Old Town Canoe Company
Serial Number Format - Five or six digits, a space, followed by two more digits. Example: 12345 17. The trailing two digits (sometimes they are leading) represent the length of the canoe. Canoes can be dated by the serial number by using a chart or by obtaining the original build record from Old Town.
Diamond Head Bolts - These are usually indicative of an Old Town (or an Old Town Carleton), but were not always used (some AA grade canoes would have countersunk bolts with wood plugs). They may also turn up on other canoes during the course of repairs.
Deck - usually as shown above, 16" long. Exception is Otca model, which prior to 1957 has 20" long decks with a coaming.
| Models Offered | |
|---|---|
| Model | Length(ft) x Width(in) x Depth(in) |
| Charles River | 15 x 32 x 11½ 16 x 32½ x 11½ 17 x 34 x 11½ 18 x 35 x 11½ |
| 50. Lb (aka Trapper, Lightweight, Featherweight) |
11 x 35½ x 12½ 13 x 35½ x 12 15 x 34½ x 11 |
| Guide's Special | 16 x 35 x 12 17 x 33 x 12 18 x 36½ x 13½ 19 x 34½ x 13 20 x 39 x 13¼ |
| H.W. | 15 x 31 x 11½ 16 x 33 x 12 17 x 34 x 13 18 x 34½ x 13 |
| Ideal | 16 x 32½ x 11½ 17 x 34 x 11½ 18 x 35 x 11½ |
| Molitor | 17 x 35 x 12 |
| Otca | 16 x 34½ x 13 (post 1957 16 x 36 x 12) 17 x 35 x 13 18 x 35 x 13 |
| War | 25 x 41 x 14½ 34 x 44 x 15 |
| Yankee (Livery before 1920) | 16 x 36 x 12 |
Typical Old Town 16" deck. This one is ca. 1920. |
 Old Town Otca model 20" long deck with coaming. This one is ca. 1920. |
 Post-1957 Otca deck. |
For more information see:
Audette, Susan with D. The Old Town Canoe Company: Our First Hundred Years. Tilbury House, 1998.
Old Town Canoe Company. Old Town Canoes. Reprint of 1910 Catalog. Wooden Canoe Heritage Association, 1981.
Speltz, R. A Real Runabouts Review of Canoes: Cedar Planked & Canvas Covered. 1991
The Complete Old Town Catalog Collection on CD-ROM: 1901-1993. A CD-ROM edited by Benson Gray and Daniel Miller, published by yours truly.