Haskell canoe
The Haskell canoe was a boat built by the Haskell Boat Company in Ludington, Michigan. It was made with a single sheet of three-ply lightweight waterproof plywood and was marketed throughout the United States and Canada from 1917 until 1934.
Background
Henry L. Haskell invented a waterproof glue that was used in the construction of a plywood referred to as haskelite[1]
from various haskelite plywood pieces
which was used to make a canoe. The panel was about 5 feet (1.5 m) wide and 20 feet (6.1 m) long and molded into the shape of a canoe using hydraulic presses. The completed canoe, 16 ft (4.9 m) long, 32 in (81 cm) by beam and 12 in (30 cm) in depth, weighed 55 lb (25 kg), which was 20 lb (9 kg) lighter than the average canvas-covered canoe of the same dimensions.[2]
The Haskell canoe was made from a molded sheet of three-ply haskelite plywood 3⁄16 inch (4.8 mm) of an inch thick fastened at the bow and stern with a bent strip of ash.[3][1]
The canoes were first made in 1916 and put on the market for sale in 1917[3] by the Haskell Boat Company, which was part of the Haskell Manufacturing Company and was based at 801 N. Rowe Street in Ludington, Michigan. In 1930 the canoe was lengthened to 17 foot (5.2 m) instead of the original 16 foot (4.9 m).[3]
Marketing
The Haskell canoe was marketed and sold throughout the United States and Canada. One testimonial of 1930 from a tour guide of Kodiak Island in Alaska said that he used this canoe with much success in hunting bears.[4] The canoe was sold under the brand name Arex. The name means "King of the water."[5]
References
- ^ a b Motor Boat 1920, p. 38.
- ^ Hardwood Record 1920, p. 36.
- ^ a b c Veneers and Plywood 1930, p. 19.
- ^ "Haskell Canoe / Boats from Local Factory Used by Bear Hunters; Said to be Safest". Ludington Daily News. Ludington, Michigan. June 30, 1930. p. 3. Retrieved August 6, 2016 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Haskell Finances Company to Manufacture Canoes and Boats in Tubbs Building". Ludington Daily News. Ludington, Michigan. October 19, 1916. p. 1.
Sources
- "Haskelite, a plywood for Boat Construction". Motor Boat. Motor Boat Publishing Company. 1920.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - Hardwood Record (1920). Hardwood Record. Hardwood Company.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - Veneers and Plywood (1930). Veneers and Plywood. S.H. Smith.
Further reading
- "Some of the Boat Exhibits That Helped to Make the Show the Greatest Ever Held". Boats. Motor Boat publications. 1922. p. 17.