Old Town Rowboat Info wanted (Build History?).

Joe Kenneally

New Member
I am seeking information for my 14' Old Town rowboat S/N 159617 14. I am aware that the "14" is the length in feet. I would greatly appreciate any info you might have access to. The boat has been in my family for generations and is in overall excellent shape. I also need advice on the proper paint type for touch-ups. Thanks.
 
The Old Town canoe with serial number 159617 is 14 feet long, CS (common sense or standard) AA (top) grade, a square stern model with a 48” deck, and equipped with a keel, bilge keel, spray rails, outside stem, and sponsons. It was built between March 1953 and June 14, 1955. The exterior was originally painted bright red. It was shipped on July 15, 1955 to Sebec Lake, Maine. A scan of this build record can be found by following the link behind the thumbnail image attached below.

159617 - 62717.jpg

This scan and several hundred thousand others were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/about-wcha to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/store/membership to join.

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.

As to paint for touch-ups -- it depends on what is currently on the canoe. Most folks prefer to use oil-based paints over older oil-based paints, and water-based paints over water-based paints, though using water-based paint over oil-based is generally fine. Matching the color of new paint to old for spot touching up can be iffy, and if the existing paint is more than a few years old, it might be better to just paint the whole canoe -- only a few hours of work. If the old paint is basically sound, a light sanding of the whole hull, with further sanding to feather the edges of chips would usually be done, followed by a coat or two of a good paint. Most folks would not use very expensive marine enamels except on a well-prepared hull surface that is very smooth and fair; many (including me) have found that a good grade of porch/deck paint from one of the major paint makers is very serviceable.

Keep in mind that coating new paint over old is pointless unless the old paint is sound -- new paint will not cure paint that is loose and peeling or otherwise failing.

For more information about painting/touching up, take a look at the discussion at http://forums.wcha.org/index.php?threads/new-to-me-chestnut.15014/#post-75711 and the links posted there.

Greg
 
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