OldTown #108109 16'

[paddlefancy]

Another middle aged Old Town AA grade to restore
Thanks in advance for documentation help.....biff

 

[Benson Gray]

You probably have a different number since the Old Town canoe with serial number 108109 is an 18 foot long, CS grade, Otca model that shipped to Hingham, Mass. on May 7th, 1931. Some of the tricks described at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?791 may help reveal the actual number. Please attach some pictures of the numbers from each end. Thanks,

Benson

 

[paddlefancy]

Ooops Is #108190

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 108190 is a 16 foot long, AA (or top) grade, Yankee model with red western cedar planking, open mahogany gunwales, mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, a keel, outside stems, and a floor rack. It was built between November, 1930 and May, 1931. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on March 27th, 1933 to Groton, 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 as you probably know well. 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

 

[makiji]

Hello Benson,

I have the following two serial numbers from Old Town canoes we'd like to trace:

126530

171182

Thanks very much for sending the build records and any other info you can locate. I appreciate your work!

Kind regards,

Mac

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 126530 is a 15 foot long, CS (Common Sense or middle) grade, fifty pound model with open spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, and a keel. It was built between January, 1939 and January, 1940. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on February 15th, 1940 to Boston, Massachusetts.

The Old Town canoe with serial number 171182 is a 15 foot long, fifty pound model with a keel. It was built between June and July, 1961. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on July 13th, 1961 to Ashland, New Hampshire.

Scans of these build records can be found below. These scans were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others as you probably know well. 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/pricing-plans/join to donate or join.

It is also possible that you could have another numbers or manufacturers if these descriptions don't match. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[makiji]

Benson,

Thanks for this great info on these two canoes. We have another 18' canoe without any serial number we can find. Based on the others we have, and its condition, it is likely from the 1930s or '40s. It doesn't have any markings or other identifying features that we are aware of. Have you any suggestions on how to identify the builder? and any other info? I'm attaching a couple of photos in case helpful. I will have a closer look when I can.

Thanks and regards,

Mac

 

[Benson Gray]

We have another 18' canoe without any serial number we can find.

This looks like an Old Town from the late 1930s or early 1940s to me. Some of the suggestions at the link below may help you uncover the numbers. It is also possible that the numbers have been deliberately removed. Good luck,

Benson

Thread 'How do I find a serial number on an old wooden canoe or boat?'

Oct 2, 2005

Many old wooden canoes and boats have a serial number on both inside stems and a decal or tag with the manufacturer's logo on the bow deck. The number is usually stamped on the top of the lower part of the stems. The inside stems are the long curved pieces of wood that form the ends of the canoe. You want to look on the part that extends out from under the decks on the bottom of the floor inside the hull. The serial numbers are stamped in each end of the canoe so check both if a single digit is not clear. These numbers in the stern of boats are occasionally on the edge of the center...

• Benson Gray
• Replies: 4
• Forum: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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