Cedar/canvas rowboat

[Dave Nelson]

Although not a canoe, I'm pretty sure my cedar and canvas double ended rowboat was built by Old Town. It has similarities to my Old Town canoes, such as diamond head bolts and serial number stamped on the interior stems. The number is clear: 152764 16. Any chance there's a build record for it? When I got the boat a few years ago there was no broken or rotted wood, so restoring it was just a matter of new canvas and varnish. Thanks for looking.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Old Town

Old Town's boats and canoes are in the same serial number series... so, we have the build record for your boat on the CDs.

152764 is a 16 foot CS ("common sense") grade double ended boat, built between April and November of 1949. It has open spruce gunwales, a keel, outside stems, and a floor rack. It was painted dark green and shipped to C.J. Kinzie of Youngstown, NY on July 23, 1951. Poor thing sat around a while before somebody chose her! But now she has a whole new life...

Scan is attached below. If you need the large economy size, email me directly and I can send as an attachment. Kathrynklos@gmail.com.

Scans of approximately 210,000 records were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. Additional information about the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/ot_records/ if you want more details.

Please join WCHA or make a tax deductible contribution so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA, http://www.wcha.org/wcha_video.php to watch a 10 minute video about WCHA and our programs and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to join. If you are already a WCHA member, THANK YOU!

Kathy

 

[Dave Nelson]

Thanks

Wow, that was quick, and much appreciated. This is a fantastic service for us wooden canoe and wooden boat afficionados. Thanks so much. I'll try to post some pix as soon as I can shrink to fit. - Dave

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Attached are pictures of Dave's beautiful double ended boat!

 

[1776J]

Any info on when the double ended row boats first were built by Old Town?

Also, did Old Town's design change at all from then (their first building of double ended row boats) till, let's say the postwar years of the 1940s (1946-49)??

Thanks all! Much appreciated!

 

[Mark Adams]

Beautiful boat! The double enders are one of 2 Old Town boats I'd like to have. The other is a Molitar canoe. I have a OTCA and a 14' sailing dinghy. The double enders were produced from 1902 thru 1971. Quite a nice long production run!

 

[1776J]

The double enders were produced from 1902 thru 1971. Quite a nice long production run!

So, would you say for sure (in regards to its aesthetic appearance and so on) that the design of the boat and the general construction did, or did NOT, change from the 1902 to the mid to late 1940s?

Or,.... perhaps.....

They changed in the 1920s, but not again till later in the 60s or 70s???

Thanks to all....

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Benson and Dan and maybe others may know this off the top of their heads... I can look through the catalogs and see what I can see... but all-in-all, there's a difference between Old Town canoes in general, with each decade that passes.

 

[smallboatshop]

Here are some OT catalog pages showing the changes in the double enders. 1902 - 1926 - 1927 - 1928 - 1935 - 1948

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Images from Old Town catalogs courtesy "The Complete Old Town Company Catalog Collection" on CD, edited by Benson Gray and Dan Miller and available from www.dragonflycanoe.com or in the WCHA store.

Images shown are from 1902, 1912, 1920 and 1946 catalogs.

It's a very interesting boat!

 

[1776J]

Thanks everyone! I may very well take the time out to purchase one of those CD's with the old info. I'm just trying to figure out some things in regards to row boats and time lines on the old Town row boats.

Again, much thanks!!!

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Folks may be busy with the 4th of July holiday... keep posting specific questions, because there are several people with tons of knowledge, who'll be able to answer your specific questions... but they may be out sailing or eating barbecue!

Also, the "search" function can sometimes bring up pictures or interesting old discussions.

 

[1776J]

Many thanks!