Old Town 17881 16

[patrick corry]

Build sheet request for 17881 16 please. Thank you in advance.

Claimed to be a Charles River model by the current owner who states that the serial number has a 16 stamped over 17 for length.

 

[Benson Gray]

My guess is that you may have the Old Town with serial number 17881. This is a 17 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, Otca model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, birch decks, ash thwarts, spruce outside finish rails, a keel, and a middle thwart. It was built between May, 1911 and July, 1912. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped in July 8th, 1912 to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A scan of this build record can be found below.

This scan and several hundred thousand others were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others as you probably know well. 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 1912 catalog page at https://forums.wcha.org/attachments/4175/ has more details. The Carleton canoe with this serial number is also 17 feet long from 1923. Does it have long curved deck or a short heart shaped one? Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[patrick corry]

Thank you Benson,

I'm going to call this one unresolved at the moment. The canoe in question (which I haven't seen yet) has closed inwale- I guess that's how you would refer to it since the ribs appear to have been mortised into the inner surface- and the owner references a build sheet which calls it a Charles River. I'm not knowledgeable enough about Old Town canoes to be able to spot identifying features. I'll be picking the canoe up this weekend and will perhaps know more after that.

 

[Benson Gray]

My revised guess is that it may be the Old Town canoe with serial number 17891. This is a 16 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, Charles River model with red western cedar planking, closed spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, spruce outside finish rails, and a keel. It was built between May and June, 1911. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped to Easton, Pennsylvania on June 16th(?), 1911. A scan of this build record can be found below.

It is possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[patrick corry]

Many thanks Benson, I think you've got it right with 17891, and the current owner reads it this way as well!