What's a fair price to offer for this Old Town Penobscot 16? It's come up for sale as "make offer." I've attached 3 photos--I've not yet inspected it in person.

Serial number ends in 95, so presumably 1995 vintage and Royalex.

Seller says it's been used less than once per year. Storage conditions: outside, in shade, hull facing up. This is in Texas weather :)

I see some mildew inside, but the weave seats still look surprisingly good. I plan to check out the wood for rot near the gunwale.

Thanks for the insights!

I have a 17 of the same vintage. This one is more faded than mine, suggesting that the hull might have some issues down the line. The seats do look good and the gunk can be cleaned off. I think I’d be inclined to keep an offer under $500.

OTOH, I might not know what I’m talking about:

Sun-stored Royalex used boat buying question

It looks like the seats were replaced...check out the rotten seat drops. The seat drops are replaceable. Seat cane can dry out if neglected so even though the seats look good the cane may fail. In the last picture it's hard to see what the white stuff is down by the skid plate...maybe it's nothing or maybe the ends are chewed up and that's why it needed skid plates...looks like the rear skid plate might be coming off. I think it's a $400 boat at best if the skid plates are intact and if there's nowhere where the royalex skin has been worn through so that water can get into the royalex material.

I'd be at like $200 for that boat. $400 max.

Thanks. I'm looking at it in person this afternoon (and bringing the truck w/ the rack). I'll let you know.

strainer: "Thanks. I'm looking at it in person this afternoon (and bringing the truck w/ the rack). I'll let you know."

Curious what you found. It's old but in good condition - we have 5 of these at our camp and they are damn near broke. Weak points in the gunnels where the yoke attaches, and to some degree the seats, are the worst. We've ended up drilling new holes but that throws the balance off.

Somehow at least two of ours have gotten nasty gashes in them as well - I'm not sure how because one other group was regularly using them. We've patched with fiberglass patches but now they drag.

This one looks positively new.

I did end up buying this one. I likely overpaid a bit at $500. But... I wanted it!

The good:
Hull interior looks great, vinyl gunwales and end caps are good. Included a bracket accessory for an outboard.

The bad:
Hull has two gouges where I can see into an inner layer. Cane in seats is brittle. Missing thwart. Some rot at edge of yoke. Owner has applied fiberglass skid plates (likely 20+ years ago) which are flaking away.

I'll be replacing the entire seats, yoke, and thwart; and applying 731MMA adhesive to hull gouges that show inner layer, then some Aerospace 303 all over.

Not sure what to do about the old fiberglass skid plates.

Hull doesn’t look too bad to me. The skid plate should come off fairly easily. I have replaced a number of them that looked less ancient and more solid than what I see in your photo.

Hull doesn’t look too bad to me. The skid plate should come off fairly easily. I have replaced a number of them that looked less ancient and more solid than what I see in your photo.

Here are some repair resources:

Mad River Royalex FAQs

Repairing a Royalex Canoe with G/flex Epoxy

i paid a grand for mine in 2000 new. i'd offer 500, wash with soap and water and then get some 303 cleaner and maybe nufinsh.its a ok canoe, but is heavy and narrow/ tippy if your taller and heavy, if your not sure of yourself, you may not like it. my wife does not like it at all. i can handle it solo with some weight in the bow/reversed.