Poll: How old were you when you got YOUR OWN first canoe (and what was it)?

[stripperguy]

As a result of ppine's "like", I realized the links I had to the referenced pics has gone bye bye...
Here is my old post repeated, but with the pics inserted directly.


I spent my childhood in family canoes wood and canvas and boomalum
When I was 16 I bought the other half of a sportspal cause that’s what my father wanted
I named it “the cork” for the way it bobbed and moved as fast sideways as forward

the first canoe of my own was a redwood stripped comp cruiser that I built at age 22
I always thought it was too heavy at 62 lbs but it was fast and had tons of room
that was the second stripper I built
the first was with a buddy because I had “the cork” and he had nothing

Not the best photo, but here is that buddy's truck, with our canoes on top. His 18 ft Micmac in pine, my 18'6" Comp cruiser in redwood.


And here's that same cruiser, 15 years later, with my daughter paddling stern and my nephew in the bow...

 

[BurkeJ]

I was 47 when I bought my new to me Blackhawk Combi 15.8.
That was 8 years ago.

Joined a paddle club looking to do more kayaking on the Great Lakes…
At my first meeting sat next to a Canadian. After a brief conversation; he asked me why I was looking for a new kayak when I really wanted a canoe?
Bought my first canoe a week later.

 

[Okraman]

Here is a picture of the VW Campmobile referenced in my previous post.

Here is a picture of me and my 1st canoe. It was probably around 1980 and is on the Buffalo River. The other guys on this trip were from where I worked and my brother-in-law.

 

[Penns Woods]

I got my first canoe in the laundry room of my college dorm where I made a skin on wood frame canvas canoe.
I was in college had no money and needed a boat to go fishing so I made one. I can still remember the day it was finished and I was taking it out for the first time. Everyone in school knew I was building one so about 50 kids were there in the parking lot to see me of. About half were there cheering me on and the other half were placing bets it would never float. Well, it did float and the old girl served me well paddling all around Norris Lake.
The picture here is summer on the Allegheny River in Pa. I remember it was very stable and tracked well.
I let a good friend borrow it (big mistake) where he wreaked it when he backed his truck over it. I have nothing but fond memories of that green canvas canoe.

Me at about 20 YO, can't believe how skinny I was.