Serial number/build record

Welcome, the Old Town canoe with serial number 172084 is a 13 foot long, fifty pound model with a keel. It was built between May and July, 1952. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on July 12th, 1962 to Dewitt, Syracuse, New York. A scan of this build record can be found by following the link at the attached thumbnail image below.

172084.jpg

This scan and several hundred thousand more 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 donate, 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 renew.

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

Benson
 
Thank you, Benson. It is in good shape. Needs canvas, 1 or 2 ribs and about 6' of planking here and there. Think I'll cane the bow seat, too. Sorry the build record didn't describe much detail regarding types of wood. Looks like ash inwales and seats, to me. Outwale much softer, so probably spruce from what I've read. Will go with #12 canvas and try to keep it light. Will probably be paddling it solo, only. It is kinda' a predecessor to today's pack canoes. It seems like they went light-weight to some extent. Planking and ribs seem thinner than what I've read for other Old Towns. It certainly has an 'interesting' shape, so beamy and also broad at bow and stern. I've read that they are tippy for two. I wonder why they didn't build them back then with a single seat. old town 13' canoe.JPG old town 13' canoe interior.JPG
 
The information at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/specifications.jpg from the 1962 catalog should give you the details about the woods used to build it. The inside gunwales were typically spruce, outside gunwales were mahogany, and ash or oak were for the seats. The planking and ribs were extra thin to save weight. The common solo technique was to sit in the bow seat and face the stern. Good luck with the restoration,

Benson
 
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