Trying to identify a canoe 70182

Vasko

New Member
I found a canoe in a store and trying to identify it. It's a 17', with a serial number 70182. I don't recognize the deck plates, but was hoping that the greater community would have some thoughts.

Thanks!

2013-08-28 10.35.45 HDR.jpg
 
That deck shape is not a common one so they may be replacements. The Old Town canoe with serial number 70182 is a 17 foot long, AA (or top) grade, Molitor model with red Western cedar planking, open mahogany gunwales, mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, mahogany seats, a keel, outside stems, and a floor rack. It was built between February and March, 1922. The original exterior paint color was bright red. It shipped on April 29th, 1922 to South Akron, Ohio. 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 renew.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. Another Molitor is shown at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?4175 so check to see if the stems are similarly elongated. Can you supply any more pictures? Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson
 

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It looks like a poorly crafted attempt at replacing a Molitar deck though. Does the canoe have a thwart?, And, does it have a torpedo stem profile? If so, the record might be your canoe.
 
It looks like a poorly crafted attempt at replacing a Molitar deck though. Does the canoe have a thwart?, And, does it have a torpedo stem profile? If so, the record might be your canoe.

Mark - you're thinking about the more recent Molitors from the mid-60s forward. Early Molitor decks were very different (long). I don't think this is a Molitor at all, old or new. Because the tip of this deck has been cut off and because it generally matches the overall look of the canoe, it may well be original from some small or relatively unknown builder. It's new to me, but I'll bet it's original.
 
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