Requesting details on 117719

harmsc

New Member
Hello,

I'm in the process of re-canvasing an OTCA 16 that has been in my family as long as I can remember. Do you have the build record for this boat?

Regards,

Craig Harms
 
Hi Craig,

Old Town 117719 is a 16 foot CS (common sense or middle) grade HW model canoe that was completed April-June of 1936. It has Western red cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, oak decks, thwarts, and seat frames, sponsons and a keel. Originally it was painted dark green. It was sent to Point Pleasant, NJ, on June 18, 1936.

If your canoe is indeed an Otca, this isn't the record for your canoe. Double-check the serial number on each stem and compare. The Otca in 1936 had a 20" deck with coaming, and the HW had the traditional Old Town short deck. The difference is pictured at www.dragonfly.com/id/ -- scroll to "Old Town" on the left.

If sponsons were desired, the HW was the model most likely to get them. If this seems like it's the right canoe but your canoe doesn't have sponsons, it may still have the two small hand-carry thwarts that Old Town put on sponson canoes and there may be evidence of screws along the sides, where the sponsons were attached.

If you're unsure that this is the correct record, post pictures and we'll check it out! The scan of this record is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image.

This scan 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 and anyone else reading this will join or renew membership in 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.

Kathy
 

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Thank you

Hello Kathy,

Thank you for providing those details. You are certainly correct, in that the canoe was fitted with sponsons. I just just assumed that the boat was an OTCA. It is wonderful to have a copy of the build record.

This boat is also rigged for sailing, however, I don't see that listed on the build sheet. Would that have been added after manufacture?

Regards,

Craig Harms
 
Your canoe was shipped to a dealer, and the sail rigging could easily have been added there. Very cool to have a sail canoe! Do you have all of the rigging? The WCHA Assembly in 2009 was on canoe sailing, so if you have questions, there are some here who have this experience.

Kathy
 
Rigging

I do have what I believe to be the original spars, rudder, leeboards and the gear to attach the leeboards.

Thanks for your help.
 
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