design #45

[Gil Cramer]

Hey, I started this thread about nonsense! I have a customer's 1969 Molitor canoe in the shop that the build record indicates that the original color was design #45. It has the original canvas and the bottom is light blue, not Yale blue. This is not the first canoe that I've worked on with the light blue bottom, but a build record indicating design #45. Mike Leone's canoe has a build record indicating design #45, but had an original light blue bottom. His was built in 1939-1940. Does anybody know when Old Town changed design #45 to a light blue bottom? How's that for nonsense????

 

[Michael Leone]

Hey now Gill just what are you implying here
Didn't someone say nonesence is as nonsence does,
and if you realy whant to get silly, what is that light blue
anyway and why is it following us

 

[MikeCav]

Gil,

I grew up on a small lake with about 20 OT canoes on it. There was a couple of families that had canoes that were painted what I think is Yale blue. Over the years they faded (oxidized) quite a bit. I wonder if that is what you are seeing.

There is also a big difference in the Yale Blue color in the OT catalog (sort of a dusky medium blue and the coloe that Yale calls medium blue. If you haven't do so yet, take a look at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=1707.

 

[Dan Miller]

Hey Gil, you could make like Old Town probably did, and just grab whatever shade of blue is in the nearest can... There's lots of Alma Maters out there, no reason Yale should get all the advertising...

 

[Gil Cramer]

Thanks Dan,
There are three different colors of blue on the paint shelf so one of them should work. I'm certain that none would be considered Yale blue by a true Eli.

 

[Benson Gray]

My recollection is that most of the Design number 45 hulls were usually lighter than a traditional Yale blue. The color card attached below came with a 1970 catalog but it didn't scan the colors very well. I agree with Dan, paint it with any shade that you like or that you have available.

Benson

 

[Gil Cramer]

Thanks Benson,
The older color charts seemed to show the blue darker than the 1970 chart. The color on this canoe is really close to the pale blue on the 1970 chart.