Oldtown 15 foot #284268

[obriengreg]

I just picked up a 15 foot Oldtown wood canoe #284268.
I was told it was built in 1987 and was bought new for $2200.
It has mahogany decks seats and gunwales.
Stem bands are aluminum and the oldtown logo on the deck is a metal plate.
Does anyone have records from canoes this new?

Thanks

Greg

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Our records on CD only go through 210999, which dates to 1975. You might try Old Town directly (cost of $3), but it's been reported here that they stopped keeping records in the mid-'80s.

If your canoe is a 15 footer from the '80s, it would be a trapper model (see pics from the 1987 catalog, courtesy the Old Town Catalog collection available on CD from www.dragonflycanoe.com or the WCHA store)... but it appears to have a pre-1957 Otca deck. Perhaps a special order? It would be interesting to see the record. Looks like AA grade too.

Kathy

 

[MikeCav]

Looks like the deck from the Molitor on that page, but doesn't have the stem profile.

 

[Dave Osborn]

Did O.T. make canoes in the late 80's with that deck style? Sorta looks like old time 20" OTCA decks with coaming. Double check the serial number. Sometimes they can be hard to read correctly.
Looks like it has seen a lot of weather in it's short life.

 

[MikeCav]

Dave,
The older OT 20" decks had a combing that was bent in almost a complete half circle and was inlet into the inwales like this one from 1929 (you can see the combing on either end, but only screws in the middle - pre-restoration). The other photo is after I restored it.

If you look at the catalog pages that Kathy included, that molitor deck looks pretty much like the one in Gregs pictures. Obviously the stem doesn't look Molitor-ish to me, but the metal name plate also suggests a newer boat (or replacement)

 

[Dave Osborn]

I thought that later Molitor models had flower petal decks......?
I can't see a coaming on Kathy's catalog page.

Cool canoe, though! It will be a real "head turner" when it is restored.

 

[obriengreg]

Thanks for the replies.
Here is a photo of the serial number.
It is a newer canoe but it's not been treated well.

Greg

 

[Kathryn Klos]

petal deck

Here's a link to an older post re the "modern" Molitor deck... it has several "petals", and I think that simply isn't showing up in the photo used in the catalog.

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?t=4533&highlight=molitor+deck

 

[Dave Osborn]

Greg,
Good luck on your restoration!! Let us know if you get any build record info from the "mother ship"......
Dave

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Glad the little canoe is finally in the custody of someone who'll take care of her! Interesting that someone spent some bucks getting a trapper all tricked-out, and then didn't treat it with due respect!

 

[MikeCav]

I guess I booted that one - Dave you are right about the flower petal decks, the catalog page photos didn't show it clearly. Even the OT website photos are not great.

Looks like his serial # is pretty clear, though.

 

[Dave Wermuth]

Molitor

I thought modern Molitors did not have thwarts. Where'd I get that idea from?

 

[obriengreg]

I mailed 3 dollars to oldtown and they sent an email with the build record.
Custom 20" mahogany decks.
The canoe got every option but the floor rack and half ribs.