When did sponsons become popular??

[Dave Osborn]

Just finishing a 1910 Kennebec (Morris hybrid) with sponsons. The sponsons are bigger than most that I've seen. When did sponsons appear in the marketplace??

 

[MGC]

Just finishing a 1910 Kennebec (Morris hybrid) with sponsons. The sponsons are bigger than most that I've seen. When did sponsons appear in the marketplace??

I believe they began to appear around 1905 give or take a few years. They were promoted as a safety feature. Considering how tender some of these old hulls were (compared to the Charles River style hulls that followed) it's not surprising that someone came up with them as a way to help less skilled paddlers enjoy relative paddling comfort and safety.

I have never been a big fan of these and if I ever happen to buy one I generally re-sell it (flip) right away. Heavy, wide, awkward looking come to mind for most of the ones I have seen or owned.
Having said that, I am really curious to see the Kennebec you are restoring. Could you post pictures of it?

 

[Benson Gray]

The earliest catalog reference to sponsons that I found in a quick search was in the 1901 Indian Old Town Canoe Company catalog shown below. Many people didn't know how to swim in the late 1800s and early 1900s so sponsons were a popular safety feature.

Benson

 

[Fitz]

The Rangeley Outdoor Heritage Museum in Oquossoc, Maine has recently restored a 1903 Carleton Sailing Canoe. It has sponsons. I was curious as to when they came about too. A little search on this forum indicated that they showed up in the Carleton catalog in 1905.

A picture of the canoe can be found here: http://www.rangeleyoutdoormuseum.org/OSHMDigFall2015Newsletter.pdf

More info:

http://www.rangeleyoutdoormuseum.org/

 

[MGC]

The earliest catalog reference to sponsons that I found in a quick search was in the 1901 Indian Old Town Canoe Company catalog shown below. Many people didn't know how to swim in the late 1800s and early 1900s so sponsons were a popular safety feature.

Benson

It does seem like 1901 is when these began showing up. A previous related thread mentioned that Morris also offered a sponson canoe in that time frame. Was Indian Old Town offering this as an original design?
It is surprising that Thatcher was issued a patent if there is such clear evidance of prior art...http://www.google.com/patents/US883588

Possibly Indian Old Town offered these in collaboration with Thatcher or perhaps Thatcher pulled a fast one and applied for patent becoming the first one to document what was by then already in the market?

 

[Paul Scheuer]

Re: Patent US883588.

Having had some exposure to US patents, I have come to know that it all boils down to what is in the Claim, not necessarily what is in the patent's name or even the description. In the case of the referenced Patent US883588, what he is claiming is an improved sponson that is invisible. From his description it is really a double hull forming an airtight compartment between the two, not a sponson as we have come to know the term.

 

[Dave Osborn]

Thanks... Great info. I sorta wondered, having never paddled one, if sponsons were more of marketing ploy to get folks to think that the air chambers made the canoes more stable.
I will post some photos soon.