Noah is not recorded as having any other children.  His age is starting to tell on him.  From Ham's evil and greedy perspective, the grand patriarch Noah will soon be gone leaving the earth to be divided among his three sons. 

One of our possible scenarios above, A) which tells us Ham only “saw or noticed” Noah naked doesn’t stand up given both the curse and importance the verses place on Cannan.  And why would Cannan be cursed over Ham’s sin?  An able preacher said that Noah could not curse someone God had blessed.  That may be true, but it doesn’t answer the bigger questions.  And to be blunt, the men, Noah included, had probably all seen one another naked in their 100 years together in some capacity.  (Ark building was probably dirty work.) Additionally, this option must be discounted for we read that Noah became aware that his younger son had done something unto him. 

That would naturally force us to consider option B).  Did Ham molest his father Noah?  It does make more sense than the other choice, but gives us no reason for Noah to turn his wrath and anger upon Cannan instead of Ham, via a curse. 

Suppose for a moment, Ham had plans of taking more than his rightful share of the earth?  Perhaps, being overzealous to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth, he wanted both a head start and a greater inheritance than his brothers? 

Let’s look at option (C), and look at Ham's sin through the scriptures. 

Noah didn’t get drunk by himself.  I believe he was drunken in his tent with his wife, who’s name history has hidden. Ham, thinking the world would be divided among the sons of Noah, became aware of Noah’s drunken slumber, entered the tent and took advantage of his mother. 

Upon leaving the tent, he boasted to his older brothers that not only was he an heir by virtue of being a son, but he was now to be the father of their mother’s seed, which, if a male, would give him, in effect, a double portion of the inheritance. Instead of a third of this new kingdom, he will now control half with Canaan. Was Ham scheming to increase his inheritance? 

Noah, upon awaking was made known what Ham had done (unto him.) 

Before you decide I’ve lost my mind, let us look at the careful phrasing the King James gives us:  Gen 9:22  And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.  

This unusual wording is the second key to our understanding: 

Lev 18:6   None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover [their] nakedness: I [am] the LORD.  18:7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she [is] thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness. 

Lev 18:8  The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it [is] thy father's nakedness.

Lev 20:11 And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. 

It wasn’t Noah’s nakedness Ham uncovered or the other two covered, it was the nakedness of Noah’s wife, which nakedness is exclusive and belongs to the father! 

Let’s look at the other examples in the law: 

Lev 18:10 The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, [even] their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs [is] thine own nakedness. 

It is their own nakedness.  There is no possessive adjective ascribed to it.

But in the case of marriage, there is possessiveness:  Lev 18:16  Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it [is] thy brother's nakedness. 

Deu 27:20 Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife; because he uncovereth his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen. 

Now in our scenario, using this new language, Noah has a reason to curse Cannan, first born after the flood.   As soon as it is determined the child is male, Noah curses it.  Ham’s desire was to master the world; Noah supplanted the plan by cursing the future ruler to be a servant.   

You can picture Noah overtaking Ham’s evil designs by pronouncing the curse upon Canaan as soon as he was born:  

Gen 9:25  And he said, Cursed [be] Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

And he pronounced his blessing upon Shem, ensuring Ham’s evil plan would fail:  Gen 9:26  And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

And to further ensure the destiny of Canaan, he prophesied thusly: 

Gen 9:27  God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.