serial number search...5456

[Rod DeFilippis]

hi, just got what looks like an otca, closed gunwhales...serial number 17 5456. 17 foot model, the decks have a center seam which is covered with a thin wood strip. any info would be appreciated, thanks, rod

apparently not an old town.. i can send pics to anyone interested in taking a swing at id-ing it. maybe a thompson or racine????

 

[Michael Grace]

Sounds like you may not have an Otca, but rather a canoe built by one of the many Charles River-area (MA) builders. The serial number and your description of the decks make it sound like a canoe from one of the group of builders that included Robertson, Waltham and others. Photos would be a big help in identifying your canoe, although without a tag- and many of these are un-tagged- it will be nearly impossible at this point to assign your canoe to a particular manufacturer.

Michael

 

[Al Sienkiewicz]

Rod: The Old Town canoe with serial number 5456 is a 16 foot long, AA grade, Charles River model with long mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts and seats. The scan is very light but it appears it was built in 1906. The original exterior paint color was dark red. It shipped on February 6, 1907 to Milwaukee, Wisconson. As Mike stated, pictures would be helpful in trying to make an ID and for the interest of our group. 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 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/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php 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.

- Al