141590-18

[vtboarder]

I am in the process of repairing/restoring what I am told is an Old Town canoe, which measures 18'. I find the serial number in the bow and aft stems, and it seems to be 141590. What can you tell me about this? Thanks, Bob

 

[Greg Nolan]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 141590 is shown as 18feet long, AA (top) grade, Guide model with western red cedar planking, open mahogany gunwales, mahogany decks, thwarts, and seats and fitted with a keel and floor rack. The canoe was built in 19345. The original exterior paint color was dark green, with a guide special green bottom. It was shipped to Camp Mooween, Gilman, Connecticut on July 10, 1945.

A scan of the build records can be found by following the links behind 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.

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. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Greg

 

[vtboarder]

Greg, thanks for the quick response. It is possible that the build records are accurate for this canoe, as my wife's family lived in Old Lyme and Old Saybrook, which is just to the South from Gilman. I will try to find out from my brother-in-law if he knows anything about it. He commissioned a restoration 15 years ago, and I am just repainting and replacing or repairing the outwales. For a 68 year old boat it is in pretty good shape and paddles great. Thanks again. Bob

 

[Greg Nolan]

If you google "camp mooween" you will find that the camp closed in 1960 and the site is now part of a park -- it probably sold of various things including its canoes when it closed.

Greg

 

[vtboarder]

I was able to speak to my brother-in-law about this canoe. He recalls that in the early 1960s his family got it from someone who had retrieved it after it washed up at Knollwood in Old Saybrook after a hurricane. He was in his teens at the time, and remembers recanvassing it with his father, and painting it white. I can find the white paint under two layers of green, the latest layer being added in 1998. It has had a few repairs including some rib braces added to fix it where it was dropped on a tree stump by some friends/relatives. I plan to repaint it dark green, which will bring it closer to original, and hope to replace the outwales if I can find them locally. I will add a carry yoke or straight thwart amidships as it can use the bracing that will provide and make it easier to handle. My wife's family used to paddle it in Long Island Sound, going out for picnics with the five family members, their dog and all gear to a cookout. My brother-in-law and his Dad paddled out into the Sound in a hurricane in the early 1970s to retrieve a boat that had broken loose and was drifting. They also had paddled across the Sound to Long Island shortly after their acquisition and repair work. This canoe has a lot of history with their family, and has had a lot of work put into it, but has gotten a lot of use. It hauls a ton of gear/people and is really a nice heirloom, even if far from pristine. Thanks again for your research. Bob

 

[Greg Nolan]

Because it seems as though this canoe may have spent significant time in salt water, you should evaluate the soundness of the brass tacks fastening the planking to the ribs. Salt water tends to remove the zinc from the zinc/copper alloy that constitutes brass. White blooms around the ends of the tacks clenched into the ribs are an indication that there may be a problem. If dezincification has occurred, the strength of the tacks may be compromised.

Take a look at the following links for previous discussions of the problem in these forums:

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.p...erial-number-157477&highlight=dezincification
good photos of zinc bloom

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?8148-salt-water-stains&highlight=dezincification
check the picasa photo link in post 10 of this thread -- there are some good photos of zinc bloom

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?10700-halo-tacks&highlight=halo

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?5185-!934-OT-Yankee-Restoration&highlight=dezincification

http://forums.wcha.org/archive/index.php/t-4912.html

http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?4912-Oxidation-stains&highlight=dezincification
possible advice on how to remove bloom stains

Greg

 

[vtboarder]

Greg, thanks for the wealth of information regarding this issue. I inspected the canoe and don't find much evidence of halo around the tacks inside the boat. There is a healthy layer of varnish inside, that can stand a bit if refreshing, but it looks to not be a problem. Despite the fact that the canoe spent its life in CT, and a fair amount of time on the Sound, it had not been paddled in salt water since the late 70s, as it sat in storage. Since its last restoration effort mentioned above in 1998 it has only been in fresh water here in VT. I will let a future owner of this canoe do the next recanvas, as I am not in a position to do that at this time. My paint and wood replacement will get this beauty in a usable state, and will preserve it for the next generation, but I will paddle it once or twice a year. If I ever get a hitch and trailer maybe I could use it more but it is a tough carry, and car-topping it is not something I like to do with any regularity.
Thanks again for the valuable insights; I have learned much about this canoe in the past few days.
Bob