serial #129459 18 info
- Thread starter woodenbob
- Start date
Was wondering what info was available for an Old Town Canoe with the serial #129459 18. It has a mount in the front seat that looks like it is for a sail? Any info would be greatly appreciated 
Kathryn Klos
squirrel whisperer
Hi Bob,
Old Town 129459 is an 18 foot CS (common sense or middle) grade HW model canoe that was completed February 1940-May 1942. It has open spruce gunwales. Wood species for planking isn't specified but is commonly red Western cedar. Wood species of trim also isn't specified, but on CS grade could be any hardwood except mahogany (which was reserved for AA grade canoes). Commonly, the CS grade Old Towns had ash or maple trim. Your canoe is a bit different from other HWs because it has 30 inch decks. If you can post pictures of the decks, I'm sure others here would love to see them... and maybe we can figure out the wood species.
Your canoe has half-ribs, a keel, outside stems, sponsons, a mast seat and step, a rudder and a floor rack. Originally it was painted bright red. It was shipped to Hotchkiss Bros. of Torrington, Connecticut, on May 12, 1942.
The HW model was designed for heavy water (which is possibly why it is "HW"), meaning it works well on lakes and wide rivers. It was the most common model to be fitted for sailing. Your mast seat is designed to hold a mast... the "step" on the floor below it would hold the base of the mast. Mast and sails may have been available at the dealership where the canoe was shipped.
The sponsons-- which are like little air tanks made of cedar and covered with canvas-- made the canoe less likely to tip over, and are nice to have on a sailing canoe.
A copy of the scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image. 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/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php 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.
Kathy
Old Town 129459 is an 18 foot CS (common sense or middle) grade HW model canoe that was completed February 1940-May 1942. It has open spruce gunwales. Wood species for planking isn't specified but is commonly red Western cedar. Wood species of trim also isn't specified, but on CS grade could be any hardwood except mahogany (which was reserved for AA grade canoes). Commonly, the CS grade Old Towns had ash or maple trim. Your canoe is a bit different from other HWs because it has 30 inch decks. If you can post pictures of the decks, I'm sure others here would love to see them... and maybe we can figure out the wood species.
Your canoe has half-ribs, a keel, outside stems, sponsons, a mast seat and step, a rudder and a floor rack. Originally it was painted bright red. It was shipped to Hotchkiss Bros. of Torrington, Connecticut, on May 12, 1942.
The HW model was designed for heavy water (which is possibly why it is "HW"), meaning it works well on lakes and wide rivers. It was the most common model to be fitted for sailing. Your mast seat is designed to hold a mast... the "step" on the floor below it would hold the base of the mast. Mast and sails may have been available at the dealership where the canoe was shipped.
The sponsons-- which are like little air tanks made of cedar and covered with canvas-- made the canoe less likely to tip over, and are nice to have on a sailing canoe.
A copy of the scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image. 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/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php 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.
Kathy
