I’m considering purchasing a vintage 17’ Forester fiberglass canoe but can’t find any reference to this brand online. The seller is asking $175 for the boat and paddles. Any advice? Thank you in advance!
Found these tidbits:
“Beginning operation in the 1960s, Forester Boats originally sold canoes alongside smaller motor boats. Constructing a wide range of recreational watercraft, runabout, speedboat, fishing and pontoon vessels that were built by Forester Boats during their existence as a Minnesota-based manufacturer. After a long time in the marine business, the final Forester Boats were produced in 1994.”
http://www.nadaguides.com/Boats/1994/Forester-Boats
and
"Fiberglass Engineering & Products of Wyoming, MN was the maker of Forester brand boats. That was the original corporate name prior to the company name change to Forester. They always made “Forester” boats.
“If the boat was made after November 1972 it should have a 12 character Manufactirer’s [sic] Identification Code (MIC) on the outside of the transom, starboard side. That will have a code to tell the manufacturer’s name and month and year it was built.”
Doesn’t help you with the price, but at least you know where it was built.
Post a few pictures
Hard to lose much at that price if it meets your needs for a while. Whether it will meet your needs is the question. What is your experience? What kind of paddling do you expect to use it for? How heavy is it and will you be able to handle moving it around on land?
there should be an encyclopedia
of canoes and maybe of kayaks. Seems like canoe makers were pretty numerous.
The Bob, it should be a challenging mission should you accept!
Get your five crazy kids
To help you lift it!
Forester Canoe
We have owned a Forester Canoe since purchasing it in the spring of 1971 at the factory in Wyoming. I just refinished it. It is a fun but heavy canoe. Can’t see how you could go wrong for $175 - that’s about what I paid for it 45 years ago.