Old Town OCTA SN 80058 -17

[Old_Paddler]

I suspect this canoe is from 1923. I bought it today, the guy who had it bought it and another canoe in 1975 with the intentions of restoring both. Both hung in his garage until he started on the other canoe a couple of years ago, this one finally came out of the garage this year.

From what he told me, both had hard use in a camp in Maine.
Basically sound, 2 cracked ribs, outer gunwales in poor shape, 1 inner gunwale will need replacing or major splices.

Can you verify my suspicion that it's from 1923 and provide the build sheet?

Thanks

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 80058 is an 17 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, Otca model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, birch decks, birch thwarts, birch seats, and a keel. It was built between September and November, 1923. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on June 27th, 1925 to Bridgton, Maine. 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. 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/about-the-wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-New-Membership.html to join.

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

Benson

 

[Old_Paddler]

Thank you, the confirms what I thought it was and reinforces the story about where it was sold, used and abused.

Found out that it was used a Jewish Girls Camp from your information.
Amazing, the power of the internet.
Attachment is from an ad in a Princeton Alumni Weekly from 1934.

Thank you for your help.