The Indian Old Town Canoe Company, a historic maker of canoes in Old Town, Maine, began in 1898 and has since expanded its product line to include various grades of canoes and boats. The first catalog from 1901 listed grades A. A. and B. B., along with a utility grade known as Guides Special (G. S.). In 1902, the Robertson and Old Town Canoe Company catalog replaced the B. B. with a C. S. grade.
Old Town canoes come in three grades: Common Sense (CS), Common Sense (AA), and Common Sense (CS). CS grade canoes are fitted with spruce inwales and outwales of spruce or ash, while AA grade canoes have spruce inwales and ash seats. The company also specializes in the construction of canvas-covered wooden canoes.
The 1937 17′ HW model canoe was produced in the CS grade, which provided a hardwood and spruce trimmed Island Falls Canoe. The company also offers custom built canoes, canoe restoration, canoe repair, and canoe building classes.
Old Town Canoe Company also carries Old Town Wood Canoe parts and materials. The company’s top grade is typically mahogany rails, decks, and trim, while the CS grade canoes typically have spruce rails, decks, and trim made of local hardwoods.
The Discovery 169 is a great Old Town canoe, a 17 foot HW (heavy water) Model, CS (Common Sense) Grade with open spruce gunwales and a keel. The Hull ID number is 26567.
📹 Should you Kneel or Sit in a Canoe
See their amazing boats at http://www.neckykayaks.com and http://www.oldtowncanoe.com PADDLES Notice how nearly every …
How do you identify an old canoe?
How do I find a serial number on an old wooden canoe or boat?. Many old wooden canoes and boats have a serial number on both inside stems and a decal or tag with the manufacturer’s logo on the bow deck. The number is usually stamped on the top of the lower part of the stems. The inside stems are the long curved pieces of wood that form the ends of the…
Tilly,Kevin Martin in New Hampshire builds new canoes on the original Kingsbury moulds. He is listed in the Builders Directory referenced by Benson above. He may be a resource for you. You have a great canoe. Good luck with the restoration.Jim C.
How do you date an Old Town Canoe?
Old Town marked their canoes with a simple sequential serial number scheme. Canoes will be found marked on the inboard upper face of the stem. The serial number is four, five or six digits, a space, and then the length of the canoe. Records survive for Old Town canoes dating back to 1905. Build records for individual canoes can be obtained by posting the serial number to the Serial Number Search section of theWCHAForums.
- Charles River (1902-1929): Originally called the Robertson Model, it may have been designed or brought to Old Town Canoe Company by J.R. Robertson during his short tenure as a partner in thebusiness.
- 50 Pound Model (1910 – circa 2010): Lightweight model with thinner ribs and planking than typical. Variations of this model were called the Trapper, Lightweight andFeatherweight.
- Guide’s Special Model(1901-present): The Guide’s Special model was originally called the IF model. IF probably stood for Indian Fishing.
- H.W. Model (1901-1953): No one knows for sure what the “H.W.” stands for, but most likely it stands for “Heavy Water,” a descriptor used in Old Town’s catalogs to promote the modelsseaworthiness.
- Ideal Model (1906-1929): Same as the Charles River model, but with the newly introduced open gunwales and halfribs.
- Livery Model (1913-1919): Old Town’s most stable offering, it was renamed the Yankee for1920.
- Molitor (1965-present): The Molitor model was built using the Otca form, but with extended “torpedo” stems and heavier gunwales that produced a canoe that does not require thwarts. The Molitor deck is a distinctive 4-lobed design. There was an earlier uncatalogued model with the same name based on specifications by Belle Isle livery owner C.J.Molitor.
- Otca Model (1908-present): The name “Otca” comes from Old Town Canoe Company’s telegraph code. The Otca has a distinctive 20″ long deck with a coaming. In 1957, the 16′ Yankee model was substituted for the 16′ Otca, and the standard deck became thenorm.
- Yankee Model (1920-1956): Originally called the Livery Model, the Yankee name was adopted in 1920. In 1957 the Yankee became the 16′ Otca and the original 16′ Otca formsretired.
- AA: Old Town’s top grade, typically with mahogany rails, decks and trim.
- CS: “CommonSense,” typically with spruce rails, and decks and trim of local hardwoods (eg. oak, ash, birch)
- GS: probably stands for Guide’s Special, a no-nonsense workboat oriented grade.
What is the toughest canoe material?
TuffStuff. Exclusive to Nova Craft Canoes, TuffStuff is a new material developed in response to diminishing Royalex supplies. Made from composite Basalt/Innegra cloth covered in high impact-resistant vinylester resin, TuffStuff canoes are incredibly durable. Nova Craft has taken much joy in demonstrating their resilience by jumping on canoes, hitting them with a sledgehammer, and dropping one off a ten-storey roof!
Beyond strength, TuffStuff canoes offer other advantages over conventional thermoformed plastic canoes. They are much stiffer, which leads to greatly improved performance and efficiency – the easy glide motion and faster response is noticable after only a few paddle strokes. TuffStuff is also lighter than conventional plastic boats.
Fiberglass Composites. The term ‘composite’ is generally used when speaking of canoes that are built using layers of fabric cloth infused with resin such as epoxy or vinylester. They can be designed in nearly any shape imaginable, and are usually layered by hand using a mold. When left to harden and cure, the result is a stiff and lightweight canoe that is very strong.
Do Old Town canoes have serial numbers?
On canoes the serial number is located up to 12″ from the stern on the starboard side of the boat. The serial number on a wood canoe is stamped on the stem which is located on the inside of the boat at the bow and stern.
What happened to Old Town Canoes?
Old Town’s trademark wood and canvas canoes have never gone out of production, although they are no longer built at Old Town Canoe. With the closing of the factory at Old Town, Maine, the company contracted with Island Falls Canoe, owned by Jerry Stelmok of Atkinson, to build and maintain its wooden canoes.
Most of the individual records for Old Town’s canoes and boats built prior to 1976 still exist. Information on serial numbers 210,999 or less has been scanned and can be accessed by providing the number either to Wooden Canoe Heritage Association volunteers online or by contacting the Old Town company. A serial number is located on the upper face of the stem on the floor of the canoe at each end. Build records contain specific information regarding construction of each boat or canoe, including the dates each part of the build-process was accomplished, the date it was shipped and its final destination.
- Seven 16-foot Guide Model Old Town canoes were used in production of the film Deliverance. They were serial numbers 183635, 184310, 184314, 184380, 184432, 184434, and 184739.
- The canoe that journalist Eric Sevareid and his friend Walter Port paddled on the 2,250 mile adventure described in Sevareid’s book Canoeing with the Cree was an Old Town of unspecified model.
- In 1935, environmentalist Sigurd F. Olson purchased a number of Old Town Yankee Model canoes for his outfitting and livery business, Border Lakes Outfitters in Winton, Minnesota.
- The first Chief of the United States Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot, received Old Town number 72176 in September 1922. It is a 15-foot Common Sense grade Fifty Pound Model canoe.
How stable are old town canoes?
Old Town canoes have wide, flat hulls that feel remarkably steady in flat water, making them dog-friendly, among other things.
Old Town is one of America’s original canoe manufacturers. Their Maine factory has shipped tens of thousands of boats out of its doors. The Old Town Canoe Company’s history began in 1898, just as wood-canvas canoes emerged as a modern alternative to birchbark crafts. They exploded in popularity, in part because they could be mass-produced and required less maintenance.
Wood-canvas dominated the canoe market until other options emerged post-war, beginning with aluminum canoes. In response, Old Town adopted fiberglass and Royalex as durable canoe materials. Today, they’ve shifted to exclusively building polyethylene plastic canoes. If you’re okay with the extra weight it brings, this is a durable material that requires very littlemaintenance.
Alongside their polyethylene canoe production, they also build rotomolded polyethylene kayaks. Long-established and secure in their market niche, beginner-friendly Old Town canoes are found across the continent.
Do old town canoes have serial numbers?
On canoes the serial number is located up to 12″ from the stern on the starboard side of the boat. The serial number on a wood canoe is stamped on the stem which is located on the inside of the boat at the bow and stern.
Are Old Town canoes durable?
These canoes can be on the heavier side, but they’re also designed to take a beating and last a long time. Old Town Discovery and Penobscot canoes are made of three-layer polyethylene, and their durability has made them a favorite for decades.
What canoe is the most stable?
Wider canoes tend to be more stable. This makes them a great platform for activities like fishing, where an exciting catch can quickly lead to imbalance and an easy tipping. They’re also great for pursuits like photography, where steadiness is key.
Are old town canoes durable?
These canoes can be on the heavier side, but they’re also designed to take a beating and last a long time. Old Town Discovery and Penobscot canoes are made of three-layer polyethylene, and their durability has made them a favorite for decades.
What is the most stable canoe?
Shorter, wider hulled canoes are typically more maneuverable and have better initial stability. Often they have flat bottoms with a harder chine which makes them perfect for small ponds and protected waters. Typically a boat with high initial stability does not have adequate secondary stability to handle anything but very flat, calm water. Canoes of this design are referred to as sporting canoes. Birding, hunting, and fishing are typical activities that can best utilize a sporting canoe. Because of their high initial stability and poor secondary stability, a sporting canoe is a poor choice for rivers and large lakes where waves, currents, wind may be present.
Most customers will look for one boat that can be paddled with ease in different environments. For example, you may want a canoe that can be paddled both tandem and solo. You also may want a boat that can handle large, open lakes and whitewater rivers. Furthermore, you may decide you want a boat that is stable enough initially to make it a good hunting and fishing canoe. Your challenge is to start asking yourself questions about what type of paddling I really want to do and where will I PRIMARILY use my canoe. Keep in mind that one canoe CANNOT do it all. Make your selection based on where you will PRIMARILY use the boat and in what capacity. Our job at Great Outdoor Provision Co. is to help you find the best canoe for your primary use and to make sure you get the best value for your purchase.?
Are Old Town canoes made in USA?
The Predator Series of sit-on-top fishing kayaks was introduced in 2013 and has won the most coveted awards in the industry.
All of our watercraft are still built by hand in Old Town, Maine, just as they were over 100 years ago.
2018 marks the return of life jackets to Old Town’s product offering. Each design pairs with an Old Town canoe or kayak.
Old Town has always been determined to inspire people to get outdoors and connect with nature and each other.
Every angling kayak is engineered above and below the water to enhance the fishing experience.
📹 How to Choose the RIGHT Canoe
See their amazing boats at http://www.neckykayaks.com and http://www.oldtowncanoe.com PADDLES Notice how nearly every …
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