I have paddled the Penobscot 164, royalex for 40 yrs, love it’s all around behavior. It just seems to have gotten too heavy 
. Have an opportunity locally to acquire a Bell Morningstar 16 in Black n Gold, good condition, solo and portage hardware. A little cold to test paddle, but my research leads me to believe it would be similar the the Penobscot. Not the best at everything (occasional solo, tandem, maybe w a dog and/or grandkids) but pretty respectable handling at around 41 pounds. Thoughts?
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I believe you have a Penobscot 16 not a 164. The 16 is Royalex, the 164 is poly. I have a Penobscot 17, but it is quite a bit different than the 16.
I dont have experience with a Morningstar, but from the specs, it would be a versatile canoe. It is a narrow tandem so it should work well as a solo. The rocker will make it nimble and the weight will make you use it more often.
It sounds like it would meet your needs. If you buy it, post some pictures. Let us know what you think when you paddle it. We need more canoe content on here.
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Morningstar specs from Bell Canoe Works website, July '03.
WEIGHTS BY LAYUP
BlackGold - 46 lbs.
WhiteGold - 53 lbs.
KevCrystal - 40 lbs.
Royalex - 58 lbs.
Length: 15’-6"
Length/width ratio: 5.8
Rocker:
Bow 2.5"
Stern 1.5"
Shear:
Bow: 21"
Mid: 14"
Stern: 19"
Width:
Gunwale width - 32"
Max width - 36"
4" WL width - 32"
Displacement:
2" WL - 170 lbs.
3" WL - 310 lbs.
4" WL - 420 lbs.
5" WL - 580 lbs.
Capacity:
6" Freeboard: 950 lbs.
Optimum Load: 250-550 lbs.
Sounds like a good choice to me. Go for it!
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Capt, you are correct on the poly, mine second Penobscot is the 164, bought around 2017. My first one, bought in 1981 as a second at the original factory in OT ME, was royalex.
Will update my discovery of the Morningstar with pics. I kept my money in my pocket.
Thanks Buff_Allice. This boat is around 10 yrs after the '03 specs, he claimed 41 lbs for a Black n Gold layup. I checked rocker w a taut string. Owner didn’t know tech, such as rocker, and not really much about the material. Way overpriced for the condition of the hull. Owner divulged in conversation he once had it pinned sideways in the local (aptly named) Rocky River near his house. I am really concerned that the fabric is exposed in many spots, and there is a significant crack around the entire hull midship. I didn’t even want to talk price since I don’t know how sound the hull is, and I’m not in the market for a “project”.
Perhaps others here WITH MORE EXPERIENCE REPAIRING KEVLAR can chime in. Interior is real nice.
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It does look rough.
There are a few contributors to this site who have Kevlar repair knowledge and skills, but I’m not one of them.
As an aside, the history of Bell Canoe Works in the early 2Ks is a little murky. Ted Bell sold the company in '07 or so. The new owners, ORC (Redfeather snowshoes). made “Bell” Canoes for a few years and then let it die. Some say ORC had persistent quality control problems. Bell was reincarnated as Northstar in '13 or '14, and Redfeather has more recently ('22 or so) started making canoes under their own brand.
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Yes. going from a good boat to a great boat. Wet out the kevlar on the new canoe with epoxy. Maybe two coats. It will help make those scratches disappear. It will add some strength and little weight.
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From what’s visible in the pictures, the line midway between each end (perpendicular to the keel line, see arrows.) would be my biggest concern, especially if carries through to the inside of the hull. It suggests excess stress at some point in its life. This is where the two halves are joined after they come out of the molds, and a failure here while in use would be most troublesome.
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Thanks, cosmetic repairs aside, I am not confident enough to think this is “the boat” for me. I do believe the seller has an emotional attachment to it (grieving loss of wife, leaving his homestead etc), but also don’t believe he has the knowledge or desire to have kept up the boat. I appreciate the input!!
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Sounds like you made the right choice. The search is half the fun anyway!