Old Towns & White canoe - similarities...

[The Canoe Kid]

Howdy, everyone...


I've come across a W/C canoe that the seller is saying is a 14' White.

The thwarts & seats look real Old Town, though. The bolts on both have diamond-shaped heads, too. The decks look real OT, too.

I know Old Town bought White. Did they use similar parts for both boats?

And does anyone know the details on a 14' White canoe?

I'm wondering if the seller really has a 15' OT Trapper.

Keep paddling!

The Canoe Kid

 

[Benson Gray]

I don't recall that White or Old Town ever made a wooden canoe that was 14 feet long so it may not be from either company if it really is that length. Many canoes were repaired with parts from Old Town since they were more easily available. Old Town purchased White in 1984 but did not produce any wooden canoes under that name as far as I know. They did make a 16 foot long fiberglass canoe with thin wooden strips on the inside after 1984 called the White-rib as shown below. Many fiberglass canoes from Old Town and White have balsa wood cores in the floor which could technically make them a wooden canoe. Some pictures might help if you can post them.

Benson

 

[The Canoe Kid]

Thanks for the reply

I thought OT bought White much earlier - maybe in the '40s. I guess I was wrong.

Anyway, here are some shots of the canoe I'm considering:

The seller says it is a 14' White. I'm wondering if it is really an OT Trapper - '13 or 15'. It has diamond-head bolts on the seats and thwarts. It has been recanvassed and the it has new outer gunnels.

What do you folks think?

Thanks for help.

The Canoe Kid

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Check the stems for a serial number. Old Town canoes have a s/n on the upper face of the stems at each end... five or six numbers followed by a space and the length of the canoe.

 

[The Canoe Kid]

No numbers visible...

The seller checked both stems - no numbers. The thwarts look very OT to me, too.

I guess I'll have to see it in person and get a good look at its profile.

Thanks

The Canoe Kid

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Old Town would have at least some trace of a s/n on the stems. Do those ribs have any taper? You may want to check that out in-person too.

Kathy

 

[The Canoe Kid]

Thanks for the reply

I'll try and find out more.

TCK

 

[Michael Grace]

Hey Kid (I like that, "Hey Kid"!)-

The canoe sure looks like an O.T. from the 50s or more recent. It's lack of serial numbers may be because were sanded away during a previous restoration. Notice that
- there appears to be some lighter-colored planking that doesn't match the rest,
- the outwales look like they've been replaced (they're lighter than the inwales, and VERY light on the inside edge between ribs), and
- the pre-woven caning isn't applied the seats square to the frame

These things indicate that the canoe was restored in the past. If sanded too aggressively, serial numbers may be faint or gone. Check carefully with a light held at a low angle; you might find a hint of a serial number on those stems. And can you check the length yourself, or have the seller re-check it for you?

Michael

 

[Treewater]

So who else made 14 foot canoes

If OT didn't make 14 footers, White we seem not sure, at least in WC, who were the major makers of that rather unusual length the 14 foot canoe. More specifrically, I'd like to know who made a slender, not fat, 14 footer.
And yes, I just bought an unknown 14 footer off EBay.

Tim

 

[Kathryn Klos]

It seems that several of the Canadian companies made a 14 footer. Can you post pictures? Could it be Canadian?

Of the American companies, the Detroit Boat Co. made a 14 footer... and Dave McDaniel has a 14 foot Gerrish. It does appear to be a rare length, as I skim through the different companies on Dan's Dragonfly Canoe I.D. site. Morris made a 12, 13, 15... etc... skipping 14 feet.

Kathy

 

[Dan Miller]

Very few US builders made 14' canoes, but the length was quite common in Canada, as Kathy points out.

Measure it again when you get it. If the seller measured the distance between the tips of the gunwales, which is more common to do than you might think, then a 15' canoe will measure 14'.

 

[Treewater]

14 footer off Ebay

Seller indicated the 14 footer was made by an individual. Whoever Bunky Mitchell of Guilford Maine is he may know. Pictures are on ebay, 190300101265. I have not picked it up yet.
Tim

 

[Benson Gray]

Guilford, Maine is near the middle of the populated part of Piscataquis county and a quick look at http://www.wcha.org/history/maine-list.htm will show that there have been many canoe builders in that area over the years. My guess is that the "unknown 14 footer off EBay" is from one of them. A quick serach at http://www.anywho.com/ shows three people with the last name Mitchell listed in Guilford, Maine if you are looking for "Bunky." Good luck,

Benson

 

[Rollin Thurlow]

The E. M White company did make a 14 ft pack canoe, beam 37-1/4", depth 13-1/2". I'm not sure when it was introduced but its not as old as the more famous white Guide canoes. I would guess the form is not older than the late 40's. I've had the form for about 30 years and had to do a lot of work to the form to bring it back into shape but it makes a great pack canoe. the cnaoe is on my web site if anyone is interested!