . . .
When we got it home, we put it into our swimming pool to test its floatability. The canoe leaked. We tried to fix it; it stopped leaking after a few minutes after the wood swelled. Eventually, we contacted the company again, and they told us to check the metal bottom trim which we did. To this day, it still leaks but minimally (we just wait it out). Fortunately or unfortunately, we eventually became fond of what we were calling “The Wally” for Waltham.
Then in the Wooden Canoe magazine, an article by Ken Kelly, “1917 Kingsbury Torpedo — One of My Favorites” (Issue 151, April 2009) caught my attention. We became excited knowing we found our match (we think). Our canoe (SN #579 16) was just a few numbers from Ken’s canoe and the thwart had the same tulip shape and the same bump rail.
The canoe is what they call slippery or tippy/rollover; it tipped on us two out of the first three outings — once on the Russian River in northern California (a passenger’s fault), once at Lake Havasu (my fault) but not on its maiden voyage at Castaic Lake. We purposely tipped it there to see, with the grandchildren’s help, if we could upright the canoe in the middle of the lower lake. We could not, so we keep it as close to a shoreline as possible. It certainly makes for a fun adventure when it capsizes. We also took it all the way to Florida (2012) and used it in the bayous around St. Petersburg on the way to attending a vintage trailer rally at the Daytona Speedway. We’ve learned the canoe is more for racing than for leisure sightseeing.
The canoe makes a good prop floating in the pool for backyard parties. One of our lovely mannequin ladies enjoys happy hour in the canoe; of course, the canoe begins filling with water for a few minutes until it stabilizes — but by the time she enjoys a couple glasses of wine, she no longer cares…
So, now we’ve renamed the canoe, “The King”.
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A canoe does not know who is king. When it turns over, everyone gets wet.
— Malagasy Proverb
Everyone must believe in something. I believe I'll go canoeing.
— Henry David Thoreau
As one goes through life, one learns that if you don't paddle your own canoe, you don't move.
— Katharine Hepburn
A family, like a canoe, must be steered or paddled, or it won't take you where you want to go.
— William J Doherty
With one foot in the canoe, and one foot on shore, you are sure to fall into the river.
— Tuscarora Proverb
Anything you canoe I canoe better. [In my reality, it should probably truly read, "Anything I canoe you canoe better"].
