Heres a clue, can you help?

[chris pearson]

I have aquired a Wolf Pond centerboard Old Town sailing canoe. Interesting investigative work to be done. It has what appears to be the original canvas with remnents of lettering on it calling out a canoe club, canoe name, or possibly the camp it came from. The lettering is toast, I can't tell anything from it, but... there is a pine tree with a letter "N" in the center. The canoe was shipped to the Macy's warehouse in 1928 in New Jersey. Anyone have a clue as to a club? I know there were several canoe clubs around there or possibly the Hudson or even to Big Wolf Pond area in the Adirondacks. It has a copper number 15 on the stern deck as well, part of a regatta club fleet?

 

[MGC]

Hi Chris,
I hope you get that refinished. It should be a beauty.
It was Camp Navarac, originally Prospect Point on Upper Saranac.
It took me quite a few years to figure that out.....

 

[chris pearson]

How on earth did you figure that out? Holy cow! What else can you tell me? Meaning behind the no. 15? History behind the camp? Did they have a fleet or was it part of the Wolf Pond race? Oh, I will restorre it, make take a couple years, but I will! So then, I surmize it said Camp Naravac on the canoe? I don't suppose they have any photos of it way back when? Any contact info.? The Mast is original, but the boom, yard and sail arent. I have the identical set up for my sailing canoe so I can try the sail on this one too, until I get another. Nice part is, the mast is original. Thanks for the info.!!! Any artwork that you know of for the lettering?

 

[chris pearson]

History!!!!

So, since this canoe was from 1928, the lettering was put on later. As you described, it was Prospect Point great camp first, before becoming a Jewish girls camp in the early 50's, so interesting. Here's a link about it.....http://hsl.wikispot.org/Prospect_Point_Camp

 

[chris pearson]

Fate.....It's funny how things work out, after reading the history of the camp, it's interesting to note that my nephew is a Young Life Counselor and spends time at the camp every year! I was destined to own her! I feel very lucky to own it.

 

[Dan Miller]

A couple of the Rushton canoes at the Adirondack Museum have the same logo and lettering. If you have Hallie Bond's book, they are pictured in it. If not, then I guess your roadtripping to the 'dacks...

Dan

 

[MGC]

How on earth did you figure that out? Holy cow!

It sort of came to me after staring at it for a real long time. It finally occurred to me that the ac (last two letters) was the key.
PM me a phone number and I'll tell share what little else I know.

BTW....been enjoying Elizabeth this month.....very nice.

 

[MGC]

A couple of the Rushton canoes at the Adirondack Museum have the same logo and lettering. If you have Hallie Bond's book, they are pictured in it. If not, then I guess your roadtripping to the 'dacks...

Dan

Coincidentally here tis...I was there recently after doing the 15 Carries (my own twisted version of the 9 and 7 route).
This canoe at the museum was the confirmation of my theory about that name...

 

[chris pearson]

Holy crap, I can't believe you deciphered that from what was left on that canoe!!!!! Brilliant. Thanks to Dan too.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Navarac is caravan backwards.

 

[chris pearson]

Thats interesting! Wonder if that was the intent?

 

[Benson Gray]

Wonder if that was the intent?

The first comment at http://jwa.org/blog/summer-camp seems to indicate that this was the intent. The canoe looks great in the FaceBook pictures! The open screw eyes on the ends of the middle thwart are for the rudder line as shown at http://forums.wcha.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=22923&d=1347065452 and were probably installed at the factory.

The canoe was shipped to the Macy's warehouse in 1928 in New Jersey.

I believe that the build record at http://forums.wcha.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=21739&d=1340881840 shows Long Island City in New York. Have fun,

Benson

 

[Dave Wermuth]

And I should have known Kathy, you, of all people would pick up on that one quickly. It's from your experience as a writer. Is there a sister camp Caravan?

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Names of stuff in science fiction are often common English words/names backwards...

Plus, as a teenager I followed the example of Leonardo DaVinci and wrote my diary backwards (mirror writing) so my sister couldn't read it. Her name was/is Carol. The Lorac is an evil species inhabiting a fictitious planet...