I am 75 and earlier this year I struggled to load my Grumman canoe onto a top carrier, even with a Reese canoe loader. Then I purchased a kayak/canoe wheeled carrier for $55. Using the two of them together was like having another person help me load the canoe on top of my SUV.
I worked a as a canoe guide in the early 2000's. Most of our canoes where 18 grumman canoes. Handles extremely well on lakes. Great carrying capacity, tracked well. One canoe in our fleet was built in 1965. We did make a point the canoes never touched ground. We would stand in knee deep water to empty and load the canoes.
Just bought a 73’ Grumman 15 canoe for $350 off of CL a week ago. Overall great to excellent shape plus it came with 2 new paddles. Very excited to have it.
I ended up doing the same thing you did. Bought a 13' 13STD Grumman with a cracked rib. My kid and I sister ed up and new rib next to the old one, drilled it out and riveted it up. Great times with the family now. Good for two or one.
I got a Grumman 17 for $150 which came with a pristine single billet old town paddle in a usable length. I grew up with a Grumman 17 with the sealed bulkheads which we still have. It’s number is 621A which Marathon Boats says is the first run from about 1946. My dad bought it used in the early 60’s. Eventually I had the many coats of summer camp paint soda blasted off.
During WW II the company built the Grumman Hellcat. This was a torpedo bomber. It was famous at the battle of midway when all these planes were shot down but because of the distraction, the dive bombers came in and sank 3 out of the 4 aircraft carriers. This was a total disaster for the Japanese armada. After the war all the military contracts were cancelled. Grumman knew that the😊y had an excellent material in Duralumin. They decided to make canoes! They were very popular and light as well as strong.they were also relatively cheap compared to the wooden Old Town Canoes made in Old Town, Maine, the oldies canoe maker in the US. I know these canoes very well as my grandmother purchased one. She lived in Lock Haven, Pa and her house bordered on the Susquehanna River. I took the canoe to Lafayette College and canoed the Delaware River and found it to be a great travel canoe. But my fondest memories were on the Susquehanna River when I was young and our family would go out into the River and practice trying to sink it, turn it over and practice getting into it, and just getting under it and talking inside the upside down canoe. My love for canoeing came from those times. Now I live in South Korea and have canoed most of the rivers here, rapids and dams but with an Old Town canoe composite canoe . The big advantage of this canoe is that it does not have a keel. When in rapids the keel responds to shifting currents in an unpredictable way. But I still miss the. Lightness of the Grumman, but not the noise they make and their ability to lock onto rocks. Oh well cannot have every😊thing!
Great video, thanks! Just made arrangements to pick up Grumman number 4, a 13’ in excellent condition! BTW, put a front rack on the cab of your truck !
My inherited Grumman has that small mounting plate in front of the bow seat - it's for a sailing mast? I've long wondered what that is for! Any idea how well it works?
That's the Mast Step Flange, very common on older Grumman canoes. You need the Mast Step that bolts onto the flange. It is a square aluminum casting that fits the square foot of the Grumman Mast. Grumman made lots of complete sail kits up until the early 1990's. Rudder/tillers, leeboards and mounts, and the Mast Partner, which is crucial. You can make one from a piece of pine or mahogany. It's the part that the mast slides down through to reach the Mast Step on the floor.I have had several over many years, and they work pretty good but are very basic, with no extra control features. I just added them like a more expensive sail would all have, such reefing provisions and an out haul, as well as a down haul. These features aloow you to shape the sail better and get very good performance. I do recommend an outrigger. It's more fun because it takes the possibility of a capsize almost completely away. I made mine into sailing trimarans for camping. For an idea, see ruclips.net/video/LGRsZsgKCgU/видео.html
Yours wasn’t resealed…that’s factory…looks the same as mine. That is a first generation model (1945-52)…after they moved to Marathon they added covers to the forward and aft float areas, hiding the sealed round area with black sealant. My guess is your serial tag says Grumman Aircraft Eng Corp…Bethpage, NY. Pre-50’s the globe on the serial tag is black…’50-52 it’s blue.
This canoe is one of the first ones made as is evidenced by the tanks in the front and back. The badge should probably say “Grumman Aircraft” Bethpage, NY. Grumman moved to Marathon in 1952. This Canoe “Old Blue” is probably from the late 40’s.
I am 75 and earlier this year I struggled to load my Grumman canoe onto a top carrier, even with a Reese canoe loader. Then I purchased a kayak/canoe wheeled carrier for $55. Using the two of them together was like having another person help me load the canoe on top of my SUV.
I worked a as a canoe guide in the early 2000's. Most of our canoes where 18 grumman canoes. Handles extremely well on lakes. Great carrying capacity, tracked well.
