Great grandfathers's canoe. Need help to ID.

Mark Abbott

New Member
Serial number is: 16 4733. I was told it was an Old Town purchased in the 30's. It was last used in the 1960's and has been stored in a garage since then. The canvas may have been replaced at one time. Would like to identify the maker and the age of the canoe.
 

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The Old Town canoe with serial number 4733 is shown as 17 feet long, CS (common sense or standard) grade, Charles River model with spruce gunwales and maple decks, seats, and thwarts. The canoe was built in 1906-07. The original exterior paint color was N.H. green. It was shipped to Newark, New Jersey on April 13, 1907. A scan of this build record can be found by following the link behind the thumbnail image attached below.

81488.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/ot_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-the-wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-New-Membership.html to join.

It is possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe.

You indicate that the serial number of your canoe is 16 4733, although the 16 does not show in your photo of the number. Is the “16” actually stamped into the canoe? Did you measure the length of the canoe? Are you sure of the age of the canoe? An Old Town canoe built in the 1930s would have a much higher serial number, somewhere closer to 100,000.

It seems likely that your canoe is not an Old Town. Others will probably have some thoughts on the builder of your canoe, which should be quite a nice boat if properly restored. Providing actual dimensions (length, beam, depth) can help.

Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Greg
 
Thank you, Greg. I took a better picture of the complete serial number. There is about 6 inches between the 16 and the remaining four digits (4733). The canoe measures 16 feet 1 inch at the longest point and 30.5 inches at the widest point. It is about 12.75 inches high. Possibly the number 16 indicates the length of the canoe. No, I am not sure of the age of the canoe, only the aprox. time it was used by the family. It could have been purchased 2nd hand or as my g'grandfather was an attorney, it may have been accepted as payment for his fees during the '30's. Ron's camera 012.jpg
 
Since you do have a 16' canoe, your canoe with the number 4733 is not an Old Town canoe. The Carlton canoe build record with that number seems to be missing.

So maybe someone else will have an idea about your canoe.
 
I will bite and stir the pot some. I was thinking Kennebec. It might be a Charles River builder, but the ribs are tapered.

Back to hockey.
 
I will bite and stir the pot some. I was thinking Kennebec.
Back to hockey.
Makes sense actually...not any OT.

Is it hockey? Does a puck really squib, funnel? Is there a shovel shot, can you pitch fork the puck, what is a forearm shiver? I hear there was a "suicide scramble" tonight. What is that? Even pengoons and bruins would be more watchable on Hockey Night in Canada...why are we stuck with NBC and "Doc" Emrick? Watch if you can stomach him.......
 
Overtime helps. Watching by refreshing the box score. NHL not available here in China.......

Major thread derail but it is the playoffs...go Hawks.
 
I was thinking Kennebec.

There is no Kennebec record for this serial number either. There are many large gaps in the Kennebec serial number sequence and this one goes from 4509 to 5000. My guess is a Charles River area builder's canoe. It would be worth checking the thwarts along the gunwales for a Robertson stamp like the one shown at http://dragonflycanoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Robertson-Wavy-stamp.jpg from Dan Miller's wooden canoe identification guide.

Benson
 
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