Old Town #182423 15

[Michael Grace]

I would be grateful for information on this canoe. 182423 (last digit is faint so could possibly be an 8). It is a 15' 50#/Lightweight model. There is a painter ring on each of the decks, and oddly, the keel is attached at every rib, though. Nothing else special - no half ribs, no outside stems. Thank you.

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town with serial number 182428 shipped to Florida but is a 16 foot long Otca model so that isn't a good match. My guess is that you have the one with serial number 182423. This is a 15 foot long Trapper model with thwarts in place of seats and no keel. It was built between January and March, 1969. The original fiberglass exterior was clear to show the natural wood. It shipped on September 29th, 1970 to Birmingham, Michigan. Scans showing both build records can be found below.

These scans and several hundred thousand more 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 also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. The keel was added after it left the factory which can explain the extra screws. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[Michael Grace]

Thank you, Benson. Keel makes sense and its later addition could help explain another odd feature... Unlike many once-canvas-covered canoes that get fiberglassed, this one appears to be a 'glassed model that long ago was converted to canvas.