I purchased a 16 foot fiberglass canoe last summer. Just trying to identify what the model is. There is no data plate on the float box forward. The only number is on the outside of the hull embossed into the resin by the stern of the boat. I bought it on the spot for $150 without a second thought. Hull embossed number is SAW016091485. Thanks in advance for any assistance you might render
Older Sawyers are really nice boats, but I’m sure no expert on them. While growing up with my Grumman I was unfailingly out raced by tandem Sawyer Cruisers and Super Cruisers. I had a friend who paddled a Summer song (solo) and another who paddled and Autumn Mist (solo), I think the Autumn Mist was about 16 ft, but that’s just a imperfect memory. I checked with these guys - a good resource generally:
https://www.marinetitle.com/library/hull-identification-number.aspx
It wasn’t identified by that number, but it looks like your boat was an '85 model and there was a change in the hull identification number protocols at about that time - perhaps Sawyer canoe was not immediately compliant with that protocol change?
Is it a solo or a tandem? Rockered? Have you looked at the Google Sawyer Canoe images to see if there’s something that looks like a match?
Sorry I can’t be more helpful, but it would have been worse not to try to help at all…
Maybe the Sawyer fans will jump in quickly.
At $150 I can’t see how you could go too far wrong - assuming it floats and hasn’t been beaten to pieces and repaired sloppily.
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PJC thanks for your reply and resources. I will check into them. Like I said it is fiberglass, forest green gel coat, oak trimmed, no patches, evident cracks, just a few small scratches that present no possible water tight integrity issues. It is a two person and the stern seat needs to be replace or recaned. You have given me a few ideas to look into, thanks.
I think I see a keel. Does it have one?
Those floatation tanks don’t seem original. Definitely chopper gun layup… Do you have pix of the inside floor a little closer up. Trying to find out if there is a weave pattern there that is typical of S glass that Sawyer used or if the paint is over chopper gun layup…
Here is an article that may be of interest. I had a Sawyer 190 … It was almost 16 feet. Very fast and well built. But your boat does not have the distinctive constant flared hull of the 190 nor the distinctive floor weave
Seems yours may be an Oscoda Sport… or maybe something else.
Good deal at $150 & it looks like it will float. Otherwise, it’s hard to say what it is. I’d say much repaired. I don’t recall Sawyer using much wood especially not oak. Mostly aluminum gunwales and thwarts. The on picture does look like the inner fabric is woven roving but the ??flotation tank?? looks like chopper or mat.
What is the width & depth?
Sorry for the late night photos, only time I have had to inquire. There is definitely chop gun usage either in the construction or to add float boxes.! Here a few more that better show the construction. Thanks for you assistance
36 1/2 at the thwart, 14" deep and bow to stern it is actually 205", 17’1"
I believe the last two numbers are the date on being built, 1985. I really like Sawyers. My first canoe was a Sawyer Cruiser which was 17’ 3". They had very sheer (thin) entry lines. YOur boat may be a different model. The best canoe I have ever had except for the wood and canvas Old Town, was a Sawyer Charger. It was 18’6" and really deep. It was around 35 inches at the beam and really fast.
We have an 18’6” Oscada double. The construction looks very similar to your photos. I think that we got it in the mid ‘80s. We ordered it and had to wait to get it. The only chopper-gun material is in the (2) flotation chambers. The dealer, at the time, told us that it was a value-priced Sawyer that was not finished out as nicely. He said it was just as strong and seaworthy as a Sawyer but used heavier less-expensive cloth.
Unlike the boat in your photos ours has aluminum gunwales.
Our HIN also starts with SAW and shows it was made in 85.
The color, both inside and out, look to be either exactly or very close to you photos…
