Build record for Carleton sn 4176 18

Tom Harris

New Member
This canoe has decks that indicate Old Town, but after contacting the company, the Old Town build record does not match the properties of this canoe. Therefore, I think it may be a Carleton. It appears to have mahogany decks and gunwales (capped). A build record will satisfy my curiosity. Either way, I am restoring this canoe. - Tom
 
Tom,

If it's a Carleton, I can't find the build record. The Carleton database begins with #2235 (undated), then jumps to #5481, then to #5723, and proceeds more or less in order until we come to #558 (?) in 1912. Then #4358 in 1911. #5022 has a 1910 date. I went through them one-by-one, and #4176 never showed up. It could possibly be way out of order somewhere else in the database.

Anything after 1910 would have been built in the Old Town factory. It's possible your canoe was built in the Carleton factory before the company was sold to Old Town. As an owner of a Carleton myself, I'd love to see pictures of your canoe. Does it have the short carry thwart at the bow?

I checked the regular Old Town serial numbers as well but I didn't find a #4176 there, either.

Norm
 
Sn 4176 18

Norm,

Thanks for your reply. When I dragged it out of the barn where it sat for over 30 years, it had no thwarts, and showed no signs of mount holes for a bow carry thwart. What lead me to think this was an Old Town were the decks. What lead me to believe it was very old (pre-1907) were the capped gunwales. There are 58 ribs, tapered at the ends, and almost hidden by the inwale. After I stripped the paint, the decks and capped gunwales appeared to be mahogany. None of these specs match the build record I received from Old Town for sn 4176. Their's was a 17 foot model XX in standard trim.

The inside stripping is almost complete. It appears to have white cedar planking as well as ribs. I was hoping this 18 footer was an Old Town because an Otca 16 was my first canoe. Still, I've decided to restore this canoe (with cut-down, open gunwales), and I'd like to know it's maker and history. Thanks for your help Norm.

Tom
 
Can you attach any pictures of the serial numbers from each stem? I suspect that there is a missing digit. Thanks,

Benson
 
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