old town serial number request

kj3

New Member
I just aquired an old town canoe and am planning on restoring it I would like to get it back to original, if possible. The serial number is 126632 - 16 any information would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
 
The Old Town canoe with serial number 126632 is a 16 foot long, CS grade, Otca model with open spruce gunwales, birch decks, birch trim, a keel, painter rings, and a sailing rudder. It was built between February and May, 1939. The original exterior paint color was battleship gray. It shipped on May 19th, 1939 to Lake Forest, Illinois.

A scan of this build record can be found by following the link under the thumbnail image attached below. These scans were 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 renew your membership 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 also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if these descriptions don't match your canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions. Good luck with your restoration.

Benson
 

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thanks so much for the information, the canoe is green right now so I guess it will be gray when I am done. Thanks again, I think I might be spending some time around here learning all I can.
 
This is a great forum! I just purchased a 1939 OTCA sailing canoe cs #126829-----16 I assume that means its a 16ft vessel ( I don't know the points from which to measure) I must have the orginal build sheet as its written in ink with two of the same names sighing off on the keel, and also the rails as KJ3's vessel The build sheet says 17ft in ink? An oops I guess?

The canoe is complete with the ecception of the rudder and the thwart (mast bar?) behind the mast input seat. The sail has a few holes, but is still very much intack. There is a small/not through crack in one rib, also a crack in one board in the same area. The canve is in need of total of replacement. I'm not an expert but it seems to be in good restorable condition, no rot. I plan to check into restoring it. I'd like to know the value of this canoe as it sits, also the value in restored condition. Any information on this canoe/ canoe type would be greatly appreciated
 
here it is
 

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more pictures, Any information would be great

Thanks again,
DAVE
 

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Your thumbnails don't enlarge when I click on them, so I can't compare the build record I came up with, to the one you have.

Old Town 126829 is a 17 foot CS (common sense) grade Otca model, finished between February and May of 1939. It has open spruce gunwales, ash decks, thwarts, and seat frames, a keel, outside stems, and a floor rack. It was painted dark green and shipped to Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, on May 23, 1939.

Some of the aspects of the build record fit your canoe, and some do not... so, please double check the numbers on both stems. I haven't run into a build record where the length of the canoe was stated wrong on the record or stamped wrong on the hull--- Benson or any of the others who have looked up Old Town records may know more about that. But it's been my experience that when the hull has a "16" and the record says "17", it may be the wrong record.

Additionally, the build record says nothing about sail rigging... although a mast seat and everything else can be purchased after the fact and added to the canoe. This isn't as big a discrepancy as the length.

Otherwise, your canoe appears to be a CS grade Otca with open gunwales and outside stems, painted dark green... this part all fits. Maybe the length on the record is wrong.

Did the canoe spend its life anywhere near Wolfeboro?

Also, I'm not sure if Old Town ever sent out build record information with the canoe. This canoe went to Goodhue and Hawkins Navy Yard, Inc.... seems more likely to me that if OT sent build records with a canoe, it would be some special-order canoe and not one sent to a business. Seems more likely to me that a previous owner of your canoe contacted Old Town for build record information, and received the copy you have... again, double check that number on both stems. A previous owner may have read the numbers wrong and received the wrong record.

The scan of the record I found is attached below-- click on it to get a larger image. 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/wcha/ to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php to renew.

It is also possible that you could have another number or manufacturer if this description don't match your canoe. Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

You'll get a lot of help and encouragement in the restoration of your canoe, here in Forums! Plus, there are a couple good books you may be interested in-- Thurlow and Stelmok's "The Wood and Canvas Canoe" and Sue Audette's "Old Town-- Our First 100 Years"... available in the WCHA bookstore or your public library, and elsewhere.

Enjoy!

Kathy
 

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kathryn,

Thanks so much for your time.....I checked both stems, The canoe # 126829 is the same. Both side look as if the 17ft was stamped over the 16ft mark. I must have noticed the 16 rather than the 17. The canoe does measure 17ft.

The build sheet you posted is the one! Thanks again. I thought that it should have mention something about being rigged as a sailing canoe as well. The mast step appears to be original. I just purchased this canoe, and I'm reseaching its history. I guess that its not as an uncommon canoe as I thought if the sailing set up could be bought for all Old Town canoes. I love these old vessels. I hope to add a few more!

I'm not sure where the Old gal resided. I purchased her in upstate N.Y(fulton) about ten miles from Lake Ontario.

Thanks again for your time,

DAVE
 
No problem looking up the info, Dave--- I enjoy historical research and have learned a lot about Old Towns and canoes in general from looking up build records... love to hear about restoration projects too, as many of the folks here do. Please post pictures of your progress. Usually, the "wood canvas/fiberglass" heading is best for "progress reports".

You may find it helpful to use the "search" function (above) to find information from past posts. There's interesting information about the Otca model itself... and about Old Town sailing canoes. There's also a "canoe sailing" heading. And while I'm at it, let me recommend Todd Bradshaw's book, "Canoe Rig", if you're interested in restoring your canoe as a sailor-- or just learning more about all the sailing-stuff that came with your canoe.

In addition, I'll put in a plug for our yearly get-together-- the WCHA Assembly-- which will be in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, and the topic is sail canoes. Lots of paddling canoes will show up, too... and lots of great people.

Kathy
 
Thanks again I'll check out todd's book. What are the dates and locations of the event? Great wine country!
 
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