My new to me OT #25265 or #25235

[OldTownCog]

Good day!

Just picked up an "old-old town". I can see most of the ser numbers "252*5" but the second last is distorted, it looks like a "3" or a "B" to me, but the previous owner (who stored it for 12 years) seen it as a "6". Maybe if both ser# could be looked up?

I've attempted to attach a few pictures of my newly acquired cedar.

Either way, I'm pretty excited to get this beauty restored. Hopefully I'll get it done before our newborn goes off to collage..haha.

Thanks in advance,

Chris

 

[pklonowski]

Take a look at what's on the other stem -- sometimes one end is more legible than the other, or the illegible numbers are different ones, on either end.

 

[OldTownCog]

Thanks for the quick response Paul,

I'll have to take another look tomorrow. I could swear I looked at the other end already and didn't see a thing. But I'll double check.
I know it's an older one, the gunnels that came with it are the closed type.

Chris

Take a look at what's on the other stem -- sometimes one end is more legible than the other, or the illegible numbers are different ones, on either end.

 

[JClearwater]

Doesn't look like an Old Town to me. The deck shape is not Old Town and the first cant rib is wide, again not Old Town. Looks Canadian to me.

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 26265 is an 18 foot long, GS (Guide's Special or low) grade, IF model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, maple decks, maple thwarts, maple seats, a keel, and one extra cane canoe seat. It was built between January and June, 1913. The original exterior paint color was light green. It was shipped on July 3rd, 1913 to Binghamton, New York.

The Old Town canoe with serial number 26235 is a 17 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, Otca model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, birch decks, birch thwarts, birch seats, and a keel. It was built between January and April, 1913. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It was shipped on April 26th, 1913 to Sioux City, Iowa. Please check the numbers in the other end as Paul mentioned, verify the length, and post some more pictures.

Scans of these build records can be found by following the links at the attached thumbnail images below. These scans 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/about-the-wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-New-Membership.html to join.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if these descriptions don't match your canoe. The planking pattern, deck shape, and other characteristics in your pictures do not look like a typical Old Town style as Jim mentioned. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[OldTownCog]

hmm,
Could be, is there any other clues or pictures I could take to verify make/history? To be honest there is no markings, Just the seller was very adamant it was an Old Town.
Thanks,
Chris

Doesn't look like an Old Town to me. The deck shape is not Old Town and the first cant rib is wide, again not Old Town. Looks Canadian to me.

 

[KAT]

The decks and the wide cant rib look like my Chestnut, that is what I see it as possibly being. Thwarts are about the same too, but I could be wrong.

 

[OldTownCog]

Thanks everyone!

After reading a few other posts, I just remembered I did find two Robertson screws in the very tip of the stern. I passed it off as a repair.
I'll have more info and pictures for everyone tomorrow evening.

Thanks again, great site.

Chris

 

[Kathryn Klos]

It's also helpful to look at where the canoe was shipped and decide if that makes sense. Canoes don't tend to travel far-- at least not until "we" got active with buying cool old canoes and moving them across the country/countries!

 

[OldTownCog]

Ok, Day Two of Name that Canoe!!

I got a few more pictures and some measurements, I hope this helps (I'm excited to find out what it is)-

-length- 16'6" *
-Width- 32"
-Bow, stern height- 19"
-Ribs, 2 3/8" taper down to 1 5/8"
-Back seat 9 1/2"x 11 3/4"
-Front seat 9 1/2"x 14 1/4"
-All screws I could find are Robertson. Clear sign to me that it's from Canada.
-Only one ser # location,
-I found a couple wing nuts attaching the rear seat.
-Upon a closer look, it turns out the gunnels aren't the closed type. I just held them up wrong
-Found some faded light green paint....

Thanks everyone for the awesome help and knowledge.

Chris

 

[MackyM]

Looks a lot like a Chestnut cruiser.
I wonder about the extra 6" of OAL.

 

[OldTownCog]

Yeah, it very well could be.
After looking up tons of pictures, I'd say chestnut for sure.

The OAL is actually closer to 16' 9". Would the companies consider that as a 17'?

Thanks again for the info!

Chris

 

[Larry Meyer]

If Chestnut, and it sure looks that to me, 3 thwarts would make it 17. 2 thwarts for 16 footer. Depth is not enough for Prospector, so Cruiser, its cousin, is good bet.