Serial number SW E51656M79K

[WHaag]

I recently came upon a canoe with the mentioned serial number. The canoe has a thin layer of green fiberglass on the outside and wooden ribs on the inside. Looking for any information anyone has. Thank you.

 

[Benson Gray]

This looks like a a Coast Guard hull identification number (HIN). See http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/hin.htm for more information about the formats of these HINs over the years. The SWE at the beginning indicates that it was built by the Stowe Canoe Company as described at http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/mic_detail.aspx?id=SWE and the "RPT OOB BY MIO NY 23 SEP 91" at the bottom of that page indicates that they may have gone out of business by September 23rd, 1991. The 79K at the end shows that it shipped in June of 1979. These, Merrimack canoes, and a few others were built in a similar style so you can search these forums for those terms to find additional information. I don't believe that any of their serial number information is available like some other manufacturers. Feel free to reply here if this doesn't answer your question.

Benson