Ol Town serial# 42908 17

S.n. 42908 17

Old Town Serial Number 42908 17 belonged to a 17-foot CS (common sense or middle) grade HW model canoe with spruce gunwales and ash thwarts, seats and decks. Its original color was apparently (?) pale blue. It was built in 1916 and shipped to Paterson, New Jersey, in June 1916.

The scan of this build record is attached below--click on it to get a larger image. 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 and anyone else reading this will join or renew membership in 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 renew.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. Check to see that New Jersey might be the right neighborhood. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Norm
 

Attachments

  • 42908 17.jpg
    42908 17.jpg
    567.7 KB · Views: 183
Old Town 42908 is a 17 foot (I believe--- the scan is smudgy) CS (common sense, or middle) grade HW model canoe that was completed April to June of 1916. It has red Western cedar planking, CLOSED spruce gunwales, ash decks, thwarts, and seat frames and a keel. Originally, it was painted Yale Blue. It was shipped to Paterson, New Jersey, on June 14, 1916.

There's no mention of a sail rig, but if this record matches your canoe in the other respects, the rig could have been added later.

Unless added at a later time, a 1916 OT canoe would NOT have the traditional Old Town diamond-head bolts securing the thwarts and seats, but would have counter-sunk carriage bolts.

Note that this canoe has closed gunwales... if yours has open wales, then this is the wrong record. Glad to keep looking, if this is what we must do to find the right one.

The scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image. 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 and anyone else reading this will join or renew membership in 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 renew.

Kathy
 

Attachments

  • ot42908.jpg
    ot42908.jpg
    570.9 KB · Views: 199
Kathryn, This canoe does have closed gunwales and does not have the diamond shaped bolts. There is a metal enforced hole in the front seat with a block containing a square hole beneath it. This does look like it was added. There are metal rudder mounts on the stren and pulleys attached on the gunwales. It also has a wooden 6 strip deck on the floor of the canoe the is held down with toggles. Would this have been original? Thank you very much for everyone's imput. What a great source of valuable information.
 
Serial # 42908 17

The original build record doesn't have any indication of a sailing rig -- although there wasn't a place to indicate that. There is a line for a floor rack, which is blank, but that could have been added later.

Do you have any old sails to indicate the original shapes?

Norm
 
Attached are images from the 1916 Old Town catalog (courtesy "The Complete Old Town Canoe Company Catalog Collection, 1901- 1993", available on CD from http://www.wcha.org/catalog/ and http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm on the web) which may help you identify the sailing elements on your canoe-- and it's always interesting to see what things originally cost.

Glad the canoe matches the record! The HW model is the Old Town canoe most commonly rigged for sailing. If you're interested in sailing your canoe, the best book on the subject is Todd Bradshaw's "Canoe Rig". It's available many places, but I'll give you the Amazon link because it lets you "look inside" and you get a feel for the information.

http://www.amazon.com/Canoe-Rig-Essence-Sailpower-Traditional/dp/0937822574#reader_0937822574

Todd is a regular contributor to these Forums. He and others here have rigged canoes for sailing and would cheer you on, if you decide to sail as well as paddle your nice old canoe.

Glad you found this place... and hope you enjoy your canoe!

Kathy
 

Attachments

  • ot 1916 sail rig.gif
    ot 1916 sail rig.gif
    156.6 KB · Views: 212
  • ot 1916 extras.gif
    ot 1916 extras.gif
    121.6 KB · Views: 182
I would like to sail this canoe. There are no sails or mast. I do have a rudder and keel set up that might work. Thanks
 
Back
Top