Old Town In Arkansas

[Jon Hedges]

Looking for Information on an 18’ Old Town wood & canvas canoe. The number/ code XTC19802M78J appears on a tag riveted to the hull just below the starboard rail at the stern. Another number 279802 18 is stamped on the front and rear wooden (stems?) inside the canoe at each end.

‘This is my dads canoe purchased in the late 70s.

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome, the Old Town canoe with serial number 219802 and hull identification number XTC19802M78J is an 18 foot long guide model with a keel and fiberglass in place of canvas. It was built between December, 1977 and March, 1978. The original exterior paint color was green. It shipped on May 12th, 1978 to Little Rock, Arkansas. A scan of this build record can be found by following the link at the thumbnail image attached below.



This scan and several hundred thousand more were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others . 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 join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/about-wcha to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/store/membership to join.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. Canoes with a family history are always extra special. My guess is that the serial numbers stamped in the stems of this canoe are actually 219802 18 and not 279802 18. The digits for ones and sevens are often confused. The image below shows how these two digits looked during this period. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[Jon Hedges]

Thanks Benson. You’re right that is a 1. The Fiberglass explains why it’s held up so well after many years sitting out in a barn. Curious; were many of these made with the Fiberglass option from the factory?