Ot #469
- Thread starter floydvoid
- Start date
There are no build records available for any Old Town canoes with three digit serial numbers. The only confirmed one is shown at https://www.wcha.org/forums/index.php?threads/11487/ with number 201. Kennebec didn't use this serial number on a canoe. Many canoes like this turn out to be from one of the builders in the Charles River area. I don't think that you are crazy for avoiding this one. Most people here would run away from a canoe with a $1300 price and the damage you described. A better guess of who built it may be available if you can provide some pictures.
Benson
Benson
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OP
OP
floydvoid
Enthusiastic about Wooden Canoes
Here are some pictures. I think my limit is $1500 for totally pristine canoes no matter how special they are. Unless it’s a centerboarder from a special lake… I’ll drop a little more for that.
I need mouse nests and bird poop on my canoes I think.
I need mouse nests and bird poop on my canoes I think.
Attachments
It certainly looks like a a canoe that was made in the Charles River area. The wooden seats may indicate one built during the Second World War. The image below shows a similar serial number font on a Robertson.
Benson
Benson
MGC
Scrapmaker
Welcome to the conundrum. What is the canoe really worth? It is clearly a nice canoe, but it needs some serious work done on it. Will it be worth what that costs when you are done restoring it?
An inside rail might be spliceable, but assume it needs to be replaced. Off come the decks. Off comes the canvas.
Broken ribs...sometimes they are OK to leave but if the canvas is off it's a good time to replace them. It's also an option to backside splice. It's a game day call.
The canoe has been painted, on the inside. That is not a fun thing to deal with. Today's enviro friendly strippers will torture you until you have tears in your eyes. Is there a professional nearby who can put it in a dip tank? That's a cool $500 cash from your pocket if you go that route or 20 or 30 hours of your time if you do it yourself.
It all adds up. A home restoration will cost you about $600 dollars more or less. It will cost $1,100 if the pro strips it for you. Add whatever you think 100 hours of your time is worth to come up with a total.
A professional restoration will cost you anywhere from $250 to $500.00 per foot, plus the cost of the canoe.....
And when you are done, the canoe might be worth $3,500 on a good day?
Often there is no good financial case for buying these canoes. You have to have the collector disease or a strong attraction to the particular boat.
If a courting canoe is something you really want, make an offer that is one that makes sense to you.
$1,300 for a damaged canoe that requires a total restoration is off the charts unrealistic.
If you can show the seller what it would cost to restore and suggest a restored value while you negotiate a lower price, that might make it worth your while.
But as it sits, no, you are not crazy. You are informed.
WOW, Floyd. I fee your pain and you have a quick cure. Don't do it , I have done several courting canoes and the first boat I ever did was a Boston boat that was misrepresented and among other things needed many feet of wide planking ( 5inches + ) and almost every rib. I was lucky to have only paid 300 for it and I learned 5 years worth of resto work with a variety of repair/replacement jobs. It was a rare boat and beautiful when done , but OMG what an experience. The paint on this dude is scary and if it is polyurethane and doesn't have varnish underneath NO WAY , you can do better if you are patient.
My 11 cents. Have fun either way.
Dave
My 11 cents. Have fun either way.
Dave
