Old Town Build Sheet
- Thread starter Ed Moses
- Start date
The Old Town canoe with serial number 51206 is an 18 foot long, AA grade, Otca model with Western red cedar planking, open mahogany gunwales, mahogany decks, mahogany trim, half ribs, a keel, outside stems, two number one spruce paddles (one four feet six inches and one five feet long) and two back rests in cane with hard wood(?). It was built between January and July, 1918. The original exterior paint color was Yale blue with a B. F. R. monogram in a circle on the left bow. It was shipped on August 2nd, 1918 to Alton, New Hampshire. A scan of this build record can be found by following the link at the attached thumbnail image 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/ot_records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to join.
It is also possible that they could have another number or manufacturer if this description don't match the canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
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/ot_records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to join.
It is also possible that they could have another number or manufacturer if this description don't match the canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
Attachments
Kathryn Klos
squirrel whisperer
Cane Backrest
We have a back rest like the one pictured in the 1918 OT catalog, which may have been the type shipped with this canoe. I'll post the image below-- it comes from "The Complete Old Town Canoe Company Catalog Collection, 1901- 1993", available on CD from http://www.wcha.org/catalog/ and http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm on the web.
I refer to the item in upper left-- the one we have is mahogany, and was routed-out on the reverse, with mahogany inset to cover the holes and caning... makes for a nice, tidy reverse-side but makes it nearly impossible to re-do the caning. The backrest in the catalog picture appears to have the 7-step pattern, while ours has a couple steps left out... possibly so there would be less cane to cover on the back side-- dunno. It's interesting, because it's as though folks were supposed to use the backrest carefully or to replace the whole thing if someone stepped through it.
Wish I could order stuff on this catalog page...
Kathy
We have a back rest like the one pictured in the 1918 OT catalog, which may have been the type shipped with this canoe. I'll post the image below-- it comes from "The Complete Old Town Canoe Company Catalog Collection, 1901- 1993", available on CD from http://www.wcha.org/catalog/ and http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm on the web.
I refer to the item in upper left-- the one we have is mahogany, and was routed-out on the reverse, with mahogany inset to cover the holes and caning... makes for a nice, tidy reverse-side but makes it nearly impossible to re-do the caning. The backrest in the catalog picture appears to have the 7-step pattern, while ours has a couple steps left out... possibly so there would be less cane to cover on the back side-- dunno. It's interesting, because it's as though folks were supposed to use the backrest carefully or to replace the whole thing if someone stepped through it.
Wish I could order stuff on this catalog page...
Kathy
Attachments
1918 AA Otca 18'
Thank you Benson. The build sheet fits this canoe exactly. A floor rack was added apparently post shipment from OT as there are the blocks and bang strip rack retention pieces in place in addition to the half ribs. This one is in good shape for its age, with only a few broken ribs (8) and the planking is in tact.
Kathy, thanx for the period catalog page. It would be a nice addition to make up the caned back rests that were on the original order/build sheet.. Once refurbished ( note I did not say restored), this will be a good looking old canoe. I must ask the young couple who gave me the canoe if the person who ordered it is a relative.
Ed
Thank you Benson. The build sheet fits this canoe exactly. A floor rack was added apparently post shipment from OT as there are the blocks and bang strip rack retention pieces in place in addition to the half ribs. This one is in good shape for its age, with only a few broken ribs (8) and the planking is in tact.
Kathy, thanx for the period catalog page. It would be a nice addition to make up the caned back rests that were on the original order/build sheet.. Once refurbished ( note I did not say restored), this will be a good looking old canoe. I must ask the young couple who gave me the canoe if the person who ordered it is a relative.
Ed
