width?

Michael Ringler

Curious about Wooden Canoes
I an restoring an O T 16' HW and OT refers to the width as 34". Is that to the planking or the outwales? This boat came to me in pieces and the Thwarts seem way too narrow. When placed in the proper spot the width comes in to about 30". I am placing the thwarts at the 19th rib from each end...any thoughts?
 
I am not sure, but just a guess. If it's a 16'er then the thwarts would be in the quarters and not the mid-point.??? I should know this stuff.

Put a strap amidships thru the inwales and adjust it to 34" to the planking. Then you can make a temporary stretcher to hold it to that.
 
Thats what makes me think the thwarts that came with the wreck are too short....any one have one and want to confirm location and lenght of thwarts?
 
I don't have a 16 OT around, but someone will chime in shortly. If the canoe is pulled in to 34" and the thwarts are too long for the hole positions then they were either cut down or you got the wrong thwarts.
 
Excuse me, everything I have in regard to a 16" OT HW is 33" to the outside of the plank, factory specs. Given bad days and individual differences 34" may be reasonable. My 16' "Yankee" comes closer to meeting specs for short deck 16' Otca, that is, it is 34.5 outside plank to outside plank yet the papers say it is a Yankee. Who knows, maybe it is a short decked Otca and there was an order for a Yankee so it was shipped as such. Anyway, 17' HW's are 34" and 18's are 34.5". The lovely little and rare 15'HW's are listed as 31". 16's have 2 thwarts approximately 28" long. The first between ribs 18-19 or a rib or 2 behind the bow seat, the second should be between ribs 32 & 33 give or take a rib or two to allow for any "small" error/difference. the Thwarts in my 17 HW are both 28.5". The bow and stern thwart in the 18' HW are 28.75 with the center thwart at 32.5". These are nor exact given the compound angle cut on the end of the thwart. I need a 16 and a 15 to go along with my 17 and 18 but I am in no hurry. Just paid my taxes, you know. Hope this helps.
 
Benson advised that my 16 foot 31 Carleton sponson is built off of the OT HW form.
I am assuming that it measures quite true as it has not spread and it has never been "worked on" or "restored".
I measure both of the thwarts at 28 inches. They are clear of the planking by several 1/8th or so on each side. Outside to outside over the planking is about 31, possibly a tiny bit more.
It was hard to measure upside down but I think I am within a 1/4 and not on the short side.

I cannot imagine this canoe spread to 34. It would be a tub.
OK, it is a tub...but under those sponson's I can see some real nice clean lines begging to be released from captivity.
 
I recall reading a post by Dan Miller, advising us to take the measurements in the catalogs with grains of salt... so, measure in a bit of salt, or subtract a pinch.

There will also be differences in Old Towns from different eras.
 
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