Old Town Otca 1943 to 1944? Serial number 137755

I finally got around to checking out my Old Town Otca 17 footer. Had it since 1965.

Serial Number 137755

The build chart shows its likely a 1943 to 1944 built.
Can anyone help verify?

Regards,
Mark
 
The Old Town canoe with serial number 135577 is a 17 foot long, AA (or top) grade, HW (heavy water) model with open mahogany gunwales, mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, mahogany seats, a keel, a floor rack, and a bang plate along the full length of the keel. It was built between June and September, 1943. The original exterior paint was similar to the one shown at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/design37.gif which was known as the design number 37. It shipped on September 28th, 1943 to Winchendon, Mass. A scan showing 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 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 renew.

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,

Benson
 

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Benson Gray: Thank you so much for the help and the WCHA group for all your history. I was recently telling my son-in-law how long I have had this canoe and that I thought only adults should use it since it should not be boarded with it leaning on the shore, rather fully in the water to make sure it was supported properly.

Got me to thinking how old it might be since I bought it from a friend when I was in the Navy in Connecticut about 1965. Used it fishing on the Thames river in the winter. Took a trip down the Connecticut river and collected great drift wood and memories. Took my first daughter in it when she was 4 weeks old. Canoed on lake Champlain, New Hampshire and Maine. Used in Wisconsin, Illinois, and it now resides (and is still in great condition) on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri. I take the Grand Kids in it now.

Donation time to WCHA is due now. You folks are great.

Many thanks.
 
I think a canoe deserves a diary-- folks who paddled it, where it went... what everyone saw and did and ate...
 
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