Old Town Boat?

[BigFinn]

I realize this may be off topic, but I have a boat that I would like to identify. It's a cedar ribbed (I think) square sterned boat. It's probably 60-70 years old. It measures 15' in length on the center line and is about 50.75 inches wide at the second seat and and 35.5 inches wide at the outside of the gunwales (outwales?) at the stern. The center of the deck is about 39.5 inches from the bow.

My father restored this in the early 50's. He fiberglassed the outside. She saw a lot of use, but eventually got to be too much to keep up, so he bought a mirro craft and stuck this in the barn.

I really don't think it's an Old Town, but it was probably built in Maine.

Any suggestions or WAGs are appreciated.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Hello BigFinn-- Asking for info on a possible Old Town boat isn't off-topic here... we have the Old Town records from the early 1900s to 1975 on CD, and the boats are in the same serial number series. Also, most of us love wooden boats in general and enjoy seeing them restored and used.

I can't recognize Old Town boats by their appearance but perhaps someone else here is able to. I believe the serial number on OT boats can be found on the upper edge of the transom or on the brace... check there, and if there are numbers we can see if there's an OT build record matching your boat.

I can look through the Old Town catalogs and compare pictures of their boats with yours.

Are you Finnish? We live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, in a log house originally built by Finns. The nearby town (Marquette) has a public sauna. Some of the people who grew up here didn't speak English until they began school. (So, how's that for "off topic"!)

Kathy

 

[BigFinn]

Thank you, Kathy, for the response.

Unfortunately, my Dad replaced the transom many years ago, so the serial numbers, if any, are long gone. As I said, I doubt the thing is an OT, anyway: the lines don't look right. I suspect it was built up country, some place. He had some friends that lived around Milo and I think the boat hails from that area, but who knows.

I am half Finnish. Dad was first generation US. When he started school, he spoke the English that his older brother brought home from school. My grandparents were adult when they came to the US, so their English was very limited.

Ron Aho

 

[Rollin Thurlow]

It looks more like boat made by the Kennnebec Canoe Company located in Waterville Maine. The caps on the tops of rails at the stern of the canoe, the rounded coaming on the deck and the rather straight knees that are on the seats are more Kennebec like than Old Town like.
If it was an Old Town the serial number would also still be stamped on the foot of stem up under the deck.
Rollin

 

[BigFinn]

Hi Rollin,
Thanks for the reply and the information. I'll check the stem and under the deck to see if there are any numbers or names. It looks like the company was around until the early forties, so the time frame seems right.

Ron Aho