Serial 17 26075 Information - Thanks!

[TrailRunner]

Hi there,

New here and already enjoying the knowledge that's on the forum. I have the opportunity to buy an Old Town serial 17 26075. The seller indicates that it is a 1913, but I want to try and verify the specs before driving to look/buy. Any help would be appreciated!

Cheers,

Peter

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome, the Old Town canoe with serial number 26075 is a 17 foot long, AA (or top) grade, Charles River model with red western cedar planking, open mahogany gunwales, mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, mahogany seats, half ribs, and a keel. It was built between March and May, 1913. The original exterior paint was dark red. It shipped on May 20th, 1913 to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 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. 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 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 the canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[TrailRunner]

Thank you!

 

[Michael Grace]

Peter - Just want to elaborate on the last sentence in Benson's reply above. You now have information on Old Town #26075, but the canoe could be from a different manufacturer. If you read through these forums you'll find numerous examples of canoes that were initially misidentified (similar numbering schemes were used by other companies, and sometimes serial number digits can be missed or mis-read). If you want to be sure of what you're considering before making a purchase, post some good photos of the canoe's decks, thwarts, stem with serial number, seats, etc. Not only will you likely get a firm ID, but you can also get an informed assessment of condition from the good folks here.

 

[TrailRunner]

Sure! Thank you for clarifying that. Here are some pictures. I know it needs some restoration - new canvas, wood needs to be refinished and paint needs to be removed from wood...

 

[Michael Grace]

Well, it appears that it is an early Old Town. And a nice one at that. The shape of the deck cutouts and the shape of the thwarts both point to an early Old Town, and its features (open gunwales, half ribs) match the build record that Benson posted. The condition as shown in the photos is outstanding for its age. The biggest alteration appears to be that the trim and interior have been painted, but paint can be a very good thing. If its on top of varnish, it should be easy to remove. An old paint may have done an excellent job of preserving the wood underneath. Some painted canoes I've stripped (with varnish under paint) have had stunningly pristine wood under all that paint. Also, the center thwart is missing but that can be replicated.

Congratulations on your find. If you get it, let us know and post some additional photos as you move forward.

Michael

 

[TrailRunner]

Great! Thanks, Michael! I’ll ask the seller if he happens to have the center thwart. Maybe it’s sitting around. He did say I would get the old paddle and the extra seat in the sale. Not sure if they are original to the canoe, but both seem cool.

Assuming nothing goes terribly wrong, I’ll be bringing it home on Sunday! I’ve carried a lot of canoes on my Jeep, but this one I’ll have to be extra careful with!

 

[TrailRunner]

Got it home safely. I’ll get better pictures and post soon. Everything went perfectly. Is there a restoration forum here that I should move over to as I start?

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[Benson Gray]

Is there a restoration forum here that I should move over to as I start?

Congratulations, this is a very small forum and the structure is fairly casual. You can decide if you would prefer to have everything in one place here or if you would rather start another thread in the Wood and Canvas section under Maintenance and Construction. People are likely to find your information and respond either way.

Benson