Whether or not to replace the sponsons when restoring a canoe is up to the owner-- the canoe will paddle just fine and be easier to transport without them. The concept of sponsons dates back to a time when not as many people knew how to swim, and they were marketed as a safety feature.
In restoring a sponson canoe, the sponsons are removed, canvassed separately, and placed back on the canoe. Some were ordered with mahogany decks (tops) that might require repair.
Some people prefer to put their sponsons back on the canoe when it is re-canvassed because they like the look and/or because the sponsons do add to a canoe's stability. For instance, if you're using the canoe for sailing or paddle with a number of dogs and children, the sponsons might prevent it from going over.
Some canoes are rarely seen with sponsons, and in that case it would take from that canoe's value to leave them off-- but a 1940 Old Town isn't one of these rare canoes. I doubt your canoe has lost any value by not having its sponsons-- and you likely have handy carry-thwarts at each end, which Old Town added to sponson canoes to help with moving them.
Some people add sponsons back onto a canoe that once had them, so if anyone chooses to leave them off during a restoration, it's wise to hang onto them either for future re-attachment or to pass along to someone who wants them.
I'll post the build record of Old Town 127265 for all to see. It's an AA (top) grade HW model.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/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.
Kathy
