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16 ft Old Town Canoe

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Aug 5, 2025
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I am new to the canoe restoration world and I am considering purchasing this canoe as a BIG project. Not that I need a canoe project but it seems like this canoe would be beauty when completed. Is this canoe worth the effort. I have no additional information on this canoe.Old Town Canoe.jpg
 
Hi Mike, those old w/c are all beauties when they're done. For me, it would depend upon how much the seller wants for it & how much you want a wood/canvas in the fleet.

Like you, I don't need another project but, if it's cheap enough & you've got the time & patience...

It certainly looks like the gunwales (inner & outer) are shot but whatever rotted them has probably damaged at least some of the rib tips so you'll have those to deal with. Canvas is a given and I don't think there's any way to tell about planking until you get the canvas off (but there are many here who would know about that better than I do.)

If you can buy it cheap, maybe grab it, strip the canvas & scrub the crap out of the inside. Maybe even remove the gunwales, if needed, to see how many ribs need attention. At that point, you'd have only the initial purchase and some time involved but I think I'd want it cheap enough that I could burn it or give it away without regret in the event that the determination is that it's too far gone to save.
 
You can get more information with the serial number. The information at the link below may help if you aren't sure where to look.

Benson



 
Here’s a 1922 16’ Charles River Old Town in Westbrook, Maine on FB Marketplace, seller says it’s not fiberglassed but will need a canvas. It looks similar to yours, for $650. Now is a good time to be looking for wc canoes at good prices.
I agree with what everyone has said and might add that the thwart behind the bow seat makes it difficult to solo the way most people do, sitting on the bow seat, canoe reversed.
If you are considering using a wood canvas canoe for any sort of tripping (welcome to my world) you would do well to consider a Chestnut. Chestnut built the Fox, Chum, Bobs, Cruiser, and Prospector, all great solo trippers and the Bobs, Cruiser and Prospector make great tandem trippers.
Old Towns like the Charles are seldom seen in the backwoods, they were made to cruise on Sundays in the Boston area. (Or the lawn of Paul Smith’s college in July. (Tongue in cheek).

IMG_5981.png.
 
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