Serial number seatch

[Dave Marshall]

Looking at purchasing Old Town 153359 18 to restore. I may only need to sand, fill and paint the canvas. Any records on the history would be of interest to myself and the current owner of the canoe. He says his dad purchased it new about 60 to 63 years ago. Canoe has been in storage for about 35 years and was stored well. Thanks for any information anyone can provide especially the actual birth date, model and related information.

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 153359 is an 18 foot long, CS (common sense or middle) grade, Guide model with white Maine cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, and a keel. It was built between September and December, 1949. The original exterior paint color was G. S. (Guide's Special) green. It was shipped on April 23rd, 1951 to Davenport, Iowa. 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/about-the-wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://store.wcha.org/WCHA-New-Membership.html to join.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description don't match the canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson

 

[Dave Marshall]

Thank you so very much, I want to restore to original so I will make sure to use the GS Green.

I think this canoe was painted at some time. I know the canoe was actually used with a Sea Scout unit here in the Davenport area and the paint is in to good of shape to not have been painted.

The information you so kindly provided proves that this canoe was indeed shipped to Davenport where verbal history says that my friends dad purchased it new; probably in 1951.

Thanks again.