Canoe Info Request 206515

[Glassonion]

I just purchased my first canoe, a green 17ft Old Town with the serial number 206515.
I was hoping to find out more about this canoe, since I don't even know what the model name is! I am hoping to outfit it for fishing in local lakes and maybe in the marshes down by the coast and would like to find out what the load capacity of the canoe is.

Out of curiosity I'd really like to know how old it is, too!

Thanks for any info that you all can provide!

Edit:
I forgot to mention that it has molded plastic seats and a wooden thwart. I was wondering if these seats were original?

 

[normsims]

Old Town canoe #206515 was a green 17-foot Chipewyan built in February, 1975, and shipped in April to Whitney Point, N.Y. It weighted 76 pounds and had an aluminum insert as extra equipment.

The build record doesn't provide any additional information, but there was a record of repairs done in March of that year, scratches and two new rails. Since the canoe had not yet been shipped, that's a little odd.

If you can post a picture, someone may be able to better answer your questions.

The scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image. This scan and several hundred thousand others 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/ot_records/ if you want more details. I hope that you and anyone else reading this will join or renew membership in the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to renew.

Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

 

[Benson Gray]

it has molded plastic seats and a wooden thwart. I was wondering if these seats were original?

Yes, this model originally came with plastic seats and a wooden thwart. Page 20 of the 1975 Old Town Canoe catalog stated, "Some regulating agencies have established formulas that limit the number of persons and/or total loading capacities of canoes. Old Town believes that a combination of canoeist's experience, type of canoe, and water-weather conditions, rather than arbitrary formulas, is the best guide in such matters." It also listed the capacity as 6 persons or 908 pounds. Your mileage may vary...

Benson

 

[Glassonion]

Thanks for the info!

Thanks for all the info! I am psyched about having the copy of the original build report.

Here is a picture of the canoe on my truck:

Do any of you know how different these early Trippers are in design and performance from the current Tripper canoes?

I'm hoping to get it out on the water this weekend. I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[Benson Gray]

Do any of you know how different these early Trippers are in design and performance from the current Tripper canoes?

The current version of your canoe is shown at http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/expedition/tripper_172.html so you can see that the trim has changed slightly and the weight has gone up a bit but the basic dimensions have not changed. This has been one of the most successful models in the history of the company so I doubt that the hull shape has changed at all. Have fun,

Benson