Long-Decked HW

Kathryn Klos

squirrel whisperer
I contemplated writing Benson privately with my questions, but thought others here might be interested in the answers too, or have things to add.

Yesterday, I contacted the seller of a 1915 Old Town HW listed recently in the classifieds on the this website because the canoe appeared to be an Otca, with its long decks--- I wanted to check the build record to see if it was truly an HW with long decks, and it is. I'm not interested in buying it, but was wondering how unusual it is to find an HW with 30" decks (as stated on the build record).

Also, there's no mention of the mast seat on the record, yet the seller sent me a close-up of the seat and it appears to be an older one, perhaps original to the canoe. How often are little things like that omitted from the build record? Or is it more likely the seat was added afterward? Seems to me the build records are pretty specific as to what is included, if it isn't "standard".

And in regard to "things that are standard", I've noticed that when the HW is fitted with sponsons, carry thwarts are often added without mention of carry thwarts on the build record... so I assume that's because carry thwarts were standard on HWs with sponsons.

Thanks for any thoughts...
Kathy
 

Attachments

  • OT36564 long decks.jpg
    OT36564 long decks.jpg
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The chart at http://www.wcha.org/ot_records/options.jpg shows that about four percent of the Old Town canoes with options included long decks. This one is unusual but not exceptionally unique.

It is fairly rare to have something added at the factory which was not mentioned on the build record. However, a large dealer like the Kennedy Brothers Arms Company would commonly have complete Old Town sailing rigs in stock so they could easily add one to a new canoe before delivery if a customer requested one. A original sailing rig from 1915 would probably have a round hole in the mast step while later rigs would have square holes so that may help establish when the sail was added. The rudder and leeboard shapes also changed over the years so this may also help date the rig if they have not been lost. The clamps used to hold the leeboard thwart also changed over the years so the marks on the bottom of the inside gunwale can also help date a rig.

Carry thwarts tended to be standard on most Old Town canoes with sponsons so they usually didn't get mentioned on the build record.

This canoe also currently has a variation of the design number four as shown at http://classifieds.wcha.org/index.c...xact_match=on&photo_size=full&query=retrieval which is significantly different from the ones which were done at the factory.

I'm sure that others will be able to offer additional perspectives and it may help if you can post additional pictures. Thanks for asking,

Benson
 
Thanks, Benson. The mast seat has the older, round hole... there's no other sailing accessories with the canoe.

Seller told me the canoe belonged to his brother, whose love for wooden canoes was inspired by Joe Seliga at Camp Widgiwagan. The canoe was restored by the seller's dad and brother.
 

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  • mast seat.jpeg
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The photo is really small, but I can't see a mast step at all. The mast seat has a round hole, but that's always been the case, so no help there.
 
Kathryn Klos said:
The mast seat has the older, round hole...

The mast seat holes have always been round as Michael mentioned. The mast step is in the bottom of the canoe under the mast seat but is not visable in the picture you attached. The picture at http://forums.wcha.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=6491&d=1226694223 shows one from 1919 and the information at http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/otacc/ describes this in more detail.

You may also want to see if the stern has bronze rudder gudgeons. The ones shown at http://forums.wcha.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=5223&d=1214851540 are a newer style than the ones that would have been installed in 1915.

Benson
 
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