Chestnut 46-55407

Fitz

Wooden Canoes are in the Blood
In Memoriam
This serial number is on a 16 foot Ogilvy. Can any additional information be derived from the number?

Many thanks.
 
Chances are it was built in 1964. They only did the xx-xxxxx serial numbers in the 60s. Reversing the first two gives you the year. The rest of the numbers don't mean much....
 
Hello Fitz,

Is this the next project? There is to my knowledge no documentation verifying that the Chestnut serial number was anything but a simple work order number or that anything can be deciphered from it.

Most Chestnuts are not marked with a serial number at all. Those that are, might have “a five digit number, or a two digit number followed by a four or five digit number, or a letter C followed by a five digit number. One can actually find Chestnuts built during the 1960's with all of the above mentioned number sequences.

Cheers
Dick Persson
Headwater Wooden Boat Shop
 
Ogilvy

Thanks for the information gentlemen. The age is approximately 1963 to 1965. The owner bought it from a dealer about then.

This boat should be the poster child for how not to leave your canoe. The ends were turning to compost, so the decks, stems, outwales and tips of the inwales need lots of help. The rest of the canoe is in great shape:p :rolleyes: .

So I guess I will not run out of projects any time soon. My wife wonders when I will get to the HOUSE projects....:eek:
 
Fitz,

Good luck with the restoration! I have yet to fly fish for salmon from one in the Maritimes but someday I will. Please post some "before", "during restoration" and "after" pictures for the rest of us Ogilvy fans if possible!

Steph
 
Ogilvy

Here are a few shots of the Ogilvy. As you can see, the ends and outwales need serious help, otherwise a solid canoe. It has very wide 3-inch ribs with only about 1/2 inch spacing. The thwarts do not match very well at all. Hand caned seats. A bow painter ring. It seems to have had a shoe keel which is missing

It is relatively heavy even without canvas. It should be really heavy duty when fixed up. I think the Chestnut specs call for No. 6 canvas on this monster.

Cheers.

Fitz
 

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What Goes Around Comes Around

Just getting around to closing the loop on this one. What! It has only been 4 years!:rolleyes:

This Ogilvy has a long story. Shortly after this post in 2006, I sold the canoe to Lou Mutschler here in MA. He was going to build Ogilvys into his retirement. I suggested that he restore this one first and see if he liked it before building a form and the whole nine yards. Unfortunately, Lou lost a heroic battle with prostate cancer this summer and he didn't get around to restoring the Ogilvy.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/o...s_h_mutschler_psychiatrist_known_for_wry_wit/

The family just gave it back to me a few weeks ago. So Steve Lapey and I figured the canoe needed to see the water again before it totally desintegrated. We have teamed up with time and materials and it is on its way back. It needed new stems, decks, inwales, outwales, rib ends and a few new ribs to begin with. With any luck you will see it at Assembly.
 

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Update

Some progress has been made on the Ogilvy. It has new inwales, outwales, shoe keel, stems and a few ribs. Hull stripped, sanded and new varnish. More coats to follow. The Norumbegas put a new skin of No. 6 canvas on it a few weeks ago. I just put the thwarts and seats back in. New seat cane. It is going to get new filler on Friday. Then some dry time before paint.
 

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Chestnut 1960s serial numbers

I don't know whether Ogilvys had special numbers, but I purchased two new 17' Prospectors from Chestnut in 1965 and their serial numbers were 73710 and 73711. No hyphens or reversed year numbers.

It was my understanding that you can't make anything much from Chestnut serial numbers, unlike Old Town and some other makers.
 
Numbers

Yep, I don't put much meaning into the serial number. I do know the canoe was bought new between 1963 and 65, but that is all I know.
 
Credit where due

Hi Dan:

The canoe project is pretty much a Norumbega Chapter effort. Steve Lapey and I have put time in and a big chapter gang showed up to canvas it. The repairs go much faster that way!:D
 
Filled

The No. 6 canvas soaked up about 1.5 gallons of filler. Lots of hands resulted in a very smooth finish.
 

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#6 canvas!

Don't see that used much these days. You'll have one tough canoe. Our Prospectors had #6 and we put 1,850 miles on them in 1965 without a rip, fray or anything. Pretty heavy on the portages, though.
 
No.6

This canoe was a Norumbega Chapter experimentation and learning project. I had not used No. 6 before, the catalogs suggested that Chestnut used No. 6 on Ogilvies, and I was curious, so No. 6 it is. The canoe had a shoe keel too, so it will be a heavy duty canoe when finished.
 
Getting There

The Norumbega Chapter Ogilvy project is moving along. New shoe keel, and new ash outwales attached. New stem bands fitted temporarily, will be removed until after the final coat of paint.

It needs final coats of paint and varnish, decals and a few other things.

The Plan is to contribute it to the Assembly Auction. If you want a new fishing canoe, bring your check book and bid high!:)
 

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Can't Wait to Take it for a Spin!

The plan is to personalize this canoe a bit, but it is essentially done. Should be a fine paddler. It is really fun to see a derelict hull come back with the skills and effort of a WCHA chapter.

If you need a genuine Chestnut New Brunswick salmon fishing canoe, then bid high at Assembly!
 

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