1941 15' Ojibway

woodcanoenut

1914 Old Town Charles River
Anyone know of information on this canoe. Ours was made for a boys scout camp with no seats--but has been rigged for sailing. The paint was to be
aluminum! Build#133762 grade CS deck with Mahog. The stem bands seem to be aluminum. Is this because of WWII? Any info will help.

John and Wendy Kimpel
 
Copy of build record on your Ojibway is attached.
 

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WWII canoes

John and Wendy,

Your canoe was shipped only a short time after the US became involved in WWII, in December of 1941. I don't think the shortages impacted canoe builders that soon into the war, as far as the cane used for seating and ferrous metals for screws... but I could be wrong about that. In any case, the stem band is something that could have been replaced at any point... does it appear to be original?

Aluminum was among the metals that was collected for The War Effort... so, if your aluminum stem band is original to the canoe, someone didn't turn it in... which would have been strange for a scout camp not to do, as the scouts themselves would have been whipped into the sort of zeal that would have had them prying off all the bang plates and turning them in, to be melted down (just my impression!).

Maybe that's what happened: the original stem band may have been brass, and it was donated to The War Effort... then, after the war, the aluminum band went on. My guess is that aluminum stem bands were a post-war thing. Denis Kallery says he stopped at Old Town for supplies in the early '80s, and all they had on hand were aluminum stem bands.

Someone else here may know exactly when WWII shortages changed the way canoes were built for a while. By '43 for sure... extending past the end of the war for a year or so.

Kathy
 
1943 Ot

Dad's 1943 Old Town has a steel stem band and tacks, so shortages were apparent by then.

2933108330054321892S600x600Q85.jpg
 
Camp Big Island! I earned my Boy Scout merit badge for canoeing at Big Island. In fact, if your canoe was there during the mid 60s...I probably used it for one of many midnight rendezvous at the Girl Scout camp. Thanks for the flash back, love to see pictures.
 
Pictures soon

Hi Jeff

Where in Indiana do you live? We are in Warsaw. My husband grew up
near Rome City--graduated from Kendallville High School. Would like to connect and see each others canoes. My husband is epoxying a stripper right now. Can't stir up much dust to take canoe out for some pictures.The canoes your paddled--were they rigged with a sail? This one is painted white
with red trim. We will posts pictures soon though.

John and Wendy Kimpel
 
Scout Camp

I don't recall any canoes rigged with sails, but there could have been. When you are ready to take out that new stripper, send me an email. I was just on Sylvan Lake last Friday, but I usually paddle the State Park.
 
John and Wendy:
I¨m beginning an Ojibwa 16 Ft ,all wood canoe, fron a plan of Joe Ziemba.
If John is epoxing a new canoe ¿may you recomended one epoxy to me? I¨ve read about West System, System 3, etc.Do you think they are rigth for jointing stripes 9x45 mm and some laminated parts?
Thanks
Enrique Bruna
From Chile
 
Its not a scale

Chris:
I have a basic plan of Joe Ziemba of a 16Ft length ojibwa,
I think it is very flat whith its 11 1/4 depth and I¨m 6Ft tall, then I would give it minimum 13 1/2 in
It is no easy to transport all measures,it is a risk, but I like this model and I not find another plan in internet.
Tomorrow I¨ll send you this basic plan.
Enrique
 
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