Help Identifying Canoe from Serial Number 8299 1015

[Paul B]

I would appreciate any help in identifying a canoe I am restoring with the serial number 8299 1015. The canoe was bought by my father to restore at least 55 years ago and it was repaired and re-canvassed at least once prior to that. So my guess is at a minimum it’s 65 years old.

 

[Benson Gray]

Can you provide any pictures of the serial numbers from each end along with some pictures and the extreme dimensions in a straight line? Some Canadian builders had four digit model numbers like this but none appear to have used 1015. The 15 foot long Peterborough Minetta from 1956 was model number 1815 for example. Thanks,

Benson

 

[Paul B]

Thank you for your reply Benson. Unfortunately the canoe is at my cottage so I don’t have immediate access to measure it…but will next week. I’ve attached the pictures I readily have and can provide more when I’m back at the cottage. Google AI seemed to think it could be an Old Town and from an Old Town graph of serial numbers 8299 suggested 1924, but who knows!

 

[Murat V]

AI has been making plenty of obvious mistakes with canoe identification lately. Your serial number style (4 digits space 4 digits) and the canoe's construction features are consistent with a Peterborough Minetta. The last four digits are the model number 1815 not 1015. This serial number system for Peterborough first appeared circa 1940 and the Minetta with model number 1815 first appears in the 1951 catalogue. Peterborough ceased production circa 1961 putting your boat sometime in that 1951-1961 timeframe.

 

[Paul B]

That’s great, thank you very much for the information. I also inherited two other restoration projects, a Trapper Shorty and the other I may come back here for help trying to ID. Thanks again.

 

[Benson Gray]

The pictures below show a similar canoe which still had the remains of a decal on the deck.

Benson

 

[Paul B]

That’s helpful, thank you. Both are gone on ours but we will look to add back.

 

[Murat V]

Curious to know if your Trapper Shorty has the older, pre-1940 model code (86) or the post-1940 model code (1446).

 

[Paul B]

I will check that out when I get back to the cottage where it is. I did look into it a few years back and 1446 rings a bell.