Serial Number Search
- Thread starter Todd F
- Start date
Welcome, the Old Town canoe with serial number 172417 is a 15 foot long fifty pound model with a keel. It was built in May, 1965. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on January 27th, 1964 to Kokomo, Indiana. A scan of this build record can be found below.
This scan and several hundred thousand more were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others as you probably know well. 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 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 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. Good luck,
Benson
This scan and several hundred thousand more were created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others as you probably know well. 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 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 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. Good luck,
Benson
Anything is possible. There is no build record available for the Old Town with serial number 2417 which was probably made between 1904 and 1906. However, it will be very difficult to confirm that any canoe with a low number like that is actually an Old Town. The pictures at https://www.woodencanoe.org/classifieds/'ole-yeller'-17'-old-town-circa-1904 do not show enough details to conclusively determine who built it. The decks could be the Old Town style. The thwart clearly is not and was probably added later.
See https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/2780/ for more details about one of the few canoes with a low number like this that could be confirmed as an Old Town by the outline of an early style decal on the deck.
Good luck,
Benson
See https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/2780/ for more details about one of the few canoes with a low number like this that could be confirmed as an Old Town by the outline of an early style decal on the deck.
Good luck,
Benson
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Dave Osborn
LIFE MEMBER
Post photos. You likely have something other than an Old Town.
Sometimes Old Town is used as a universal title to any wood canvas canoe.
Sometimes Old Town is used as a universal title to any wood canvas canoe.
OP
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Todd F
Lifetime Member
Dave, will do. Going to purchase the canoe shortly. The seller has sent additional photos to me directly and out of respect to the seller will wait until I own the canoe to post them. There are links above to the original post. Very interested in your thoughts on what I am buying. Either way I look forward to bringing it back to life with my sons to enjoy for years to come.
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Todd F
Lifetime Member
Several pics of the canoe, will pick her up first weekend in December. Sellers father, in his mid '80s, purchased in NH in the 1970's with the intent to restore. A few more pics to follow. Any thought / insight / recommendations are appreciated.
Attachments
First thing to do when you get your canoe is post a good overhead shot of the decks.
You can tell a lot from that, as shown here: https://woodencanoemuseum.org/decks
You can tell a lot from that, as shown here: https://woodencanoemuseum.org/decks
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Todd F
Lifetime Member
Michael Grace
Lifetime Member
Hi Todd,
Your first is certainly is not a 15 foot 50# model Old Town from the 1970s. It looks much older, possibly Old Town but could be from another builder based upon images provided. It is closed gunwale and appears to have un-tapered ribs.
Second canoe - not enough visible information to assess. Photos of the exterior of the canoe usually don’t provide much information. As Dan mentioned, good images of the decks, as well as images of seats, thwarts, and the profile of the stems, would be most valuable for identification.
Looking forward to seeing more,
Michael
Your first is certainly is not a 15 foot 50# model Old Town from the 1970s. It looks much older, possibly Old Town but could be from another builder based upon images provided. It is closed gunwale and appears to have un-tapered ribs.
Second canoe - not enough visible information to assess. Photos of the exterior of the canoe usually don’t provide much information. As Dan mentioned, good images of the decks, as well as images of seats, thwarts, and the profile of the stems, would be most valuable for identification.
Looking forward to seeing more,
Michael
My guess would be an Old Town Otca model from before 1922 based on the shape of the decks and the apparent lack of diamond headed bolts. The dimensions listed at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/dimens-1.gif and cross sections at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/hull-x-s.gif seem to be in the right range. The serial number will be a much better source of information. Good luck,
Benson
