pat chapman
Willits biographer
Could I get the build record for Old Town 138833-17? Thanks, as always!
Build Record for OT 138833-17
- Thread starter pat chapman
- Start date
The Old Town canoe with serial number 138833 is a 17 foot long, CS (Common Sense or middle) grade, HW (heavy water) model with open spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, oval outside finish rails, a keel, and a bob stay (painter ring down low on the bow). It was built between November, 1943 and January, 1944. The original exterior paint color was light Yale blue. It shipped on April 6th, 1944 to Chicago, Illinois. It may have moved to Holland Michigan by February 1st, 1980 when there was a previous request for a copy of this build record as detailed on the back side of the record. Scans showing both sides of this build record can be found below.
These scans 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 the canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
These scans 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 the canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
OP
OP
pat chapman
Willits biographer
Thanks, Benson. I got this canoe in the shop today and everything is original except it's had the canvas replaced.
Curious about a couple of things, though. The seats are pressed cane using the medium close weave pattern. Do you think this is original? If so, I didn't know OT was using pressed cane that early and I've never seen an OT with that style of weave on the seats. The stembands are flat iron. This is the second war-era OT that used that, so I assume they are original. Lastly, while the tacks are steel, the diamond shaped bolts and screws are brass. They must have had some brass stock at that point, while the other war-era canoe I've seen lately used steel bolts.
Curious about a couple of things, though. The seats are pressed cane using the medium close weave pattern. Do you think this is original? If so, I didn't know OT was using pressed cane that early and I've never seen an OT with that style of weave on the seats. The stembands are flat iron. This is the second war-era OT that used that, so I assume they are original. Lastly, while the tacks are steel, the diamond shaped bolts and screws are brass. They must have had some brass stock at that point, while the other war-era canoe I've seen lately used steel bolts.
This is the era when Old Town's regular stocks of supplies were starting to run out and they were experimenting with other options. The original seat from a canoe that was made shortly after this one is shown below. They had completely run out of woven seat materials by the end of 1944 and started using wooden slats for the seats. See http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/3971/#post-20367 for a description of an exchange of letters between Kennebec and Old Town about getting tacks during the shortages related to the Second World War. Let me know if this doesn't answer your question. Good luck with the restoration,
Benson
Benson
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OP
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pat chapman
Willits biographer
Yes, that's the same style seat in this canoe. Thanks for your helpful information.
