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  1. Benson Gray

    Best all-around design?

    There were a broad variety of Chestnut Prospectors so the answer varies. The most obvious element is that they tended to be deeper than the similar pleasure models. The 1934 catalog page below may help. Benson
  2. Benson Gray

    Slow (or no) click response at this website?

    You may also want to poke around the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association forum at https://forums.wcha.org/ to see if you get the same behavior. This is also running Xenforo on a server in Virginia. Good Luck, Benson
  3. Benson Gray

    Slow (or no) click response at this website?

    I would encourage you to try a few other internet connections (neighbor, work, library, coffee shop, airport, etc.) to see if you get the same behavior. If it is only happening at your home then it may be worth calling your internet provider to see if they can help. Good luck, Benson
  4. Benson Gray

    Old Town Tripper -- New Old Stock

    Someone has listed a 1981 Ranger model (i.e. a Tripper with wood trim) in similar condition on Facebook marketplace for $3950 in West Sand Lake, New York for a while. They haven't found a buyer yet either. There are lots of optimists around. Benson
  5. Benson Gray

    EM White Guide 20'

    Be careful with it, that is quite a bit less than the original. Benson
  6. Benson Gray

    What's changed for better or worse over your canoeing lifetime?

    Chipewyan was Old Town's name for their ABS/Royalex/Oltonar series of canoes which came in various lengths. This was similar to their Carleton group of fiberglass canoes. I believe that Old Town built the second facility in the world to make canoes from flat ABS sheets in the 1970s. The first...
  7. Benson Gray

    What's changed for better or worse over your canoeing lifetime?

    Most people would probably have considered an aluminum Grumman to be a 'state of the art' canoe in the mid-1950s. These were priced in the $100 to $300 range as shown in the first image below. The ABS plastic canoes in the 1970s were priced in $300 to $400 range as shown in the second image...
  8. Benson Gray

    What's changed for better or worse over your canoeing lifetime?

    This story was quoted in the 1975 Old Town catalog as shown below. Benson
  9. Benson Gray

    What's changed for better or worse over your canoeing lifetime?

    The first advertisement below is probably the one you are seeking. They spent all afternoon throwing it off the roof because it is not easy to get a canoe to land on end from four stories up. Most of the time it just bounced without buckling. There were lots of pictures available so they...
  10. Benson Gray

    2026 WCHA Assembly venue changed from Paul Smith's College to Keuka College

    They are considering this decision now. It seems likely to remain at Paul Smiths. Benson
  11. Benson Gray

    Wooden Boat Guy transitioning to ? (need advice)

    My experience is that once you have a hitch then it will get used for many other things too. I selected a canoe trailer that could have a plywood deck added so it has helped me move: a lawnmower, a snowblower, furniture, bark mulch, firewood, brush, and a variety of other items that would not be...
  12. Benson Gray

    Wooden Boat Guy transitioning to ? (need advice)

    I suspect that a lightweight trailer like yours with a canoe can be towed by almost any car. I would encourage you to contact your local trailer hitch dealer for more details about the options. Benson
  13. Benson Gray

    Wooden Boat Guy transitioning to ? (need advice)

    You may want to consider a trailer. I have become a big fan of them as I get older. Benson
  14. Benson Gray

    Late Jan. 2026: Snow where you are?

    We have a 'wedding cake' of snow on top of the deck table. Benson
  15. Benson Gray

    What are the best river and inland lake canoes of all time?

    This seems to be a recurring winter question. The first link below has a similar discussion here from early February of 2024. Dan Miller was the curator at the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, New York many years ago and assembled an assortment of canoes that had been described as the 'perfect...
  16. Benson Gray

    Old Town Penobscot Royalex restoration. Is this hull salvageable?

    Your picture appears to show a hull identification number of XTC82308J687 (which is serial number 282308). This would be an Old Town made in October, 1986 for the 1987 model year. The Old Town with serial number 233808 is a green Camper model that shipped on June 25th, 1980. My guess is that...
  17. Benson Gray

    Need a Bigger Shaft

    I suspect that some foam pool noodles and / or duct tape could probably solve this issue. Good luck, Benson
  18. Benson Gray

    Maps... I like maps.

    I love old maps as well. My favorite one on the wall is an Osgood Carleton map of Maine from circa 1802. This is mounted behind glass so it doesn't photograph well. The first link below shows it much better than I can. There is a huge amount of detail along the coast but it gets increasingly...
  19. Benson Gray

    What's this paddling technique?

    There has been a fair amount of academic debate about pointed paddles being used as weapons. The general conclusion is that the reduced noise of paddling with a pointed paddle was probably a more compelling reason for the design. This is another topic that is likely to continue generating a lot...
  20. Benson Gray

    Mapping Labrador

    The design and construction have clearly evolved over the years. There also appear to have been some typographical errors in these early weights as well. The 1906 catalog listed the 18 foot model at 80 pounds and the 19 foot one at 85 pounds. Open gunwales, thicker thwarts, and other small...
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