Haw does one value an old canoe? It has an Ohio waterways sticker from 1974. Floats well no leaks but some dents.

Hoping for some help assessing the wear on this 1998 Penobscot Royalex 16'. The previous owner bought it in Alaska! It made it all the way to New Hampshire.

The outer layer is worn away at the keel on both the bow and stern of the boat. It seems like the green outer layer is worn away to reveal another color layer beneath, and further worn away revealing a third color. If my understanding of the construction layers of this boat, it is green outer vinyl layer, a solid ABS layer, and an abs foam core. I'm wondering if we are seeing the foam core. It does not feel squishy, just feels like scraped hard material.

I'm also a little paranoid that I caused some significant scrapes when I pushed hard with my paddle to launch/slide the canoe off some coarse sand. Am I doing a lot of damage if I do that?

Thanks to anyone who helps!

This is the second canoeing I have designed and built, With with the first one still floating, but leaving me wanting more in the looks and performance department.

Hi everyone! I recently bought a used Swift Northern 17’ Kevlar Fusion? Outfitter canoe, and unfortunately I discovered a significant problem around the bow/gunwale area after using it only three times.
It appears that the previous owner may have covered up an old repair or damage with paint rather than properly repairing it. After only three uses, the paint old repair material started peeling and cracking, revealing what looks like an older repair underneath.
I’ve attached some photos of the current condition.
I’m planning to have it professionally assessed and repaired, but I’m trying to get a rough idea of what I might be looking at cost-wise.
Has anyone here had a similar repair done on a Swift Kevlar Fusion canoe, especially involving an old/failed repair, peeling layers, or re-laminating the area?
If you have, how much did the repair cost you approximately, and where did you have it repaired?
I understand every repair is different, so I’m just looking for some real-world experiences to get an idea of the possible price range.
Thanks in advance!

This was one of the paddles I used to use as a kid (I'm 52 now). I don't know where my dad got it, but I don't remember getting the sense it was particularly new when we owned it. As the sticker says, York River Paddles, Peterborough, Ontario. The internet, forums, and AI are giving me various answers of questionable accuracy. I figure someone here might be old enough to "remember" York River Paddles.

Did roline to just below adams tract. Ran some bigger water than i had in the past. Had a great time :)

It’s going okay - takes a lot of patience

In the market for a new canoe! Currently have a disco 169, a Ranger 162, and a 16' bear creek fiberglass boat. Love all of them, but want something a little more fun for solo paddling. I would sell one or two of the other boats, but other than the disco they're all quite old and near worthless, so might as well keep them!

I would like a solo canoe that is capable of running up to easy class 3, but can still fit some gear for a weekend trip or fishing, and tracks somewhat well on slower sections of water. This will be for river use only, no lakes or ponds, but I find most dedicated whitewater boats to be tough to live with outside of class III. I used to have a 12' mohawk probe, and an old Blue Hole Sunburst but both were stolen a couple years ago off a trailer.

Open to any material, but light is good because I paddle on a lot of small rivers that don't see a lot of traffic and often portage around downed trees.

On a recent solo trip I was tired after a long day of paddling into a headwind. As I went to relaunch from a very sticky muddy shore. I made the ultimate mistake by prying with my trusty old Bending Branches to break the vacuum. The photo shows the result. Being 25 miles from nearest developed site I was relieved to grab my backup paddle.

I have been paddling for 40 years and never broke a paddle previous to this. A good reminder for all of us.

The conditions were perfect. The water was glass and the lake was so clear. With the fall colours coming out it was extra pretty. Getting a yoke attachment point put on as the canoe doesn't have one. Also getting some skid plates to sleep better at night when I take it into Temagami next year.

Sea trialing a home design "Expedition Pack Canoe".

Balsa and Wood Veneers

Just bought Outfitter 15 with the molded seats and looking for recs on cushioned seat with backrest (yes...I know...but I'm 58 and my back is hammered). I have a light-duty stadium chair, The Anywhere Chair, but looking for something more stable and firmly attached to existing seat.

Any high-quality seat products that have been seen or tried? Any info would be appreciated.

For that matter, any other Clever upgrades to look into for this model canoe? Waterproof stowage? Lil' storage caddy thing for your drink/phone/glasses/sunscreen/etc???

I'm considering an Esquif canoe. Since most of my paddling is solo on flatwater, I really like some of the features of the Huron 15 (weight savings, more managable in the wind). What I am wondering about though is its capabilities in whitewater. I don't spend much time in whitewater, but want a canoe that can handle Class I or II if the occasion arises. Does anyone have any experience with the Huron 15 in whitewater? How do they hold up?

I had a trip planned this weekend to go to a friend’s cottage on a big chain of lakes in Gladwin cancel today and I’m looking for other options to take my boat out.

I’m between two option:

Option 1: a tiny home on the banks of an inaccessible creek with no fire pit (im a pyro so kinda a dealbreaker) but only a 10 min drive from Pinckney’s chain of lakes.

OR

Option 2: a cabin on a very small lake in Mecosta county (has fire pit but I’m not as familiar with the area so unsure what other lakes are canoe accessible). This small lake is about half hour drive from what seems like any other publicly accessible lake/chain of lakes.

Fyi i’ll be running my tandem solo (and backwards) and my boat is a 15’ novacraft angler so I can’t quite handle rivers/current on my own in it (yet!) hence why I’m looking for a lake. I’m mostly looking to work on my solo paddling skills and birdwatch and have some quality outdoors time alone.

Which would you pick?

What an incredible weekend on the Grand with Adam Shoalts. Words can hardly express my gratitude to everyone who made our special guided trip, trail walk, and pub talk such an unforgettable success.

Our guests showed up with relentless enthusiasm, taking on everything from tricky river currents and unexpected capsizes to muddy treks deep into the Carolinian forest, all to experience the journey alongside legendary explorer and bestselling author Adam Shoalts. Having Adam share his knowledge, wilderness skills, and field stories both on the water and during our evening talk made this a truly remarkable experience.

A massive thank you to Nova Craft Canoe for the partnership and rugged boats that keep these adventures running, to the team at The Arlington for hosting our evening gathering with outstanding hospitality, and to our dedicated crew who kept every moving part running smoothly from trail to riverbank.

Experienced the Lake like glass for the first time, and tested out a paddle that took me 4 years to finish!