I bought a canoe about 17 years ago and never knew anything other than it was a brand I wasn’t familiar with and I loved to solo in it even though it’s a tandem. I’m having a hard time finding info on this specific model. Is it a late 70’s Watersmeet? Between 16’ and 17’ tandem. It has a Blackhawk logo but the SN isn’t on the Blackhawk list I have seen. I’ve enjoyed many river runs in it and I’m curious to know more about my favorite canoe. I also want to pass it on to the next paddler with proper info when I’m ready. This old girl doesn’t get her paddle out like she used to. Any help and history info would be greatly appreciated.
I’m thinking there must be a second (older?) Blackhawk canoe company.
I own three of the Janesville WI Blackhawks (Starship, Ariel and Zephyr) and have been a fan for decades. All mine are from what they called their “adventure” series (and there was also an~18 ft tandem in that series called the Phantom.) They had a more conventional line called the “hawk” series which were also very lively canoes. There was also a lower end line called the “combi” series (I’m not sure how many lengths were made in that line. All the combis could be easily identified - they had molded in cup holders.) All the preceding were Phil Sigglekow designs. They also made two Pat Moore designs - the Covenent and the Proem which were favored, at least by folks I was acquainted with, for freestyle sorts of paddling.
All had straight cutwaters. I have never seen one with the curved stem and stern lines of the one pictured nor have I ever seen that logo. The older Janesville logo was:
and the newer one:
Yours looks like a fine boat, but it isn’t anything I’ve seen from the Blackhawk canoe company I’m familiar with. And the company status of the Blackhawk canoe company I know is definitely not “In Business”. Hasn’t been since the mid 90s and Phil Sigglekow has passed away.
I’m curious to see what folks here know about the Arkansas Blackhawks.
The problem with doing HIN searches is sometimes the result is a HIN that is being re-used by a newer company after the old one goes out of business. I suspect that is what happened to ‘CED’. Clearly nothing to do with the Janesville Blackhawk company, this line of boats is from Merrit Island Florida, the HIN is pre-84 convention and indicates October of 1979; Crew Enterprises of Alaska assumed the HIN ‘CED’ in November of 1979.
@Chipewyan12 that is the first logo i have seen that looks like mine! thanks for the pic and info. very interesting. i bought the boat in central florida.
@PJC thank you! i’ve been hard pressed to find one that even looks like mine, including the logo. like you said, she’s got some curves! she handles great solo for multi-day river runs with some gear in the front center. tracks nice and is quite maneuverable for the size, depending on the position of cargo.
Does anyone have any idea where I can find any additional info to figure out what model my canoe is? The logo is very similar to the pic from @Chipewyan12 but mine does not say Merritt Island, FL at the bottom of the logo. The mystery remains
