Old Town 126983 18

Kurt Mitenbuler

New Member
Old Town told me it was for a 1920-ish Sportsman AA 18' sailing canoe. Subsequent conversation with folks from this site tell me they've not heard of a "Sportsman" model.

Red Cedar, White Cedar, and mahogany gunwhales, inwhales, caned seats, thwarts, decks fore and aft.

Anyone know what this guy is?
 

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Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 126983 is an 18 foot long, AA (or top) grade, Guide model with open mahogany gunwales, thirty inch mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, mahogany seats, a keel, mast seat, mast step, and a rudder. It was built between March and May, 1939. The original exterior paint design is shown at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/design37.gif and was known as the design number 37. It shipped on May 22nd, 1939 to Elkhart, Indiana. A scan of 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 possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. The 1939 catalog at https://www.woodencanoe.org/_files/ugd/537308_fb6215b64e36479789648880b9150989.pdf has more details on page nine. This model is frequently described in the catalogs saying "This canoe is for the use of guides and sportsmen." Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson



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Wow! That was fast. It all checks out. I remember the seller told me it was his grandfather's who lived in Elkhart, IN, and now I remember that OT told me it was 1939, not 1920-ish. The only thing that doesn't line up is they told me it was a "Sportsman" model....(?) Maybe I misheard. It's definitely got the lower ends of the Guide model.

Thanks much!
 
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