Old Town floats milestone Canoe maker marks centennial; millionth boat the crowning event

The millionth boat created by Old Town Canoe Co. will take more than a year to build and will have hundreds of people working on it.

“That boat is being built by all the employees here,” said Bob Scudder, director of marketing for the century-old company, which makes kayaks as well as canoes. “In a couple of weeks we’re going to be taking that boat to an outdoor retailer trade show in Salt Lake City and put it on display so some of our customers will be able to help build the boat.”

Scudder, in announcing the milestone boat Wednesday, said its construction is more than just a way to recognize employees’ contributions to the company’s success.

“It’s really to allow our friends in the industry and our customers to participate in this,” he said. “We’re going to make this the ‘Year of the 1 millionth boat.’ It will travel to several shows during the year so that a lot of people get to participate in it.”

The company, which employs about 225 people, also is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Inspired by the Penobscot Indians’ watercraft, a local entrepreneur started what would become Old Town Canoe in 1898, according to the company’s Web site. That first wood-and-canvas canoe was built by A.E. Wickett behind local entrepreneur George Gray’s hardware store.

“Made with an eye for detail and a passion for quality, it wasn’t long before Gray’s and Wickett’s canoes were selling well. After brief periods as the Indian Old Town Canoe Company and Robertson Old Town Canoe Company, the firm was incorporated in 1903 – exactly 100 years ago – as Old Town Canoe Co.,” the Web site states.

Determining precisely how many boats Old Town Canoe has produced over the past century is difficult, said Scudder. He said, however, that records indicate the company has produced close to or slightly more than 1 million boats.

“What we have figured is that nobody else on the planet Earth has made that many boats,” he said. “So it is truly newsworthy. At least in paddle sports, we’ve put more people on the water than any company in history.”

Records in 1906 indicate that the company was producing between 200 and 400 boats per month, which is a phenomenal number considering the time and labor needed to make the wood-and-canvas canoes.

“By 1910, the town was boasting itself as the Canoe Center of the World, with 3,500 canoes built in Old Town that year,” the Web site states. “Over the next several decades, Old Town Canoe thrived and operated at full capacity in its converted shoe factory near the banks of the Penobscot River. In 1940, we produced our first Old Town Kayak.”

Currently, the company produces more than 50,000 watercraft a year, said Scudder.

The 1 millionth boat is a wooden, 18-foot Otca canoe.

“The reason that it was chosen is because it’s very reminiscent of the canoes that were built in Old Town years ago,” said Scudder. “The plan is to have it done by midsummer next year. We’re in no hurry to complete it.”

Work on the 1 millionth boat was recently started, wood department coordinator Robbie Nason said.

“We have the ribs on and are starting the planking so we pretty much just started,” he said.

Once complete, the Otca will hang in the lobby of Old Town Canoe’s showroom in downtown Old Town.

“Everybody who works on it will sign a log book with the date and will indicate the part of the boat they worked on,” said Scudder.