Canoe identification

[CandrewsIII]

Just purchased an Old Town wood/canvas canoe. Seller was given the canoe from original owner in mid restoration. Wood frame is in excellent condition, new canvas has been installed with filler. Outer gunwales and stems are missing along with the cane for the seats. I would much like to restore to original condition as I am a purist. The serial number in the interior of the stems is 171547 17
Thank you for any and all information.

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 171547 is a 17 foot long Otca model with a keel. It was built between November, 1961 and April, 1962. The original exterior paint color was red. It was shipped on June 8th, 1962 to New Rochelle, New York. 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. 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

 

[CandrewsIII]

Thank you, so the keel also seems to be missing.

 

[CandrewsIII]

Upon further examination the build sheet is correct. It has spruce inner gunwales, ash decks, thwarts,yoke and seat frames. Washered holes in bottom it seems to fasten keel. Discoloration on deck where a stem band was. Did this canoe have wood outer stems or just a band over canvas? Also what species of wood have been used for the missing parts ( outer gunwales, keel, and outer stems if applicable)? Thank you

 

[Benson Gray]

Did this canoe have wood outer stems or just a band over canvas? Also what species of wood have been used for the missing parts ( outer gunwales, keel, and outer stems if applicable)?

There is no date on the "O. S. Stems" line of the build record so it probably didn't have outside stems originally. The specifications page at https://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/specifications.jpg from the 1962 catalog lists mahogany for the outside gunwales. The keel was probably ash or another hard wood. Let me know if this doesn't answer your question.

Benson