Preliminary Recording of Split-Log Kunner, circa 1870
at the
North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort
Recorded by: Matt Bryson, Christopher W. Jackson, Dante Petersen Stanley
HIST6881 History and Archaeology of Small Watercraft, Spring 2021, Dr. Lynn Harris
A brief overview:
The split-log kunner of c.1870 is also known as “Sawyer’s Canoe” after the probable builder, Benjamin Franklin Sawyer, Sr. The history of this vessel is detailed in the donation letter to the museum by Steven Ray Sawyer. This kunner is approximately 6 meters long with a maximum beam of roughly 1.5 meters. A more precise beam measurement was not possible due to the deterioration of the upper, starboard side of the boat and an overall depth could not be measured that day. In its current state, but it shows a green-painted sheer, white-painted hull and is red below the waterline. The three logs that made up its original construction are present and still make up the majority of the hull. It was originally built without a sheer, and all frames and the stempost were originally made from root-knees of Atlantic White Cedar, often referred to simply as “juniper.” Much of the original juniper is now gone, though some possibly remains; a more detailed examination will be necessary to know for certain. Some aspects of its 1930 refit and motorization are clearly discernible, such as the current stempost, the engine mounts for the air-cooled engine, propeller shaft, and additions to the keel to form a skeg to protect the now-missing propeller. However, there are alterations that cannot easily be identified as part of the refit or are clearly much more modern. At least some of the floors likely date from the 1930 refit, but not all the floors or other framing members were visible. There are numerous patches on the hull made of planks, replacing rotted pieces of the original logs. It was impossible to tell in the preliminary recording which were part of the 1930 overhaul or if any are more modern, though inside the boat there are a few obviously modern bits of repair work. This vessel still has much to tell us upon closer and longer examination.
Figure 1a. Plan Scantlings
Figure 1b. Profile Scantlings
Figure 1c. Transom Sketch with Measurements (Sketch by: Dante Petersen Stanley)
Figure 1a-c. Field Notes and Link to Field Notes PDF
Figure 2. Plan View of the exterior (Drawing by: Dante Petersen Stanley)
Figure 3. Transom (Drawing by: Dante Petersen Stanley)
Figure 4. 1870s Split-log Kunner, Interior Profile View (Drawing by: Christopher W. Jackson)
Figure 9. Detail of transom Note that lower portion is still the three original logs
