1950 old town 16 foot row boat rebuild

Michael Murphy

Curious about Wooden Canoes
I recently purchased this boat,fond memories of fishing with my grandfather that had one almost identical to this one.I have been taking apart for restoration.Bad news and right about now regreting I bought it.At least needs new keel and transom.Originally I believe they were mohogany.Any input would be appriciated.Thanks
 
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Hi Michael,

It's hard to tell from that photo, but the transom looks like mahogany. White oak would be likely (and good) for the keel/keelson. Be careful now that you've taken out a lot of components - if the boat relaxes and changes shape on you, it could be very difficult to get it back into its original shape. But push on. The boat looks in good condition overall, and anything can be replaced or repaired with forethought and care. Your original transom can be re-built, it seems, by splicing in a bit and re-glueing the original components. Hang in there. This is a great place to ask questions, to get feedback from those who have been there before, and to receive emotional support when needed in your restoration journey. Particularly with your grandfather's memory as a driving force, the journey can be fun and the rewards great.

Good luck and enjoy,
Michael
 
Hi Michael,thanks for the input and support.Transom is to far gone,was splined together and very rotted at the joints.Now shopping for new lumber.Like the white oak keel/keelson idea.
 
Nice looking boat! It will be a real head turner when you have completed it!
Here is what you can aspire to……
 

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Wow what a beauty,did you restore her yourself?How long did it take you?Was probably in a lot better shape than mine.Do you know what species the transom and keel are made from?Nice touch the band around the transom.
 
I’m a professional canoe and small boat restorer. It took quite a while. It was as bad as yours or worse.
The transom is mahogany. The keel is white oak. Almost always is. Sometimes maybe ash.
The upper part of the transom was beat up with motor rash, so I cut the top 4” off and used it as a template for a new piece of mahogany.
Old Town transoms are also common with white oak.
The keelson and floor racks were rotten and broken. They were originally spruce but I dressed it up a bit with mahogany.
I also added a mahogany chevron shaped plate to attach to the transom to keep the motor from gouging it. New mahogany outwales and oar blocks.
 

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What is the best way to remove 70 years of varnish.Been trying different finish removers,nothing seems to be working very well.Taking forever,any body ever try soda blasting?
 
The best way is to take it to a pro and pony up the bucks. Store bought varnish removers are lots of work. Follow the instructions. Soda blasting doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Cedar is soft. Varnish stripping
 
This is a picture of the one that was on the boat under a big bow light.Was preserved well under there and in good condition.I made a new bow deck piece,the old one full of holes.I inlaid the decal into the new plate and looked good.But I accidently hit with a sander and ruined it.Would really like find another one like it.
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The boat was built in 1950,maybe this was not the original?I only saw decals that say old town canoe not old town boat at WCHA221385429_1003337673813521_2770109758553285322_n (2).jpg
221385429_1003337673813521_2770109758553285322_n (2).jpg
 
This boat shipped in 1951 and probably had a decal with a black bar as shown at https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?attachments/41383/ for example. However, it appears to have seen some hard use and returned to the factory in 1954 and 1961 for extensive repairs as shown on the rest of the build record below. It is likely that the red bar decal was applied at that time. A good graphics shop can probably reproduce either decal. Good luck,

Benson



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I am starting to put the old town back together.Have the new transom installed and repaired broken ribs.Working on the keelson now,have the piece cut to size just need to bevel the bottom to fit.Have a question about keelson to planks to keel connection.Looks like it was just sandwiched together.Seems like kind of a poor design to me.Can anyone give me a detailed view on how these two halves of the hull are secured together.Input from Dave Osborn would especially be appreciated since he is the professional.Thanks
 
The keelson attached by screws that go through the plank and rib into the keelson.
You should see holes along side of the centerline where the screws for the original keelson was attached.
Hope that answers your questions.
Dave
 
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