Mystery Canoe - Sn 18290-16

[pat chapman]

I looked at a canoe a few months ago that from all but one factor looks like an Old Town OTCA or Yankee. Serial number is 18290-16. The confounding factor is that it has the typical heart-shaped crowned short decks of a BN Morris. The stems are not splayed and look like typical OT stems. The canoe was extensively repaired years ago and the repairer has passed away, so is unavailable to ask if the decks are original.

Is this a serial number consistent with Old Town? Did Old Town ever finish off canoes for Old Town (or vice versa)?

Sorry, no photos are available.

 

[pat chapman]

After doing some snooping around in old Forum postings, I'm wondering now if this is a Carlton Canoe? The serial number seems consistent with those issued by Carleton around 1925. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Benson Gray]

Your research is correct. The Old Town canoe with serial number 18290 is 18 feet long and the Kennebec with this number is 20 feet long. The Carleton with this number is a 16 foot long, regular (or middle) grade, Carleton model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, birch decks, birch thwarts, and birch seats. It was built in 1923. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped to Trenton, New Jersey on January 25th, 1924. Scans of these Carleton and Old Town build records can be found by following the links at the attached thumbnail images below.



These scans 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/catalogs/old-town/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-wcha to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/store/membership to renew.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description doesn't match your canoe. Pictures might help if you still aren't sure. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

Benson