This winter I bought a 1947 Grumman 15ft. To replace my 1975 Grumman 18ft.I thought was too big for my solo trips. Needless to say, 3 feet is a lot less room and now I have a puppy that won’t let me go without taking her.I’ve already taken the 47 on 4 trips and despite the tight quarters I was pleased because it handles well and doesn’t leak a drop. GREAT CANOE!!! But now I’m not sure I should be subjecting a post war relic to my river adventures. would love some insight and advice on what I should or should not concern myself with. Thanks
post WWII Grummans
If there are no cracked ribs and the keel is straight, You have no worries. The Grumman Canoes of that era were made using the same fastening techniques that Grumman developed building planes for the Navy during the war. Canoes do not put their rivets thru kinds of stress that piston engined war planes landing on aircraft carriers did. A big reason Grumman canoes hold up better than their rivals whose names all seem to end in -craft. The newer Grummans use a thinner, higher strength Aluminum skin so they have dropped some weight over the years, but they are still built to last. Our Scout camp is using Grumman canoes and rowboats that were made in the 50’s when the camp opened, and they have been thru a beating.
Bill
It might be quite rare for its age, but
rarity, in this case, does not equate to value as an antique. Its worth is defined by its condition. A newer Grumman in worse shape would be worth less. Sound like you got a good deal.
I have an old Grummy, where can I find
date of manufacture?
Grumman
as a defense contractor recorded and stamped hulls with information.
Search: Grumman canoe registration numbers
there’s a wiki and personal history worth reading.
tracking production and sales
correlated with war famine recession was the search intent bit no find this…anyone know where ?
older grumman canoes
i contacted grumman re" my 15’ grumman with a #1083A-3-15 on the tag on the bow. they replied that they did not have to have a hull # on pre- 1972 models, and had no old records in order to date mfg. dates on pre 72 models??? I registered the canoe in Fl, added a center deck with a fishing hand rail,added a 45 lb thrust minn kota and had to etch a hull # provided by Fl into the hull of the canoe. runs and fishes great—standup or sit down
i’m currently in the adrondackpark catching northern pike and smallies.
take that old grumman out and have a good time
I just found a 15’ Grumman in pristine condition. Looks like it has been rowed and sailed over the years.
Trying to find year information. Serial number is 206B-5-15. Can anyone help.
It has sealed round access holes in the watertight flotation compartments.
I was the proud owner of a 1948 19-foot Grumman square stern. It was built like a tank and I had her on just about every river in Missouri with nary an issue. I ran up to 10 hp motors on it, normally going with a 3 hp Johnson that was the same vintage. You could stand on the gunwales and jump up and down and it wouldn’t flip. At one point I had it on a trailer with another canoe on top, both facing up. Got hit with a huge downpour and both boats filled with water. No worries at all! Often wondered how much weight that was. I would say you can run it forever. Mine had a title which showed the date. Would assume there were titles for all of these boats, but not sure how you would track them down.
@Jeff Vallender said:
I just found a 15’ Grumman in pristine condition. Looks like it has been rowed and sailed over the years.Trying to find year information. Serial number is 206B-5-15. Can anyone help.
It has sealed round access holes in the watertight flotation compartments.
Talk to these guys. They’ll know…
http://www.marathonboat.com/index.asp
But, I think the 206B-5-15 number you found is a model number and not a serial number. Hull ID Numbers/Serial Numbers weren’t required until 1972. If you can’t find a number at the stern of the boat then it’s probably older than 1972.
