Looking to purchase used canoe

Hellow folks. A newbie…



I am looking to purchase a used ‘82 Merrimack 16’ (has a Keel - so I think it is a SOUHEGAN - I forgot that piece of detail when I looked at it) off of Craigs list. I have looked at the boat and it is in remarkably good shape and appears to have been stored indoors. I think the price is fair ~500. The question I am hoping to have answered is what does this body of experts and hobbyists think of the Merrimack brand?



Main use will be PNW lakes and coastal sloughs, bird watching and general recreation. It will be me and my wife and at times my two terriors. btw, the boat will need to be stored outdoors (I live in the PNW think rain…)



Thanks in advance for your thoughts and comments.

Merrimack
Very nice canoes.



500 for one in good shape is a probably a deal.



Too bad it has to be kept outside. At the very least keep it off the ground (on sawhorses) and be vigilant about keeping the gunwales varnished or oiled. Don’t ruin a nice boat :slight_smile:

Hi Newbe. I’ve gotten great results
both buying and selling using the classified Ads here on pnet. I put an ad up on Items Wanted and a few months later a dealer called me with the exact boat. He even delivered it free and did not even charge sales tax.

Me no expert

– Last Updated: Feb-20-09 2:07 PM EST –

But I'll try to help.

I started out my canoe ownership with a Navarro, which is a descendant, of sorts, of the Merrimack line. IIRC, it was a little newer than the boat you are looking at.

Anyway - the Merrimacks are a little better in quality over my Navarro, I think. They are both beautiful boats - you will get comments on that everywhere you go. It feels good to the soul just to sit in one.

For your use, the Soughegan should work fine. But make sure you look it over real good. Check closely for hairline cracks in the gelcoat and for wood rot (grayish spots or streaks in the wood) or splitting. Look on the undersides of the furniture and pay close attention to the ends of the wood ribs where the finish is thinner. Make sure the glass is still holding it's integrity - press and listen for telltale crackling sounds. The seats will probably squeak a little under pressure, so don't confuse that.

You will have to spend some time in maintenance that you wouldn't with other boats. The wood must be protected, and you will need to inspect it often for any damage or wear in the finish. If there is any cracking in the gelcoat, you may want to address that, or do not allow it to get wet and then freeze hard.

$500 sounds pretty fair if it's in real good shape. I bought my Navarro (13' Legacy), which was in excellent shape, for that and sold it for the same about a year later without any trouble. Would have kept it around just for looks if nothing else - if I had unlimited indoor storage.