Old Town Canoe Serial Number 167980

[ChrisRichards]

My father Dr. Allan Richards, purchased this canoe that is a 16 foot canoe in I think the 1950's. My father fiberglassed the boat when I was a kid. I spent my youth taking it around in lakes and on many overnight trips on various rivers. The fiberglass was pretty much worn out by the time I inherited it in the 90's. It has been hanging in my garage for the last 20+ years in Colorado, and I just recently pulled it down to do a rebuild. At first I thought that I would refiberglass the canoe, but am now thinking that I might return it to it's original canvas. I am looking to rebuild this to use in Colorado and eventually pass down to my son. Any advice on the rebuild would be appreciated.

This canoe has alot of history with me and I would really like to have any information available on the canoe (Old Town #167980) that is available.

Thank You,
Chris Richards

 

[Greg Nolan]

Chris, welcome to the WCHA.

The Old Town canoe with serial number 167980 is shown as 16 feet long, a Guide model equipped with a keel. The canoe was built between July 1958 and January 1959. The original exterior paint was guide special green. It was shipped to Birmingham, Alabama on January 28, 1959. A scan of this build record can be found by following the link behind the thumbnail image attached 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.

When considering any restoration work, whether you plan to do it yourself or to hire a professional, there are three good sources of information about canoe restoration that you would do well to get, or at least look at, before making any decision about how to repair or restore your canoe:

The Wood and Canvas Canoe: A Complete Guide to its History, Construction, Restoration, and Maintenance by Rollin Thurlow and Jerry Stelmok

Building the Maine Guide Canoe by Jerry Stelmok

This Old Canoe: How To Restore Your Wood-Canvas Canoe, by Mike Elliott

The first is often called the "bible" of canoe repair, restoration, and maintenance; the second is an excellent study of the wooden/canvas canoe and its construction. The third was just recently published and has gotten some good reviews.

Of course, you can always ask questions here on the forums. There is a good deal of information here on removing fiberglass.

You might also want to look at The Old Town Canoe Company by Susan Audette and David Baker, a great history of the Old Town company and its canoes.

These books are all available from the WCHA store, are often on eBay, or from Amazon and other book sellers.

Feel free to reply here if you have any other questions.

And again, welcome to the WCHA.

Greg
WCHA President