#86672
- Thread starter Andrew
- Start date
The Old Town canoe with serial number 86672 is an 18 foot long, AA (or top) grade, Otca model with red Western cedar planking, open mahogany gunwales, thirty inch mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, mahogany seats, half ribs, a keel, outside stems, bilge keels capped with brass, mahogany rub rails capped with brass, and a bang plate along the full length of the keel. It was built between January and June, 1925. The original exterior paint design was similar to the one shown at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/design22.gif which was know as the design number 22. This also had the name "Ethel-Dorth" in two inch high letters on the right and left sides of the bow. It shipped on June, 9th, 1925 to Bridgeville, White, in Warren County, New Jersey. A scan showing this build record can be found below.
This scan and several hundred thousand more were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others as you probably know well. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will donate, join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See https://www.woodencanoe.org/about to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/shop to donate or join.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match. Please provide some pictures if the original design is still showing. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
This scan and several hundred thousand more were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others as you probably know well. A description of the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will donate, join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See https://www.woodencanoe.org/about to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/shop to donate or join.
It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match. Please provide some pictures if the original design is still showing. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
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Absolutely, the Otca usually comes with twenty inch decks as standard so I didn't look carefully enough. This has been corrected in the description. Your picture also confirms that the rub rails were capped with brass which I wasn't sure about originally. Nice find,
Benson
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Michael Grace
Lifetime Member
That was a fine canoe in its day! Longer decks than usual, AA grade, outside stems, and the photo appears to show rub rails capped in brass just as indicated on the build record. Very nice, but heavy with all that hardwood trim and brass full-length on keel, plus brass on bilge keels and rub rails in an 18' canoe. It's rough now but could be a real stunner if restored back to what It once was. Well, as long as you like design #22. Not my cup of tea, but someone must have liked it back in 1925.
Michael
Michael
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OP
OP
Andrew
Curious about Wooden Canoes
She’s certainly heavy. Looks like the canoe was recanvassed since the OS stems have been covered and the paint is different from design #22.
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OP
OP
Andrew
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Interestingly, the outside stems were not covered by canvas, but what feels like caulk. It also seems like all 3 keels and the rub rails were caulked, too. After spending a few hours unscrewing all of the brass, rails, and keels, I have finally been able to pull off some canvas. I've been curious exactly how much weight the brass adds, so I'll post that once I weigh everything.
I received a good deal on a gallon of multi-strip advanced, but will need to wait for some warmer weather before the varnish can come off.
Andrew
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I am curious too. My guess is about 12 pounds for the bands alone. This is based on a old 14 inch piece of drilled stem band in my garage which weighs about 2.5 ounces. You probably have around 24 feet on the center keel, 12 feet on each of the bilge keels, and 19 feet on each of the rub rails. Let us know what you find.
Benson
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