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I can relate. My only new canoe purchase was in 1981. It was based on a model introduced in 1921. I don't pay much attention to most canoes that are less than 100 years old. I'm paddling a lot less now too. Hang in there, Benson

I agree, one of my favorite paddles is a highly decorated one that is on display at the Peabody Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts as shown below. One of the best parts is that it shows evidence of significant wear indicating some serious use before being sold to a collector and put on display...

1921 Old Town Molitor on a 2013 Volvo C30, an eighteen foot canoe on a fourteen foot car is never going to look quite right. The link below has more about this canoe. Benson https://forums.wcha.org/threads/aa-grade-old-town-molitor-model-in-original-condition-from-1921.12325/

Yes, the boats are somewhat different. The ICF rules permit the kayaks to have a rudder for example. However, the specifications at https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/Olympic-Games/Paris-2024/ICF.pdf and starting on page 24 at...

Some data to support this can be found in the world record sprint racing times listed at the link below. Your mileage may vary... Benson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_world_best_times_in_canoeing

It has been said that light canoes are great at the beginning of a portage but every canoe weighs over 1000 pounds at the end of a long portage. Benson

There are no known serial number records available for Great Canadian canoes. The format of the serial number you provided doesn't exactly match the hull identification number format described at https://www.usps.org/national/safety/HIN/HIN.pdf but the "M85" probably means that it was...

See the link below for a video and more about Ron Drummond surfing canoes without outriggers in California during the 1960s. Benson https://www.eos.surf/videos/ron-drummond

This is just a language problem. Most Europeans use the terms kayak and canoe interchangeably for all human powered small boats. The open canoes of North America are commonly called Canadian canoes in Europe. You should not have any issues paddling them, regardless of their name. Benson

Most of these pictures are from undated Old Town materials. The second image is from page 13 of the 1911 White catalog. The full version of that White catalog is available at the link below. The popularity of inboard motor canoes like these dropped dramatically once outboard motors became...

These are common from many different manufacturers. I've never analyzed the physics involved but they show up regularly. I don't know about the other labels but Rhéaume only made the Koru and Stillwater models for Old Town from April of 2011 thru October of 2012. Benson

I agree, the air gaps would clearly not improve the effectiveness of the glues. The catalog pages below are from several major molded canoe manufacturers and none of them display a basketweave pattern. Benson

The best alternative in this situation is if the swimmer has mastered the Capistrano Flip. I have managed to perform this with a light canoe many years ago when I was young, strong, and not injured. The basic concept is to tread water while rolling the canoe over your head and then throwing it...

Absolutely, most modern canoes use much lighter canvas than was common in the past. Jerry's web page and the White catalog don't specify the canvas weight but the Old Town catalog at https://www.wcha.org/catalogs/old-town/specific.gif confirms that 'the "Guide's Special Canoe" (page 18) has No...

You may enjoy "The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America" book by Edwin Tappan Adney and Howard Irving Chapelle. This is available from the link below and other sources. The unusual shape of the Beothuk canoes may also interest you as shown below. This design made it easier to bring...

My guess is that this was someone's experiment with building an alternative skin-on-frame style canoe. It does not look like any manufactured canoe that I have ever seen before. More pictures and details will help as others have mentioned. Benson

There are birch trees across most of Canada and many northern parts of the United States. The first link below has a map and more details. Dugout canoes were typically used on the ocean and other areas where portages weren't common. However, the sturgeon nosed or Kootenay style bark canoes...

This model was introduced in 1984 and the 1987 catalog page is shown below. Good luck, Benson

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the Mud Pond Carry in Maine between Umbazooksus Lake and Mud Pond. Thoreau didn't think much of it during his trip across on Monday, July 27th, 1857. He got lost as described at the first link below. The map at the second link may help if you are not...

Yes, managing a web site has gotten a lot more complicated over the past few decades and migrating from one platform to another can be a real pain. The good news is that the Internet Archive's WayBack Machine has been periodically saving copies of your site since 2000 as shown in the first link...