Identify OT 14’ dinghy

[David R Keller]

I’m restoring an Old Town 14’ dinghy. I know this is a ”canoe” heritage website, but taking the liberty to introduce my dinghy project, as it’s clearly an Old Town model, built with cedar canoe technique, etc. It has a serial number, but somewhat indistinguishable - perhaps L4162(8, 9, or S). That’s the best I can make out. The wrinkle of this model is that it has a fiberglass shell/skin over the normals cedar frame and plank system. It clearly does not seem to be an aftermarket fiberglass application, but seems to have been manufactured with the fiberglass from the factory. Also, it has a substantial wooden “rub rail” or splash guard running on exterior just above the waterline. However I’ve searched everywhere I could for evidence OT offered the dinghies with a fiberglass skin, but no luck. I suspect it was a special order (perhaps for a harbor or work boat), or perhaps as OT was transitioning from canvass to exploring fiberglass. It’s a great durable boat. (I say that having restored more than one old canvass OT canoe, including my current 1915 18 footer.). It’s in very old condition, and required only a couple of rot repairs and a thorough cleaning and refinishing. Has original floor boards w/hardware, looks like original oars, the very substantial bronze oarlocks, motor mounting hardware, etc. I’ve even found a age-appropriate 1957 Johnson 5.5 HP motor for it.
So I’d like to get the build paperwork for it if possible, and confirm whether it was indeed supplied by OT with the fiberglass? As I don’t know the OT serial numbering scheme, or of dinghies have a separate register, etc. I’m somewhat at a loss.
Attached are some pics of the dinghy. More pics to follow with details of the repairs.

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome and congratulations, my guess is that you have the Old Town with serial number 141629. This is a 14 foot long, CS (Common Sense or middle) grade, square stern model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, number six canvas, ash decks, spruce seats, a keel, outside stems, a floor rack, a painter ring, and one pair of rowlocks (a.k.a. oarlocks). It was built between February and April, 1945. The exterior paint color was dark green with a G.S. (Guide's Special or lighter) green bottom. It shipped on April 17th, 1945 to Bangor, Maine. A scan showing this build record can be found below.

This scan and several hundred thousand more 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/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will donate, join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See https://www.woodencanoe.org/about to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/shop to donate or join.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the boat. There is nothing to indicate that this boat had a fiberglass exterior applied at the factory. The build records from 1955 shown at the link below appear to be the first experiments with fiberglass at Old Town. Their catalogs did not list a fiberglass dinghy until 1967. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions. Good luck with the project,

Benson

Who has the oldest epoxy and fibreglass built canoe in regular use today?

Hi Folks My first canoe is close to 13 years old( a baby compared to many wood canvas and early all wood craft), which got me thinking.. I wonder who owns the oldest epoxy fibreglass build canoe still in regular use? I guess it might be an early Ted Moores or Gil Gilpatrick boat or maybe people...

forums.wcha.org

 

[David R Keller]

Thank yo so much Benson Gray!
I guess that answers the fiberglass question. I also searched for when OT started using fiberglass and it was later than my dinghy was built. So whomever fiberglassed it did a very good job, removing the outside gunnels, keel and parallel runners, rub rails (or they just added them later). That’s seven full length strips with many screws and sealants to replace!
I’m a little confused about the designation as a square stern model, as clearly mine is a dinghy with a beam and transom of about 4 feet. I assumed square enders had a normal canoe profile/beam with just a squared-off stern and quite a bit narrower than a dinghy. Perhaps in 1945 their termination was slightly different?
I also wish I could peek under the fiberglass and look for tell-tale signs of canvassing, I.e. tack holes, canvass rub pattern, etc.

 

[Benson Gray]

I’m a little confused about the designation as a square stern model, as clearly mine is a dinghy with a beam and transom of about 4 feet.

The 1947 and 1948 Old Town catalogs at the links below are very similar to the one from 1945. The 14 foot square stern model is described on page 18 as having a 48 inch "Width Extreme" and a 42.5 inch "Width Stern" so that sounds like a match. The dinghies are described on page 21 but the largest one is only 11.5 feet long. The Square-End Paddling model canoes on page 14 have the "normal canoe profile/beam" which you mentioned but they were not available in a 14 foot length. Let me know if this doesn't answer you question,

Benson

Old Town Canoes & Boats, 1947 | Adirondack Experience

Old Town Canoe Company 1948 | Wooden Canoe Museum

woodencanoemuseum.org

 

[David R Keller]

Many thanks again Benson! You the man! I even found rub rails offered later in catalog for $10.