I have just got a 17’9" Saywer canoe, with tractor seats. Its fiberglass with aluminum trim.
Its worn on the ends some and I am looking for info on the best way to repair it. It still holds water but there is a spot where it is cracked on the bottom. This canoe was sitting out behind a barn that I was working on and when I asked the owner about it .He said if you want it get it out of here. He was about to cut it up and take it to the dump. One of his daughters old boyfriends had left it there over ten years ago and he was tired of it being there. I brought it home and love those sleek lines. Cant wait to paddle it. It is a faded blue so I would like to repair the hull and repaint it. Also one of the Sawyer canoe emblems is broken and I would like to find a replacement for it if possible.
Cruiser Maybe?
The sawyer cruiser was 17’9". Maybe some other models were too, I’m not sure. The cruiser is a fast, hard tracking canoe. It sounds like what you have is very repairable. See Mohawk Canoe’s web site for some good info on fiberglass repair. Also you can try a marine deeler like West Marine for advice and quality supplies including paint. Some folks like auto paint. You’ll get better replies than this on that aspect. Depending on your use, you may want to go with skid plates to protect those fine ends. That is where the Cruiser I had always got dinged up.
Sawyer went out of business around a decade or so ago. Do a web search on Mid-Canada Fiberglass and maybe Scott Canoe I think they wound up buying out Sawyer so they might be the place to check for a Sawyer emblem.
Good luck and congratulations. If its a Cruiser its worth the effort to fix her up.
Yeah, I agree
Sounds like a Sawyer Cruiser which is likely the best Sawyer tandem ever manufactured. It’s a Gel-coated boat… If there is structural damage, you fix it with kevlar and fibergalss and epoxy resin… Sand it all flush and then either repair the gelcoat with the closest colored gelcoat you can find. Or you paint it with a marine enamel.
As to Sawyer they went out of business about 1995. I don’t think that Mid Canada purchased Sawyer. I’m pretty well tied into Michigan Canoeing, and I have a few friends that were friends with Harry when he ran the company. These folks have no idea where the old Sawyer molds are located… So finding the insignia is probably not realistic. In addition, I don’t think that the emblem adds any value to the boat. I’d just skip it. Fix the hull so it looks reasonably well and get out and paddle that old Sawyer. It will perform, and beauty is of little value in an old used canoe.
PK
Sawyer- Mid Canada
Mid Canada Fiberglass did not buy Sawyer, but they are producing three models of Sawyer boats under license (including the Cruiser) and they are using the Sawyer emblems. You might contact them to see if they will sell a couple. They do not talk much about the Sawyer boats much on the website, but they do have them in their product brochures.
Sawyer Cruiser
Have to agree that this is a well designed hull and nice canoe to paddle. Like so many of the later Sawyers it is suffering from their inconsistent build quality. Most of the used Sawyers you run into are sitting around due to cracks or just plain floppy bottoms.
It can be fixed by glassing in reinforcement on the inside and smoothing over the dings on the outside with resin. Check over the seat attachment hardware also before you get into this boat on the water.
The repairs will require an investment in time and sweat, but will bond you to this boat when you get it in the water and sample its speed and glide. It was the boat to beat in its day, and those who could put the power to the paddle and keep it upright were always contenders.
Bill
Nice Boat this Sawyer Cruiser
I just sold one in Kevlar.
Wow, these things FLY!