Old Town 16'

[ThomasRodCo]

Hello, new member here. Just picked up a 16' Old Town and wanted to see what I could find about it.
The serial number is 114496.
It's in pretty nice shape, other than someone painted the whole inside of it brown. Going to be a long process removing it all.
Looking forward to hearing back!

 

[Benson Gray]

Welcome and congratulations, the Old Town canoe with serial number 114496 is a 16 foot long, AA (or top) grade, HW (heavy water) model with red Western cedar planking, open mahogany gunwales, mahogany decks, mahogany thwarts, mahogany seats, a keel, and a floor rack. It was built between August, 1934 and August, 1935. The original exterior paint color was similar to the one shown at http://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/designs/design33.gif which was known as the design number 33. It shipped on August 10th, 1935 to Springfield, Massachusetts. A scan of this build record can be found below.

This scan and several hundred thousand more 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/catalogs/old-town/records/ if you want more details. I hope that you will donate 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 this description doesn't match the canoe. Feel free to reply if you have any other questions. Good luck with the painted interior.

Benson

 

[ThomasRodCo]

Thank you!! Do you know if the "design #33" is always Red, or does that name only apply to the gold trim?
The floor rack is long gone on this, so after it's all done I'll have to try and find one of those. Thx!

 

[Benson Gray]

Do you know if the "design #33" is always Red, or does that name only apply to the gold trim?

The 1935 catalog described this design as being a "Bright Red Body" with a "1/2 in. Gold Stripe, Turned Down Ends" but there was a fair amount of variation in the exact color selections. These designs were hand painted. My usual advice is to pick colors and a design that you like. See https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/15800/ for the original color card used at the factory. The message at https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/nice-rack.360/#post-1788 for some dimensions of a similar floor rack. Let me know if this doesn't answer your questions or if you need anything else. Have fun with the restoration,

Benson

 

[ThomasRodCo]

Thanks Benson for the info and the link on the Floor Rack. Would my original rack have been also Mahogany on an AA grade? Once I get everything else done, I'll probably see if I can source materials to make a replacement.
Steve

 

[ThomasRodCo]

Oops, just noticed in that link that yours was also from an AA grade, and looks like Spruce. Thanks again!