Mackinaw Boat - Mackinaw Coat

Mackinaw Boat - Mackinaw Coat. Mackinaw City Historical Pathway. , The Mackinaw Boat was designed for northern Great Lakes conditions , , The Mackinaw boat was the work boat of fur traders, fishermen, settlers and lake travelers for hundreds of years, from the early 1700s to the early 1900s. , , The hull was wide at the waterline but narrow at the bottom making a fast stable boat. Pointed at both the bow and stern with a removable center board, the boat could be landed and launched easily from the beach. The small size (18' to 28') and light sailing rig could be handled by two men. , , The Mackinaw Coat was created by John Askin and his wife to fill a British military contract , , John Askin, a trader in the Upper Great Lakes, was commissioned to design and produce 40 greatcoats for the British Army. Designed by his wife, Marie-Archange, using 3-point trade blankets, they were constructed by local white and métis women in November of 1811. , , The Mackinaw coat concept was widely used by trappers, traders, and Indians. Called a "capot" by the French, it was red and bore distinctive black stripes found on the blankets themselves.