Hull ID Number?

[SukieClark]

Hello,
I've been directed to this site from Wooden Boat Forum, hoping to tap the great resources I've been told are here. I just acquired an Old Town 9' Dinghy which was at one time canvas covered. It's in pretty bad shape but I'm starting to restore her. I've found a number on the stem and it looks like 165108 or I65I08. Can anyone out there give me an idea of the year she was built and any other interesting info?
Thanks!

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town with serial number 165108 is a 9 foot long, AA (or top) grade, dinghy model with half ribs, a keel, and outside stems. It was built between April and October, 1956. The original paint color was white. It shipped on November 26th, 1956 to Fall River, Mass. A scan of this build record can be found by following the link at the attached thumbnail image below.

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 will join or renew your membership to 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 join.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your dinghy. More information can be found in the catalogs on the Old Town Canoe Company catalog CD. This is available at http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm or at http://woodencanoe.org/catalog/prod...d=404&osCsid=5e7c34cd95bbee12dde0afa4c7845c42 in the WCHA store. You can also get parts from Island Falls Canoe as shown at http://www.islandfallscanoe.com/our-canoes.asp?cat=1087 if you don't want to make them yourself. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson