Old Wooden Canoe(18' 1945 Old Town Guide)

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 9:51 pm

Picked up an old wooden canoe today....dont know much about it except it is 17'(measured inside)and almost 3'(outside gunwales)at widest point.

Anyone know anything about it???

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:00 pm

More pics

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:11 pm

one more

truckmanweber · Post by **truckmanweber** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:28 pm

I know nothing about your canoe but it looks AWESOME. As a woodworker I really appreciate the craftsmanship of a piece of "art" such as this.

shoalwater18 · Post by **shoalwater18** » Sat Apr 16, 2011 11:00 pm

Looks like an Old Town from the 40's. I used to have one like it. Was covered with canvas and airplane dope. I removed the canvas in order to restore it...but never got around to it. Mine had diamond shaped bronze bolts holding the thwarts. Restored they run around three grand.

gerald · Post by **gerald** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:11 am

Don't know anything about it but it doesn't look to be in too bad a shape. A great project and would be a very nice boat when restored.

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 11:42 am

Check this out!

Welcome to the WCHA forums--

OldTown 142350 is an 18 foot Guide model canoe that was finished June-August of 1945. It has red Western cedar planking, ash decks, ash thwarts, ash seats, half-ribs, and a keel. Originally it was painted guide special green. It was shipped to Beaumont, Texas, on September 18, 1945.

Rolf made a good call when he compared it to a 1945 canoe, because that's what it is! This record seems to match the canoe, from what I can tell. The plank seats are possibly original because cane wasn't available until about 1947, and you can see the plank seats in this canoe have the diamond head bolts. War-era canoes commonly have slatted seats, but perhaps for the Guide they were plank, such as this one.

If you use the "search" function, there are old discussions regarding the war era Old Towns and how to go about restoring them. Some are in fine shape, as yours appears to be. Some need a bit more attention because they weren't put together with brass.

The scan of this record 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/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; 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/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to learn more about the WCHA and http://www.wcha.org/join.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; to join.

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

Kathy

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 2:19 am

Original build record/invoice

The hull was originally done in green canvas and later fiberglassed.

Very cool info...

awoodman · Post by **awoodman** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:53 pm

I wonder what it cost in 1945?

Iwannagofishin · Post by **Iwannagofishin** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 8:08 am

Wow Texmullet. That's a very cool piece of history right there. What are your plans?

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 2:59 pm

A vintage canoe museum curator replied to that cost question on another site-$138

Gonna do my best to restore her. Already started. I have lots of pics and a lil progress done today at wcha.org....my thread is in the Guestbook section over there. Check it out!

bowgarguide · Post by **bowgarguide** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 11:27 am

Texmullet
Post your stuff on the rebuild on here , lot of us would enjoy watching you.
Ron

Dogpaddlin · Post by **Dogpaddlin** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 2:48 pm

bowgarguide wrote:Texmullet
Post your stuff on the rebuild on here , lot of us would enjoy watching you.
Ron

X2

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:19 pm

Tried posting pics SEVERAL times, kept getting knocked off the site????

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:55 pm

Removed the outer gunwales,keel,metal stem and fiberglass. Started removing the varnish.

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 8:40 pm

gsome pics

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 8:56 pm

more pics....66 year ol varnish removed

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:47 pm

A pic when I first got it(before any restoration)shows how long this thing is!

gerald · Post by **gerald** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:52 am

Great pictures! I'm envious. I wish I had the boat.

Iwannagofishin · Post by **Iwannagofishin** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:23 am

That is so cool. And huge. Plent of room for the whole family.

Nice work.

Texmullet · Post by **Texmullet** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:47 pm

Thanks Gerald....I had some good lookin subjects to photograph!!

Yes Iwanna it is huge!! It may find a permanent home at Toledo Bend where my parents live. Gotta see how easy/hard it is to carry around.

Havin fun restoring it...researching canvas and different fills for the canvas,trying to find someone local that has done this before(recovered a wood/canvas canoe).

TexasKayakFisherman.com

Old Wooden Canoe(18' 1945 Old Town Guide)

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