OT 23501 16
- Thread starter ddewees
- Start date
The Old Town canoe with serial number 23501 is an 18 foot long, GS (Guide's Special or utility) grade, IF (Indian Fishing) or Guide's model with red western cedar planking, closed spruce gunwales, birch decks, birch thwarts, birch seats, and spruce outside finish rails. It was built between September, 1912 and March, 1913. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on March 26th, 1916 to New Liskeard, Ontario. A scan of this build record can be found by following the link at the attached thumbnail image below.
This scan and several hundred thousand more 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 contribute, join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/about-wcha to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/store/membership to join.
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
This scan and several hundred thousand more 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 contribute, join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/about-wcha to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/store/membership to join.
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
Benson, thanks for your quick response, but I think I gave you a bum steer. The boat described in the build record is clearly not the one we have. On closer inspection of the stems it appears that the serial number (which is not easy to make out) is actually either 26501 or 126501. (The initial "1" is very faint, to the point of being imaginary.) However, the later build would make more sense, considering some of the details. The boat we have is a sixteen-footer, with mahogany rails and a sailing rig, at least at this point in its life. Can you see if 126501 is a likely fit? Thanks a lot.
Don in Vermont
Don in Vermont
The Old Town canoe with serial number 26501 is 18 feet long so that is clearly not the correct one. My guess is that you have the one with number 126501. This is a 16 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, Otca model with open spruce gunwales, birch decks, birch thwarts, birch seats, and a keel. It was built between January and April, 1939. The original exterior paint color was bright red. It shipped on June 17th, 1940 to Tranquility, New Jersey. This canoe returned for extensive repairs on November 30th, 1957. These included new outside gunwales, a mast seat, and sailing rig rudder with fittings as shown on the back side of the card. Mahogany outside gunwales were standard at this time which can explain why you have found them now on what was originally a CS grade canoe. It returned to Orono, Maine on May 28th, 1958. Scans of both sides of this build record and the other one can be found by following the links behind the thumbnail images attached below.
Let me know if you have any other questions,
Benson
Let me know if you have any other questions,
Benson
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Thank you, Benson. I agree that #126501 looks like the one, right down to the mahogany rails and various evidence of a relatively recent (which I define as being within my lifetime!) restoration. The boat is in pretty good shape, just needing canvas, varnish and a few minor cosmetic repairs. The museum will put it up for sale when its ready, this time with some paperwork to go with it. Thanks again for the help.
Don
Don
