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50 year old 13 foot w/c Chestnut on Facebook North American Canoe Trader Groups

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Location
Gaithersburg, MD
There's a real unicorn for sale on Facebook's North American Canoe Trader group. If you aren't in the group. I don't think you'll be able to see it. A showroom condition, never paddled, 13' Chestnut, 100% original. The author states: "I was a teenager in the 70's and got a summer job with a man that was a distributor for Old Town and Chestnut. He passed away ten years ago. Last year his widow moved out of state to live with one of their daughters and she gave me the boat. It had hung upside down in their showroom but had never been used."

He's asking $3300 and is in southwest PA.

Here are the pics.
chestnut 3.jpg
chestnut 2.jpg
chestnut 1.jpg
 
Beautiful, love that color.

I agree. But who can paddle a 13' tandem? Two kids, or maybe Nessmuk (a tubercular dwarf) and Olive Oyl. Even as a solo for a small person the seating would result in bad trim. It's a show canoe for a collector with lots of disposable income. Wonder what it weighs.
 
As a fan of Chestnut canoes, I'm pleased to see what I assume is the original 'Chestnut Grey' paint. I'm restoring a Chestnut right now and painting the color coats in my interpretation of Chestnut Grey and now realize the grey/green is more pastel than I realized; though, I have never seen the color in person. Thanks for posting this!
 
A review of Chestnut Canoe Co. catalogs lists only one 13' canoe, the so-called 'One Man Canoe', model Solitaire. The center thwart is moved 12" aft so a solo paddler, paddling with the canoe reversed, will be at or near the center for improved handling. The model is no longer offered by 1956.
 
A review of Chestnut Canoe Co. catalogs lists only one 13' canoe, the so-called 'One Man Canoe', model Solitaire. The center thwart is moved 12" aft so a solo paddler, paddling with the canoe reversed, will be at or near the center for improved handling. The model is no longer offered by 1956.

But the description of that canoe says it has three thwarts and no seats. The 12"-aft middle thwart was the solo position. Of course, that hull could have been custom thwarted and seated as shown in the picture.

As to slatted seats, the catalogs usually list them only for the Prospector series, and there were 12' and 14' Prospectors. I wonder if the length of the canoe is correct at 13'.
 
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