A 15 foot long Old Town Charles River model in AA grade with sponsons from 1906

The pictures below show a 15 foot long Old Town Charles River model in AA grade with sponsons from 1906. It originally shipped to Abercrombie & Fitch Company. The page at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/models.html estimates that less than 700 examples of this model and length were built between 1906 and 1911.

Benson

 

Yes to both questions. Thanks,

Benson

 

I have not put this one on a scale yet so I don't know the exact weight. The 1906 Old Town catalog listed this model at 60 pounds and sponsons typically add about 30 pounds on a 16 foot long canoe so my guess is that this one is probably around 90 pounds in total.

Benson

 

I have briefly considered removing the sponsons and wouldn't be selling this canoe if it didn't have them originally. However, it is a very rare model in this length and the sponsons push it to near unicorn status so someone else can make that decision. My nature is to be conflict adverse so this is becoming a pattern for me. I once owned a wonderful Yankee model with an original design number four as shown at http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?attachments/2300/ and http://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/241/ has the build record. It eventually started to leak too much for comfortable use on long trips so I sold it rather than face those restoration choices either.

This Charles River model doesn't leak yet so the new owner can probably use it for some years and then decide if they want to put the sponsons back on after the restoration.

Benson