Old Town?

[BAlcorn]

Hello, I just picked up an old canoe which I think is an Old Town. It looks like the number on the stems is 95317 with a space and then 16, which is presumably the length. Any help deciphering is appreciated!

 

[Todd F]

Can you post any pictures? Would be very helpful. Thanks

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 95317 is a 16 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, HW model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, birch decks, birch thwarts, birch seats, and a keel. It was built between August, 1927 and May, 1928. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on May 16th, 1928 to Hillsboro, New Hampshire. A scan of this build record can be found 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 donate, join, or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See https://www.woodencanoe.org/about to learn more about the WCHA and https://www.woodencanoe.org/shop to donate or join.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match the canoe. Pictures would be great as Todd mentioned. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[BAlcorn]

Thanks all! The gunwales do look spruce in places where the paint pealed. Unfortunately someone fiberglassed it. I’d like to try to get the fiberglass off and recanvas it, but fear it’ll just do too much damage. The build sheet does ,are sense. I got it on Facebook marketplace for $150 in Hillsboro NH and the seller said it was from a local summer camp.

 

[Dave Wermuth]

Removing the 'glass is a good idea. It can and has been done. It may come right off, it may need more time and effort. I always sink them in the pond for up to a week and use a heat gun. Remove stem bands and keel and outwales first and check to see how well the 'glass is stuck. It's not too difficult. Gloves, pliers, putty knife and heat gun. Maybe eye protection too. Welcome to the addiction.

 

[BAlcorn]

I will try to get it off. It's REALLY on there, though. I had another one where the glass came right off, but the planking was pretty far gone. I feel like if it'll come off without causing too much damage, I'll go for it.