New member with 2 wood and canvas canoes

Blair

Paddle, Row, Sail(7boats)
I live in Corvallis Oregon. I bought a 74 Chestnut 17' prospector from a gentleman here in town that was in his 80's. He bought it new and could no longer care for it. I'm an active Scout leader (be prepared and do your best) and had a copy of Jerry Stelmok's great book. This fellow interviewed me to guage my worthiness to be the new owner. His asking price was only $500 and after the interview he dropped his price to $400, threw in two Sawyer featherlight beautiful paddles, an cute little Sears electric motor and a Raleigh 18 speed mountain bike. I am one lucky guy. Many months later it is completely rebuilt, recanvased and my wife says it is too pretty to sell.

Well, no good turn goes unpunished. A Scout leader friend saw the chestnut and approached me to help in surveying his grandfather's 1950 OT (S# 154105) 15' square stern. It was sitting upside down under a tarp, an a trailer, under a tree. Many layers of paint, a bit of rot in the top 4" of the transom, no cracked or broken ribs (actually really sound with many layers of varnish). Honest, I gave him my best thoughts since I had only done one before, and told him about the wonderful people I had contacted for advice on the Chestnut. I estimated a couple of grand to have it rebuilt professionally. Well, he looked at me and stated that that was not going happen on his watch, and that I could have the boat, the trailer, AND, the 1952-54 Johnson Sea Horse 3HP motor for $350. This was the amount he wanted to buy his wonderful wife a mandolin for Christmas. So, I know how lucky I am. And I know that there are a bunch of other great people that are members of WHCA and I figure it is time I join, share, and learn from all of you. So, if you have advice, I'm here to take it. I claim no special skills except to be able to talk a cat out of his skin, turn them into kitten britches and sell them to the highest bidder. And, one more thing...I bought this Old Town with $10 that I bet on a quarter machine at one of the Native American casino's. That $10 turned into $303 which it tucked into my wallet for my boating fund. My wife thinks I'm crazy as this is the 7th boat in my current fleet. Best Regards, Blair Pomeroy, Corvallis Oregon.
 
Well Blair,

Welcome to WCHA. As you said, good folks here and lots of advice to be found.

If your serial number is right, that boat had done a little traveling in it's time.

154105 is indeed a 15' Square stearn paddling model in CS (common sense) grade. It had a rowing seat installed at the factory "30" aft of the usual position". It was originally painted dark green and was shipped in June of 1952 to York Village Maine. A copy of the record is attached.

Scans of approximately 210,000 records were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. Additional information about the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. Please join WCHA or make a tax deductable contribution so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.html to join. If you are already a WCHA member, THANK YOU!

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
 

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NW Chapter info needed

I think I need to figure out how to pay my $25 Buckazoids to someone/web site so I can be legit in being part of this association. I am not sure when or where the Spring 08 get together will be held, or who all in Oregon is a member. Sounds like a good deal for the $. My favorite publication is Wooden Boat Magazine and I pour over it with savor every two months when it arrives.

My other boats are a Catalina 25 (bought new in 85), a 16' Cataraft for white water (one of 7 which I built with a team of guys here in the Willamette Valley from scratch, tubes, rowing frame, etc.), Two 9' Ranger Minto Sailing Dinghies (really cool hard side fiberglass boats that I use with our Boy Scout troop for the Small Boat Sailing merit badge) and an old mahogany cold molded canoe that I built about 25 years ago that I have now turned into a 12' rowing skiff.

So, I currently own 7 boats. My father who is 88 (and an Eagle Scout) living in Portland Or. has a 15' West Wight Potter sailboat and last spring bought a 10' hard side kayak. And, he uses them. So, it would be great to find a bunch of nuts, like myself, to share stories with, adventures with, and lies/bragging rights. Heck, I could bring our Scout Troop which has about 15 boys (two of them are mine).
 
welcome

Great.We had Boy Scouts at the Killbear Rendezvous,here in Ontario.
What a great way to get kids involved with heritage canoes and all that goes with it.
Greetings from 7 boats aint enough,
John
 
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