Help me identify this Old Town canoe

[larrypac]

I bought this canoe at a yard sale and need help identifying it. It is 17'-4" long, 38" at the widest. The serial # badge has been partially broken but it ends with 75H, which previous research leads me to think it was built in 1975. I'd like to know which model it is and what it is made of. the existing repairs are pretty well adhered which leads me to believe that it might be Royalex, not Poly, but I'd like to hear from people more knowledgeable than I am.

 

[stevet]

Looks like a Tripper model to me….second canoe I ever owned. A classic.

 

[larrypac]

If it is a 1975 Tripper, would it be Royalex?

 

[Pseudonym]

The shape looks like a Tripper and the length is correct, so it is probably Royalex given the vintage.

Royalex has a foam core, so if there's any boring through the hull and/or exposed edge, that would confirm your suspicion. You could drill out the rivets and pull off a deck cap if you wanted to know for sure.

 

[Benson Gray]

If it is a 1975 Tripper, would it be Royalex?

Yes, although the factory was using the more generic "ABS plastic" at that time. Page seven of the catalog at https://adirondack.pastperfectonline.com/Library/21FA5A4C-6A4A-4F23-9692-433539293670 from 1975 has more details. It appears to have a rudder mount on the stern for a sailing rig. There should also be a six digit serial number stamped just below the rail on another exterior part of the hull and on the bow deck as shown below. A build record may be available if you can provide this number.

Benson

 

[larrypac]

Yes, although the factory was using the more generic "ABS plastic" at that time. Page seven of the catalog at https://adirondack.pastperfectonline.com/Library/21FA5A4C-6A4A-4F23-9692-433539293670 from 1975 has more details. It appears to have a rudder mount on the stern for a sailing rig. There should also be a six digit serial number stamped just below the rail on another exterior part of the hull and on the bow deck as shown below. A build record may be available if you can provide this number.

Benson

So, The "Chipewyan" Tripper measure 17'-2" L and 37" W. It is possible that I'm off 2" on L since I was measuring alone and had to sight from tape to canoe end, but the 38" W is accurate since I was able to hook tape on one gunnel and measure to the other. Is there any possibility it could be something other than a Tripper? Also, Is ABS the same as Royalex at least for repair purposes? I actually own a Tripper but it is at our camp so i can't do a side by side comparison at least for a while. I'm 75 YO and can't get either on my car alone and my wife is not up to helping physically. I bought it for $100 and plan to clean up the repairs and sell it. And yes, it was set up for sailing and I have a bunch of parts but not the mast or sail, unfortunately. LP

 

[ppine]

A canoe like that needs a trailer.

 

[Benson Gray]

You have a Tripper. The catalog dimensions are approximate so your 38 inch width sounds close enough. ABS and Royalex are the same for repair purposes. A trailer is usually the best solution when you can't easily get a canoe on top of your car as ppine suggested. Replacements for the mast and sail should not be hard to locate. Many other small sailing boats use similar parts. Please post the serial number if you find it. Good luck with the project,

Benson

 

[larrypac]

Yes, although the factory was using the more generic "ABS plastic" at that time. Page seven of the catalog at https://adirondack.pastperfectonline.com/Library/21FA5A4C-6A4A-4F23-9692-433539293670 from 1975 has more details. It appears to have a rudder mount on the stern for a sailing rig. There should also be a six digit serial number stamped just below the rail on another exterior part of the hull and on the bow deck as shown below. A build record may be available if you can provide this number.

Benson


View attachment 141296


View attachment 141297

Could not find any #'s other than the partial pictured in my post. The bow and stern decks had a faint "Old Town" logo but no decal or number

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Larrypac, welcome to site membership! Feel free to ask any questions and to post messages, photos and videos, and to start threads, in our many forums. Please read Welcome to CanoeTripping and Site Rules! Also, please add your location to the Account Details page in your profile, which will cause it to show under your avatar, as this is a geographic sport. Many of the site's technical features are explained in Features: Help and How-To Running Thread. We look forward to your participation in our canoe community.

Looks like a Tripper to me, also. Old Town's ABS sandwich construction was later called Oltonar by them, rather than the usual name Royalex.

BIRTH OF A LEGEND: The Story of the Old Town Tripper Canoe!

by Cliff JacobsonDespite newer designs, the Tripper excels as well in tough rapids.Some canoes are blistering fast but don't turn worth a hoot. Others dog it on the flats but come alive in the maelstrom of winding rapids. Still others compromise speed and maneuverability for "all around"...

www.cliffcanoe.com

 

[M Clemens]

You have a Tripper. The catalog dimensions are approximate so your 38 inch width sounds close enough. ABS and Royalex are the same for repair purposes. A trailer is usually the best solution when you can't easily get a canoe on top of your car as ppine suggested. Replacements for the mast and sail should not be hard to locate. Many other small sailing boats use similar parts. Please post the serial number if you find it. Good luck with the project,

Benson

Interesting that it sports the black gunnels and decks, rather than the white ones typical of 1975. They may have been replaced judging from the spacing of the rivets.

 

[larrypac]

I could have been misinformed about how to interpret the serial #. I read that the last 2 numbers were the year. # ends in 75H. My other Tripper just end with 85, no letter, and it was embossed into the surface

 

[M Clemens]

I could have been misinformed about how to interpret the serial #. I read that the last 2 numbers were the year. # ends in 75H. My other Tripper just end with 85, no letter, and it was embossed into the surface

I'm not sure when the convention changed, but my 83 Hunter ended in 83K which would be 1983, November and my 82 Acadia was 82I, 1982 September. At some point it changed to month/year as my 86 Pack was 586, May 1986. So, either 1984 or 1985.

 

[Benson Gray]

I'm not sure when the convention changed

The page at https://www.usps.org/national/safety/HIN/HIN.pdf indicates that the format changed in 1984. A HIN ending in 75H would have been made in March, 1975. The black rails were first shown in the 1985 catalog so those have been replaced. The interior photographs in the sailing thread show a white interior which was replaced with a sea green one in the 1977 catalog. These also show that the center thwart has been removed which will explain the extra inch of width.

Benson

 

[larrypac]

Thanks for all the good info. Much appreciated!

 

[larrypac]

Now that I am pretty sure that I have a Royalex canoe, I'll proceed with repairing it with G flex, but what about paint? I happen to have some 40 year old Old Town green canoe paint that seems to be still viable. I bought it for a wooden canoe that I built. I'm sure it will stick to the epoxy but will it stick to the vinyl parts beyond the repairs?

 

[Alan Gage]

I'd paint a test patch.

Actually, I probably wouldn't paint a test patch and would just paint the entire hull and see what happens.

But a test patch is what I would recommend.

Alan

 

[Benson Gray]

Many paints don't bond well with the vinyl covering on a Royalex canoe. The instructions at the site below about painting vinyl siding suggest "paints that are made from 100% acrylic or blends of urethane and acrylic resin ... you will have to give it a light sanding with a 220 grit as well as a coat of primer. This will ensure that the coat of paint has something to hold on to." Good luck,

Benson

Can You Paint Vinyl? – Mayfair Paint

mayfairpaint.ca