What is this thing?!

[robert18]

Hi all. I recently acquired this canoe for $100 (and that included two paddles and two PFDs and it was delivered!) from Craigslist. I have never seen anything quite like it. It floats and is actually quite pleasant to paddle even with three people and a dog aboard. There is a small leak somewhere in the stern hence the tethered plastic bailing jug! It is a combo of wood ribs and fiberglass. I don't see any planking!
Any ideas as to what it might be or where it might have come from will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Benson Gray]

You probably have a Merrimack Canoe as described at http://merrimackcanoes.com/ although other manufacturers have made similar looking canoes. There is probably a hull identification number on the starboard stern which can provide confirmation.

Benson

 

[robert18]

Thanks Benson. Your suggestion led to a telephone call to Randy at Merrimack. I described my canoe to him and he thought that what I have was most likely a Stowe Canoe Co. boat. Further research with that knowledge confirmed that "diagnosis". Now to clean it up a bit and stop the small but annoying leak. Oh and to obtain a paddle more suitable to my 6'5"! Still and all I think I got a pretty good deal for my $100!

 

[mccloud]

Strange how these things seem go in cycles, but a Stowe Mansfield was just listed in canoes for sale on this site, and there is another, or Merrimack, for sale on ebay right now. Tom McCloud