Serial # Help Please

[ghlittle]

Hello:

Yesterday we were given my wife's grandfather's canvas over wood canoe. He used it on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire and for camp fishing on Rangely Lake in Maine before he passed away over 40 years ago. The boat has been used very little since then and primarily stored indoors. It's in pretty good condition, as far as I can tell, although the paint is cracked and peeling off in a few places. The serial number stamped into the stern stem is 2242 16.

We suspect it is an Old Town, but are not certain. I've read that the use of diamond head bolts to attach thwarts can sometimes indicate that a canoe is an Old Town and this one has them. The canoe has two rowing stations and came equipped with five oars, (one lightly damaged and apparently replaced). Two of the oars have Old Town decals on them. The canoe also came with a complete set-up for sailing, (lee boards, rudder, mast, boom and sail), as well as removable floor boards and a backrest for the stern seat.

Any help someone might be able to provide us regarding confirmation of manufacturer, build date, etc. will be gratefully appreciated.

Thank you!

Jerry

 

[Benson Gray]

Can you attach any pictures of the serial numbers from each stem? I suspect that there is at least one missing digit. The record for the Old Town number 2242 doesn't exist but this is too old for an Old Town that was built with diamond headed bolts. Your description sounds like their double ended rowboat that was built like a large canoe. I looked at the records for numbers 12242, 112242, and 12242x but didn't find any matches. The information at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?791 may help you find any missing digits. Please post your findings here. Thanks,

Benson

 

[Fitz]

Rangeley

ghlittle:

I would be interested to know about any stories you have about your grandfather and his trips in Rangeley - I grew up there, about 40 or so years ago, so I may be able to elaborate some, or learn some, or both.

Fitz

 

[ghlittle]

Serial # Update

Dear Benson:

You are correct. There is another digit in the serial number of our boat. After using a bit of acetone on a rag to clean the area of the stern stem where we found the first four digits we were able to determine that the full serial number is 72422. Per your suggestion, I have attached a photo of the serial number. We had not been able to find a serial number on the bow stem but, after cleaning that one with some acetone, we were able to find the same number there, too.

I have also attached photos showing one of the diamond headed bolts attaching the thwarts, a picture of the boat with the oars and sailing paraphernalia...and one without the lee boards and rudder.

Thank you for helping us learn more about this boat!

Jerry

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town with serial number 72422 is a 16 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, double ended boat model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, ash decks, a keel, outside stems, and a floor rack. It was built between July and August, 1922. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on August 21st, 1922 to Alton Bay, New Hampshire.

A scan showing this build record can be found by following the link at the thumbnail image attached below. 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 will join or renew your membership to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/about-the-wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-New-Membership.html to join.

The sail rig is not mentioned on the build record so that was probably added later. It looks like one from that era though. Please reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[ghlittle]

Fitz:

The previous owner of the boat was my wife's grandfather, Walter S. Douglas of Alton Bay, NH. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple years before I met my wife so I never had a chance to hear any stories from him about canoeing and fishing the Rangeley area. When we picked up the canoe yesterday my mother-in-law told us that her father used it on annual fishing trips to Rangeley with his pals in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. She said the area they would camp and fish was not accessible by vehicle at that time so he built a wheeled rig that he strapped to one end of the boat. He then put his camping and fishing gear into the canoe and pushed the loaded rig to the lake. That's all I know at this point about his Rangeley trips. I see my mother-in-law fairly regularly and will ask her if she can give me any other details, like where in the Rangeley area he fished with this boat.

Jerry

 

[ghlittle]

Benson:

Thank you very, very much for your help and this information! We'll be joining the WCHA immediately...

Best wishes,

Jerry