This is the wood and canvas canoe that author/filmmaker Bill Mason dubbed the almost perfect canoe. It is a deep, beamy canoe intended for hauling heavy loads with reserve capacity for maneuvering in heavy water.

Mason chose this canoe for whitewater and for paddling the big seas of Lake Superior. He used it tandem and solo. It is probably the best known and most revered canoe in Canada’s long canoeing history. Originally developed by Chestnut Canoe Company of Fredericton, New Brunswick, the Prospector has long been the preferred canoe for wilderness travel.Many canoe companies offer a Prospector model and several claim theirs to be “original” designs. I imagine that is confusing to the prospective buyer. So many of the canoes I have seen dubed as Prospectors appear to bear no resemblance to the original. I make no claim that the model I offer is “original”, though it definitely is based on the Chestnut Prospector. I had built a 16′ version of the Prospector for over 20 years which was based on the original Chestnut design for their 16′ Prospector. I found, though, that it did not meet most people’s needs in a wood and canvas canoe. I am now offering a a design based on the Chestnut 17′ version of the Propsector. I offer this design in both 16′ and 17′ lengths. I have taken lines off of Chestnut Prospectors for several years and relied on these as well as lines taken by Roger MacGregor (author of “When the Chestnut was in Bloom”) of a 17′ version that he was kind enough to offer me. All of these boats had differences. Some had obviously lost their shape due to use or from repairs. The final design favored the version with the most tumblehome and the least arch to the hull, since I felt this the closest to the original. We ended with a design that I feel more closely resembles the notoriety of the Chestnut Prospector (than the version I had originally offered)- it has ample rocker (though not too much), it has a shallow arched hull (though not too arched). It has the classic fullness through the center of the canoe and the fine entry which is unique to this class of boat called the Prospector.The maiden voyage of these boats showed spectacular results in every way, including a feeling of stability in choppy conditions even when paddled empty.The fullness of this canoe in the “quarters”, as well as it’s depth, make it unique ly qualified to carry heavy loads without an extraordinary width to slow it down. To top it off, the slack bilge enables this design to be paddled solo as well as tandem, especially in the 16′ length..

Specifications:

Starting at $4695

Ami is a 15-foot version of the Mon amie. Its name is French for “friend” or “pal” as both of these models are inspired by the Chestnut Pal.

I was looking for a canoe I could portage into out-of-the-way lakes for fishing. I wanted something that I could handle myself for solo camping trips yet would also accommodate a partner in day-excursions. It had to have good initial stability to support the occasional cast from a standing position, yet also paddle well and be seaworthy.

Eureka! I have found it – this canoe does all that and more. It is surprisingly nimble and fast for a 15′ canoe with good initial stability. Very responsive paddled solo and tandem.  The prototype was set up with a sliding bow seat that slides to the yoke and can be used to trim the canoe paddling solo facing the stern (why didn’t I think of this sooner?).

Moderate tumblehome, 1-1/2″ of rocker with a shallow-arched bottom.

Specifications:

Starting at $4395