Who made it, when it was made, for whom was it made?

[DPturner]

I am new at this and was told of this web site by a friend who heard about it for someone.
I recently inherited some property which from a relative that had a barn on it and in the barn was a canoe. I believe that the canoe was made for my great uncle while he was in Europe during WWII. I think it is a sail canoe, but can not find any sail. I would like to know when it was built, by whom, what type of wood, and would appreciate any information that I can get on this canoe that has been hanging in the barn loft for the past fifty years.

boat number: 143512 16

 

[pklonowski]

It looks like an Old Town serial number; someone will be along to dig up that record. Posting pictures will help confirm that presumptive ID. Images of the deck, bow or stern profile, inside under the deck, and an overall view would be good.

 

[Benson Gray]

You may want to check the digits in that number again on each end and verify the length since the build record for the Old Town canoe with serial number 143512 is for a 17 foot long canoe that shipped on March 1st, 1946. The 16 on the end of the number you provided indicates a 16 foot long canoe. The information at http://forums.wcha.org/showthread.php?791 may help if some of the digits are not clear. Let us know what you find and please post some pictures as Paul suggested. Thanks,

Benson

 

[DPturner]

Sorry, I transposed the numbers in the boat it should read 143521 16
now i have to figure out how to put some pictures on this forum

 

[Dan Miller]

now i have to figure out how to put some pictures on this forum

Go here: Photo Posting Tutorial

 

[Benson Gray]

The Old Town canoe with serial number 143521 is a 16 foot long, CS (Common Sense or middle) grade, HW (heavy water) model with red western cedar planking, open spruce gunwales, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, keel, floor rack, mast seat, and mast step. It was built between December, 1945 and February, 1946. The original exterior paint color was dark green. It shipped on March 6th, 1946 to Palmyra, Wisconsin. A scan showing 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 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. Have fun,

Benson