OT FG, help please!

[Ray Kepler]

Hi all,

I just purchased a 1970 (according to owner) Old Town FG, at least that's what I think it is. It's got a great design on it the really appealed to me. It's in decent shape except for the paint(?) along the bottom.
The serial number/HIN is very tough to read.
Thanks for any help you can provide.

Ray

 

[Ray Kepler]

I believe the HIN is 184382?

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 184382 is a 16 foot long FG (fiberglass) model that weighed 87 pounds. It was built in December, 1969. The original exterior gelcoat colors were white on the deck with a breakout design on the hull. It shipped on June 16th, 1970 to East Hartford, Connecticut. The back side of the record indicates that there were eight patches on the sides and bottom. Scans showing both sides of this build record can be found below.

These scans 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. This design was was featured on the catalog cover as shown at https://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/covers/large-69.gif in 1969. Hull identification numbers were not required until 1972 so this canoe never had one. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[Ray Kepler]

Thanks Benson.
Could you explain what "breakout design" means.
And I don't understand what the "eight patches on the sides and bottom" would mean. Are they saying a brand new canoe has 8 patches on it?
I'm attached another picture. Does it confirm the "breakout design"?
Thanks for all your help.

Ray

 

[Dan Miller]

The Breakout Design is exactly the color scheme your canoe has - a rather psychedelic paisley-like fabric as a base for the fiberglass canoe. It's really cool, especially if not faded by UV light. I'm not really conversant on Old Town's comments with respect to FG canoes, but my guess is that the canoe had some imperfections that were repaired before being shipped.

 

[Ray Kepler]

Thanks, Dan. One more questions: being as it was factory-decorated, any idea what medium they used? Trying to figure out how to preserve it.

 

[Benson Gray]

any idea what medium they used? Trying to figure out how to preserve it.

The medium was a printed fabric under a clear layer of Gelcoat. It fades quickly in brigh sunlight. The best preservation option is to keep it out of the sun. There aren't many options to restore it, unfortunately. Let me know if this doens't answer your question,

Benson

 

[Todd F]

Ray, I don't own any fiberglass canoes. But if I did that is exactly the one I would want! Good find, keep it out of the sun and enjoy it.