Another Fixer Upper

[dougd]

I'm bumping this cause after finally cleaning the hull I did find an identifying number. I have no idea what it means so am asking what others think.

 

[LanceR]

While I have nothing like the canoe related experience of others here I wouldn't be surprised if it was a lot number or bidder number from an auction or some other thing completely unrelated to canoes. (we need an eating popcorn while watching emoticon....)

Best regards,


Lance

 

[Guest]

That hidden 362 makes we wonder about the vintage of this inch deeper than usual Explorer, and whether it dates from the first run Explorers, 1975-ish.

When was the first iteration of HIN numbers mandated? If that was after 1975 that number could mean anything, factory marked 362[SUP]nd[/SUP] Mad River canoe or 362[SUP]nd[/SUP] Explorer.

 

[ppine]

I had a Sawyer Charger from 1978 that had similar long decks and the up turned lip on the aft section. It actually shed some water in big waves. I really miss that boat all the time. Plenty of rocker but 34 1/2 inch beam and 18 1/2 feet long.

 

[LanceR]

I got curious and peeked.....Boat hull numbers were required in late 1972. https://www.boatsafe.com/hull-id-numbers/



Lance

 

[PeteStaehling]

I read this thread with some interest since I always loved the Explorer and your's is an interesting one.

John told me that Coffin was the inventor and original manufacturer of Iliad paddles, which were the first fiberglass paddles produced, as well as a renowned wilderness tripper and canoe maker. A huge proportion of the serious whitewater canoe community in the 70's and early 80's believed in magnum blade paddles with extremely strong shafts. Norse paddles were more popular in California, where I started my whitewater career with Bob Foote and others, while Iliads were more popular in the East, to which I moved in 82. I distinctly recall us digging snow, ice, mud and rocky dirt with our Iliad paddles to free up stuck vehicles on shuttle roads to rivers such as the West Branch of the Sacandaga in New York.

That brings back memories of my old Iliad paddle. I found it on the river, but my memory is foggy on where. I used it for years in a decked C-1. I recall setting to roll my ultramax on the Blackwater in WV and having the blade jam under a rock. The tee grip jammed into my groin. I was pinned in the boat upside down by an "unbreakable" paddle. I was pretty sure I was going to die, but started slamming the paddle shaft sideways with the heel of my hand and by some miracle broke the shaft of that brute of a paddle and freed myself. I managed to limp to the take out with a terrible borrowed spare.

Being, young, stupid, broke, and entitled I had the nerve to ask Iliad if they would honor their lifetime replacement guarantee for any paddle breakage even though I wasn't the original owner. They said they would have if the two halves had not have sunk and disappeared.

 

[Will Derness]

What’s this thread about, again? Oh, yeah, Doug’s boat rehab. But, never mind, on to paddles:

I was on the Lehigh one day trying to paddle with the stub of a broken-shafted Expedition paddle, and not doing too well.Willy paddled by and handed me his spare, which was a Norse. That paddle worked me over pretty well, and I was talking to Willy about it later. He agreed with me but offered this: if you’re in a jam on a river and you have one stroke to make to save your life, one powerful stroke you HAVE to make, isn’t the Norse the paddle you want to take it?
.

The spare Norse I gave you was the light weight version of what I was using. The Norse I used that day had a larger diameter shaft and a larger blade face. You could really lay out on a brace/ draw if you needed to. With the aluminum tip you could sit/ pole in the shallows. But it is a heavy paddle. Back then I was younger, stronger and didn't mind the weight because of the ruggedness of the paddle. I'll frequently still bring a Norse as a backup because if you are down to one paddle you can't afford for it to break.