Ot 106044 17'

[djmicheli]

I came across what I believe to be a 17' Old Town canoe. It had been sitting on farmland in Wisconsin.

I took it to Ralph Friese here in Chicago. He believes it may be OT but is concerned that someone cut down the ends and installed new decks.

I would like to find out as much as I can: different types of woods used, color scheme, original lines, why it may have been cut down, if so should I restore it to original lines.

I would like to do a faithful restore but am waiting to find out more before I lay my hands on it. Till then it rests in my garage.

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 106044 is a 17 foot long, AA grade, Otca model with Western red cedar planking, open mahogany gunwales, a keel, outside stems, and a floor rack. It was built between April and December, 1930. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on July 16th, 1931 to Chicago, Illinois.

A scan of this build record can be found by following the link behind the attached thumbnail image below. This scan was created with substantial grants from the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association (WCHA) and others. Additional information about 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 contribute to the WCHA so that services like this can continue. See http://www.wcha.org/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.html to join.

It is not unusual to find a canoe that has been left upside down on the ground too long and has rotted the tips of the decks. rails, and stem. A quick solution to this problem is to cut off the rotted areas and slap on a new deck. The image at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/design11.gif can give you an idea of what the original decks and stems looked like. More images and information like this is available at http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm on the Complete Old Town Canoe Company Catalog Collection CD. The decision to restore it to the original lines depends on how much time, money, and effort you want to put into it. This was a beautiful canoe once so I would probably want it restored if I owned it.

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. Good luck with your restoration decisions.

Benson

 

[djmicheli]

Thanks so much for the quick reply. I agree the boat needs to be returned to its original lines.