Garrett Conover was working in the shop for a few days this last week. Here he is replacing two ribs in Benson Gray's 1958 18ft OTCA.  The hull was built lightweight in that the ribs are only 1/4" thick and the planking is 1/8" thick.  Usually on lightly built boats we find a lot of damage to the ribs and planking but not on this one! The boat must of been very well taken care of becausethe hull is still in excellent shape. 

Originally the hull had been painted with the O.T. design #4 which is white hull with a series of red and blue diamonds painted under the rail  and around the stems.  A very colorful design!  The canoe was set up for sailing and used on the front cover of the 1960 O.T. catalog.  Around 1961 the canoe was repainted red on one side and yellow on the other.  It once again appeared in the 1966 catalog with Benson's sister and cousin sailing the canoe with the yellow side facing the camera.  Benson informs me that he was much too young at that time to be in the photo, as his today's youthful appearance is a testimonial to that fact!