One canoe in our fleet was built in 1965.
We did make a point the canoes never touched ground. We would stand in knee deep water to empty and load the canoes.
Just bought a 73’ Grumman 15 canoe for $350 off of CL a week ago. Overall great to excellent shape plus it came with 2 new paddles. Very excited to have it.
I ended up doing the same thing you did. Bought a 13' 13STD Grumman with a cracked rib. My kid and I sister ed up and new rib next to the old one, drilled it out and riveted it up. Great times with the family now. Good for two or one.
I got a Grumman 17 for $150 which came with a pristine single billet old town paddle in a usable length. I grew up with a Grumman 17 with the sealed bulkheads which we still have. It’s number is 621A which Marathon Boats says is the first run from about 1946. My dad bought it used in the early 60’s. Eventually I had the many coats of summer camp paint soda blasted off.
During WW II the company built the Grumman Hellcat. This was a torpedo bomber. It was famous at the battle of midway when all these planes were shot down but because of the distraction, the dive bombers came in and sank 3 out of the 4 aircraft carriers. This was a total disaster for the Japanese armada. After the war all the military contracts were cancelled. Grumman knew that the😊y had an excellent material in Duralumin. They decided to make canoes! They were very popular and light as well as strong.they were also relatively cheap compared to the wooden Old Town Canoes made in Old Town, Maine, the oldies canoe maker in the US.
I know these canoes very well as my grandmother purchased one. She lived in Lock Haven, Pa and her house bordered on the Susquehanna
River. I took the canoe to Lafayette College and canoed the Delaware River and found it to be a great travel canoe. But my fondest memories were on the Susquehanna River when I was young and our family would go out into the River and practice trying to sink it, turn it over and practice getting into it, and just getting under it and talking inside the upside down canoe. My love for canoeing came from those times. Now I live in
South Korea and have canoed most of the rivers here, rapids and dams but with an Old Town canoe composite canoe . The big advantage of this canoe is that it does not have a keel. When in rapids the keel responds to shifting currents in an unpredictable way. But I still miss the. Lightness of the Grumman, but not the noise they make and their ability to lock onto rocks. Oh well cannot have every😊thing!
Great video, thanks! Just made arrangements to pick up Grumman number 4, a 13’ in excellent condition! BTW, put a front rack on the cab of your truck !
So impressed that you rolled that aluminum canoe to carry! Wow.
Got my eye on one right now. This helps. Thanks!
Awesome purchase. I grew up on a heavy aluminum canoe.
Yet another great find for your "fleet"!
My inherited Grumman has that small mounting plate in front of the bow seat - it's for a sailing mast? I've long wondered what that is for! Any idea how well it works?
Haven’t found an affordable Grumman sailing rig in my searches but there are vids of folks using them online. Linked some in my vid description.
That's the Mast Step Flange, very common on older Grumman canoes. You need the Mast Step that bolts onto the flange. It is a square aluminum casting that fits the square foot of the Grumman Mast.
Grumman made lots of complete sail kits up until the early 1990's. Rudder/tillers, leeboards and mounts, and the Mast Partner, which is crucial. You can make one from a piece of pine or mahogany. It's the part that the mast slides down through to reach the Mast Step on the floor.I have had several over many years, and they work pretty good but are very basic, with no extra control features. I just added them like a more expensive sail would all have, such reefing provisions and an out haul, as well as a down haul. These features aloow you to shape the sail better and get very good performance.
I do recommend an outrigger. It's more fun because it takes the possibility of a capsize almost completely away. I made mine into sailing trimarans for camping.
For an idea, see
ruclips.net/video/LGRsZsgKCgU/видео.html
Yours wasn’t resealed…that’s factory…looks the same as mine. That is a first generation model (1945-52)…after they moved to Marathon they added covers to the forward and aft float areas, hiding the sealed round area with black sealant. My guess is your serial tag says Grumman Aircraft Eng Corp…Bethpage, NY. Pre-50’s the globe on the serial tag is black…’50-52 it’s blue.
Thanks for this awesome info!
This canoe is one of the first ones made as is evidenced by the tanks in the front and back. The badge should probably say “Grumman Aircraft” Bethpage, NY. Grumman moved to Marathon in 1952. This Canoe “Old Blue” is probably from the late 40’s.
Thanks for the added info. I'll have to go look now! Great contribution...
Great 1940s find. Well worth that price
I've heard that those are good
at crashing through obstacles.
(good thing, because you sure don't want to portage!)
What a fun video. Loose that paddle though. Life is to short
You can be heard coming down the river for miles
I'm looking at a Grumman fiberglass canoe.
Love to see a pic of that. Circa 60’s/70’s? Found this article: www.duckworksmagazine.com/08/howto/grumman/index.htm