Ot 121127-18

[pklonowski]

A friend here in NE illinois has an Old Town that was nicely restored by Ross Bros, Massachusetts. Hey, we know them here, don't we? Anyway, he has lost whatever documentation came with the boat, and is interested in finding out more of its history. We'll start with the build sheet, if we could? I know it's older than my Otca (SN 146611, 1946).

He also has in his warehouse an OT sailing canoe with sponsons, SN161XXX-16 (didn't write it down, and the rememberer needs a tune-up). Any estimates when this was built?

Many thanks in advance,

 

[pklonowski]

Answered half of that myself... searched the earlier posts in this forum.

OT #118xxx was built in 1936
#125xxx was built in 1938
So our #121127 is probably 1937. Would still be nice to get the build record, please!

Similarly, #165xxx was in 1957, #170xxx was in 1960, so 161xxx was probably 1955 or thereabouts...

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Hey, Paul--

Yup-- 1937 it is! Old Town 121127 is an 18 foot GS (guide special) grade Guide model canoe, finished from March through June of 1937. It has open spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, and ash seat frames. It was fitted with a keel and a floor rack, painted guide special green, and shipped to Watkinson School, Camp Wildwood, Antrim, NH on June 15, 1937... so, her 72nd b-day is coming right up!

There was an inquiry about the canoe 7-22-77-- documented on the back of the card.

The scans of this record are attached below-- click to get a larger image. These scans 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/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php 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.

Google the camp and/or school-- might find interesting history to go with the canoe.

I'll send this and look up the other number in a separate reply.

Kathy

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Re Old Town 161XXX--

161000 was shipped December 29, 1953, and 161999 was shipped October 27, 1954.

Kathy

 

[pklonowski]

Very cool! THANK YOU!!!

 

[pklonowski]

Interesting that the 1937 canoe now has mahogany outwales, which look like they've been refinished. The build record says spruce gunnels, which it still has. Also, the floor rack appears to be newer than the ribs & planks, possibly a newly rebuilt rack somewhere along the way. A lot can happen in 72 years!

 

[Benson Gray]

Any estimates when this was built?

The charts at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/oldtown_chart.html and http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/carleton/carleton_chart.html can be helpful if you want a quick reference for a build date from a serial number for Old Town and Carleton.

Benson