One other thought - maybe a longshot
Does it have wood gunwales? If it does, you might be able to see the top edge of the hull between the inner and outer strips of wood, and seeing the hull in cross-section would settle the issue for sure. Further, if it has wood gunwales but you can’t see the top edge of the hull for identification, I would BET that it is Royalex. Who would put wood gunwales on a boat with a poly hull?
ask him to measure the width
– Last Updated: May-21-09 10:20 PM EST –
the RX Penobscot has a slimmer profile and has a narrower beam (under 3 ft) than the poly... from those pics it looks like it may be one!
maybe not
I missed the three layer poly on the Pen 164 and 174. Even though I live in Maine I have never seen either.
If its three layer the colors could theoretically be different inner and outer.
I believe
that is a Royalex Penobscot. The poly Penobscot is called the Penobscot 164 and the canoe should bear that label.
Easiest thing is to
punch a big hole in it. If it’s repairable, it’s Royalex, otherwise it’s poly.
If it’s not your boat, just looking at the owner will tell you on the spot. If he’s raring back to punch you in the face, it’s Royalex. If he’s picking up a shovel to hit you, it’s poly.
jim
1 Like
yep , all the Old Town poly canoes …
… I’ve seen have light color inside (beige, tan)and different color outside (green, red) … same with the Royalex canoes .
man , I can’t tell from those pics. …
… my first guess is it’s PolyE. linear 3 layer , but i could be mistaken ?? It’s the way the rubs and scratches show like poly , different than vinal Royalex , but the lighting in those pics. could be causing that …
The canoe should have an embossed serial number pressure stamped right into the hull up near the bow (or stern) , I don’t believe it will have a rivited plate ser. # like you might be thinking .
Get the ser.# and call Old Town , unless someone else knows for certain that the ser.# won’t tell if it’s Royalex or PolyE. …
definitely rx
The easiest way to tell the difference is to get close. RX sheaths the ABS plastic in vinyl inside and out. Vinyl has a homogeneous color. Polyethylene starts life as a bucket of plastic pellets. Poly boats from Old Town will always have some speckle to them and will be a little lumpy on the inside where RX should be smooth. You should also be able to pick out on the inside stems where a reinforced piece of ABS is used on RX boats. Old Town never put wood gunnels on Poly boats, usually vinyl. The RX Penobscott could have wood, but is probably aluminum gunnels. Based on the photo, it has aluminum gunnels and those decals date it to a 2006ish model year Royalex Penobscott. If the seller is taking $400 for it, even without paddles it’s a good find.
Great question
I have a OT disco which is poly and a OT Penobscot 16 which is royalex, and I can’t tell the difference except for the weight.
Cheers,
JackL
Weight
Sellers often don’t even get the length right. The simple thing is to have him weigh the boat. If it’s royalex, he should be able to stand on a bathroom scale with it on his shoulders. Then stand on it without the boat. Subtract the difference…if it’s a Penobscot and it’s ~59lbs, its royalex.
Nail Polish/Thinner?
If I recall correctly nail polish, nail polish thinner, acetone will dissolve ABS but not poly.
Ask him to put a couple of drops in some least visible spot. If the material gets soft - ABS, if not poly.
Additionally, nail polish will definitely flake off from the poly surface.
Crazy glue sticks to ABS as well, but not to poly
Disclaimer - never actually tried any of these 
Why not
just have the guy look at the side of the canoe?
If it says Penobscot 16 it’s Royalex.
If it says Penobscot 164 it’s poly.
wonder if the long stripe decals on …
… the sides might give a clue ??
Old Town fancies up thier Rx boats a bit . Did they use the fancier striping on the polye. model too , or just the Rx ??
Can’t tell from the pics. if the gunnels are alum. or vinyl … I believe the Rx modle may have only come with blackened alum. .
Seems like even in those pics. you should be able to see the Old Town logo on the side (in the stripes) , but I don’t see it … probably just the pic. though .
Another mentioned the smoother floor for Rx , where the polye. has a slight ripple/lumpyness … that is so from what I know .
I always find it strange when sellers don’t show pics. of details like the logo brand or worded stickers , the interior or other detail features .
The mystery deepens
So, the serial number is XTC 89098C303, which Old Town says is the # for a Penobscot 160 (the RX version). The seller says the gunwales are vinyl, which Old Town says are only on the Poly version (aluminium or wood on the RX). Gotta love it when all the evidence comes together!
Thanks to everyone for the advice. And if anyone can read Old Town serial numbers and wants to chime in, I’m always gald for a second opinion.
The gunwales
– Last Updated: May-22-09 1:31 PM EST –
I suspect are vinyl-covered aluminum. I'm pretty sure that is what Old Town uses on the Royalex Penobscot and if you go to their site and look at the pictures of the Penobscot 16, that is what the gunwales pictured look to be.
Someone who doesn't know a whole lot about canoes might not realize that there is aluminum underneath the vinyl.
Poly
wants a cracker. Royalex doesn’t.
Ouch!
Anybody know when OT started calling
… everything in their fleet “Penobscot”? I thought it was just in the past couple years.
This boat is an '03 and sure looks like a real Rx Penob from the pictures.
Another clue
– Last Updated: May-22-09 5:36 PM EST –
if there are surface scratches taking off the outer finish, and you can see tan under it, it is royalex.
If there are scratches and all you see is the same color, no matter how deep they are, then it is poly.
Cheers,
jackL
Rx penobscots
weigh 59-60 lbs & are equiped w/ black alum gunwales
Digging through the old catalogs,
it looks as if Old Town turned the Poly Allagash into the Penobscot 164 sometime after 2004. (Must have been inspired by Mad River turning everything they made into Explorers.) The Allagash/Penobscot 164 is several inches wider than the Penobscot (37.5" vs 34"), so that’s something which could be checked pretty easily. And for what it’s worth, at least as recently as 2000 the catalog did say the Penobscot 16 was available in optional wood or vinyl trim. Since this one seems to be a 2003 model it looks like a pretty safe bet it’s the real thing.