Old Town #93746

[ronald anderson]

Hi!
I'm hoping that I can find out some information on my Old Town canoe #93746. I would appreciate any information that I can get. I would love to get a copy of the build sheet as well, if it is possible. Thank you in advance for the great work that you all do. It's all very much appreciated.
Ron Anderson

 

[MikeCav]

Hello Ronald and welcome to the WCHA forums.

93746 appears on a 16' HW (Heavy Water) model Old Town in CS (Common Sense - or no frills) grade. It had open spruce gunwales and ash seats, decks and thwarts and a keel. It's original color was dark green. It was shipped to Echo Lake Camp in June of 1927. A copy of the build record is attached.

Scans of approximately 210,000 records were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. Additional information about the project to preserve these records is available at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. Please join WCHA or make a tax deductable contribution so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA, http://www.wcha.org/wcha_video.php to watch a 10 minute video about WCHA and our programs and http://www.wcha.org/join.html to join. If you are already a WCHA member, THANK YOU!

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

 

[ronald anderson]

Thank you Mike. Wow! That was quick. Thank you so much. Sounds like my canoe. She is still in decent shape after all these years. The original ash seats are incredible. The biggest drawback is that the boat was fiberglassed years ago but still seems to be in good enough shape to take a few spins around the lake. If all else fails I'll hang her from the ceiling just so that I can enjoy her beauty. You guys are great. Thanks so much. Ron.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Hi Ron-- You should be able to enjoy your canoe for more than "a few spins"!

Use the "search" function above to find discussions about fiberglass on canoes that were originally canvas covered. The discussions will suggest how to use and maintain your canoe as-is, without running into problems... and if you have questions, there are lots of friendly folks here with varied experiences who are eager to help. The main problem with fiberglass on a canoe that was originally canvassed has to do with moisture being trapped and causing rot. Fiberglass can render the canoe heavier than it originally was-- contributing to the urban legend that wood/canvas canoes are heavy beasts.

You'll also find information on the removal of fiberglass (usually the better the glassing-job, the longer it takes to remove) and canvassing... and possibly the start of a delightful passion (obsession?).

Later today I'll post some pictures of your canoe from the 1927 Old Town catalog. It's fun to see how they were described.

Happy Paddling!
Kathy

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Here are a couple images from the 1927 OT catalog (found on the Catalog Collection CD).

 

[ronald anderson]

Thanks to all of you!!

Kathryn,
Thank you so much for the information. As a new member, I have to say that this is truly a "class-act" organization. It's folks like you that keep others interested in this hobby. I'm amazed at the dedication that you and the others have with your answers and guidance. It's great fun to read through the forums and to get educated at every step of the way. Thanks again. You guys are terrific.
Ron

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Welcome to WCHA!

Hi again, Ron--

It's amazing how many good people-- true friends-- Denis Kallery and I have met through WCHA. We attended our first WCHA Assembly last July and look forward VERY much to this year's event-- the canoes are great, but the people are the heart of WCHA.

For me, these forums are a perfect example of "you get what you give": when I look up something for another person, I'm learning about it too-- and it feels good to be helpful and maybe have another friend to meet in-person at Assembly one day!

Kathy

 

[ronald anderson]

Thank you Kathy for your kind words. It would be an honor to meet you as well as some of the other familiar names from the WCHA forums. I will continue to read and learn. I look forward to it! Thanks again!
Ron

 

[ronald anderson]

Kathy-One more request??

Hello again Kathy,
I was wondering if you could forward a copy of the build sheet, for Old Town #93746, to me. Mike was kind enough to send me one, but, it was such a large format that I could not print it off. I noticed that the ones that you forward to others seem to be just the right size (sorry Mike). I hope that this is not too much trouble and I, of course, would appreciate it greatly. Thanks so much in advance for your help.
Ron

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Nooo Problem...

Here you are, Ron... and thanks for the feedback re how the scans look once I've posted them. The system I've been using is to right-click on the scan and send it to myself... in that process, I'm asked if I want to reduce the size... which I do, because I have sloowww dial-up... so, I'm glad that my system works well for those on the receiving-end!

Thought I'd add another page from the 1927 Old Town catalog... there's a current discussion re shipping elsewhere in Forums, and it's interesting to see what was done back in The Olden Days. More use of trains.... trains are cool.

Also decided to check out Echo Lake Camp. Not sure if I found the camp that goes with your canoe... but build records sometimes provide clues we can follow to discover the canoe's history.

http://www.hikercentral.com/campgrounds/108198.html

Kathy

 

[ronald anderson]

Beautiful. Thank you so much. The scans came out great. Thanks also for the additional info regarding "Old Town Canoes" crating, shipping, etc. It's fascinating.

I researched Camp Lake Echo, as well, and it looks like my canoe was probably at Camp Lake Echo in Poyntelle, Pa. Someone on the forum said that it was common for these "camp" canoes to be fiberglassed after a few years because of frequent use/abuse by kids. I wish mine could talk.

I found out about a previous owner in Maryland and hopefully I will be talking to him in a few days. Maybe he can fill in a few blanks regarding the boats history. I'll let you know if I have any luck. Thanks again for your help. You guys are great!!

Ron

 

[ronald anderson]

Kathy,

You may be right about Camp Echo Lake in NY. My research was kind of "lame". I did find an obscure reference on Wikipedia regarding a group of campers that once attended camp at Camp Lake Echo in Poyntelle, PA. Maybe it was a small place that no longer exists. Otherwise, all I find is reference to the NY camp. Oh well, I need to get a life (ha!).

Thanks for checking it out.

Ron

 

[ronald anderson]

Mystery solved!!

I should have looked at the build sheet a little closer. It's Echo Lark Camp in Poyntelle, PA. Check out <http://www.echolark.com/history.htm>. I "really" need to get a life. At least you'll know about this place if the name ever comes up again.

Ron

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Interesting!

Yeah, I know how it is to discover you've spent the whole afternoon following bits of information around the internet...

 

[ronald anderson]

I spoke with a previous owner of my canoe and he said that he had purchased it 4 or 5 years ago from a family in Pennsylvania. Apparently it had been in their family since at least the 1940's. Looks like it has probably been in PA since it was built in 1927 and shipped to Echo Lark Camp. So much for a little history.