AndrewLegg
Curious about Wooden Canoes
I just acquired an Old Town wood canvas canoe. The serial number is 179850-15. Is there a way to find out when it was made, the model, and what it is worth? It is green and in good useable condition.
Old town serial number
- Thread starter AndrewLegg
- Start date
The Old Town with serial number 179850 is a 15 foot long Trapper model with a keel. It was built in between January and April, 1968. The original fiberglass exterior color was L. C. yellow. It shipped on July (or June) 30th, 1968 to Danvers, Mass. A scan showing 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/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 the canoe. The information at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?57 has a good summary of how to value a wooden canoe, although the fiberglass on yours might make it worth a bit less. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
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/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 the canoe. The information at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?57 has a good summary of how to value a wooden canoe, although the fiberglass on yours might make it worth a bit less. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.
Benson
Attachments
AndrewLegg
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Benson, thank you for the reply. Unfortunately the build record does not match this canoe. It is definitely a green wood canvas old town.
Can you attach a picture of the serial numbers from each end? Is any digit less clear than the others? The tricks described at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?791 may help if any of the numbers are hard to read. Thanks,
Benson
Benson
AndrewLegg
Curious about Wooden Canoes
Updated number
Looks like the serial number is L79850
Looks like the serial number is L79850
H.E. Pennypacker
LOVES Wooden Canoes
Looks like 173850.
The other two likely candidates are probably 179350 and 79850 but they don't show a better match as shown below. The most likely explanation may be that the fiberglass was removed in a previous repair and replaced with canvas. It might be helpful if you can confirm the overall length and provide some pictures of the serial number from the other end along with some showing the decks and the interior. Thanks,
Benson
Benson
Attachments
H.E. Pennypacker
LOVES Wooden Canoes
Did you try 173850?
AndrewLegg
Curious about Wooden Canoes
I just picked up the canoe today from my father. The serial number 179850 is correct. This canoe has a fiberglass skin originally painted yellow. It has since been painted green.
Any ideas for refinishing this boat? Can it be sanded to the glass and finished with spar varnish to off the wood like a stripper? Or is the quality of glass from 1968 not as clear as today's strippers (shows the weave). Maybe there is a reason why Old Town painted the glass. Any advice would be helpful? Thanks
Andy
Any ideas for refinishing this boat? Can it be sanded to the glass and finished with spar varnish to off the wood like a stripper? Or is the quality of glass from 1968 not as clear as today's strippers (shows the weave). Maybe there is a reason why Old Town painted the glass. Any advice would be helpful? Thanks
Andy
The Old Town with 173850 is a 16 foot long Otca model from 1964.
Old Town painted the fiberglass because that is what the original customer wanted. Sanding and repainting it will probably be your best refinishing option. You can sand the paint off but it probably won't ever look as good as a modern stripper. The canoes that were to have a clear fiberglass finish had several things done differently from the ones that were to be painted. Good luck with the project,
Benson
