I've learned of one of these for sale. I haven't seen it and know nothing about it at this point, no pictures either yet.

That said, what should I look for when I get there? If it's straight and looks watertight, depending on condition, age, and all that what might it be worth? I hope to have some pictures sometime soon to make things more accurate.

At this point, short of googling the company history I know nothing about them. Sorry this is a random, half-lost post but what should I be looking for? Rare models or something to avoid? Thanks!

calling Hans Solo.....turn on the Bat signal.
Sawyer made some very good canoes. What are they worth??......about what any other nice hulled kevlar canoe is worth.

Thanks Doc. I currently own 0 canoes...but it's my B-day this week so maybe it'll be a present to myself? Have to see it first obviously.

Buy it. I have 6 Sawyers, and I think Han solo has more than me. They are great canoes. All there models have their good points. Do you know what model?

quote cowdoc: "calling Hans Solo.....turn on the Bat signal.
Sawyer made some very good canoes. What are they worth??......about what any other nice hulled kevlar canoe is worth."

LOL :-D

Cyclones30, if you go to my Photo Journal on bwca.com, I have numerous categories related to what we discuss here on bwca.com, primarily pictures of canoe and canoeing, for obvious reasons. I have one category labeled "Canoe Specifications". There you will find catalog pages and spec sheets from Sayer, Wenonah, Bell, Blackhawk, etc., that I have scanned and uploaded. You'll find plenty of information for Sawyer Canoes of Oscoda, Michigan there. Hopefully you'll find what you need to identify a potential Sawyer Canoe purchase.

If you don't find what you're looking for in my Photo Journal, I may have some additional information I haven't uploaded yet. Feel free to ask or email me if you still have questions. I'm a canoe junkie and I love talking canoes, especially the old Oscoda, Michigan Sawyer Canoes.

If you can, try to post some pictures of the canoe(s) in question. Good Luck

Hans Solo

quote Canoe42: "Buy it. I have 6 Sawyers, and I think Han solo has more than me. They are great canoes. All there models have their good points."

At this point in time Dave we are tied! I currently own six Sawyer canoes as well, five Sawyer solo canoes, and one tandem;

3-DY Specials @ 16' 8": 2-Goldenglass and 1-Expedition Kevlar
1-Shock Wave @ 16' 8": Expedition Kevlar
1-Sumersong @ 15' 4": Expedition Kevlar
1-Cruiser @ 17' 9": Expedition Kevlar

At one time I had also owned a Sawyer Charger @ 18' 6" in the "Goldenglass" lay-up. Actually, it was before Sawyer used the buzz word "Goldenglass" for their Kevlar reinforced fiberglass lay-ups.

Although the Sawyer Charger was a great design and competed with Mad River's TW Special and Wenonah's Odyssey, Whitewater X, and other big tripping canoes of the late 70's and early 80's, that old fiberglass lay-up made for one heavy canoe. My Charger was a beast and weighed more that an Old Town Discovery. That fiberglass Charger weighed nearly 90-pounds! It was definitely not a canoe I'd take to anywhere that required numerous portages.

Much like Bell Canoeworks/Northstar Canoe's Magic, my five-Sawyer solo canoes are all designed by Dave Yost. I have not paddled a Dave Yost designed canoe yet that I haven't liked. I have found that Dave Yost designed canoes are very predictable, seaworthy and generally just a joy to paddle.

Although Dave Yost designed canoes are not bred for speed like most all Gene Jensen designs, they are no slouches in the performance category either. In general, the old Dave Yost designed Sawyer solo canoes, and his tandems, are very user friendly in my opinion.

For what it's worth, the "Classic" Sawyer Cruiser @ 17' 9" was a Dave Tuttle design.

Nevertheless, it's hard to go wrong with most any Sawyer Canoe IMHO.

Hans Solo

(pictures below from left to right; Sawyer Shockwave in Expedition Kevlar, Sawyer Cruiser in Expedition Kevlar, Summersong in Expedition Kevlar, DY Special in "Goldenglass" x 2), and DY Special in Expedition Kevlar with English Setter)

Thanks. Hopefully I'll get some more info soon.

I have a Sawyer 222- a great big (18'6" 34" at the waterline)expedition boat,. It is the best all around hull on the water I've ever paddled. Every bit as fast as my Wenonah MNII, but dead stable in all conditions, handles great in big waves and sheds water well enough that it's my favorite whitewater tripping boat.

However, at 90#+ (Goldenglass layup, no foam core) it is largely retired.

If I found one in kevlar and foam core I would buy it in an instant.

Here is the only picture I've got so far. Hopefully I'll know more today about model and other stuff once I get there. Any thoughts?

All I can say is that I don't think it's a Cruiser, I believe they all had a sliding bow seat.

Alan

quote Alan Gage: "All I can say is that I don't think it's a Cruiser, I believe they all had a sliding bow seat.


Alan"

I have 3 Cruisers. Only one has the sliding bow seat.

quote cyclones30: "Here is the only picture I've got so far. Hopefully I'll know more today about model and other stuff once I get there. Any thoughts?

"

Not the best picture or angle, but my best guess would be an X-17. The bow treatment, which could possibly be a Keel Eazy strip, throws off the look of the bow entry. Additionally, the end caps are much larger and longer than the standard end caps that were applied in production. It could have been something the original owner added.

Sawyer X-17 Spec Sheet

As far a a lack of a bow slider, there was a time that the bow sliding seat was offered standard on Sawyer's Kevlar canoes, but the "Goldenglass" lay-up, which is what the canoe appears to be, had a standard fixed bow seat. Judging by the decals, I'd say it's an early 1980's X-17 or Sawyerlex canoe.

Then again, if I could see the interior of the canoe, it almost looks like Sawyer's "Sawyerlex" canoe, which was the one and only Royalex offering. (pictured below)

Sawyerlex Royalex Canoe

What appears to be a Keel Eazy strip, could be the rubber bow bumper. Sawyer had one the Sawyerlex canoe. If there was an interior shot of the hull, it would be a dead give away. The Sawyerlex had a "Tunnel Keel", which was an inverted channel that ran almost the entire length of the hull. If it was the Sawyerlex, that would account for the larger end caps too.





Finally, Sawyer almost always painted the interior of there "Goldenglass" canoes gray. Judging by the picture, the interior does not look gray. Additional pictures, especially of the interior, would be helpful.

Hans Solo

i have an older glass cruiser and a goldenglass X-17.
The X-17 paddles well with a load but unloaded is too tricky in wind for my liking. Mine also oil-cans easily and severely if not loaded. the last occurrence was bad enough (breached the hull and leaked) i've decided to install ribs else not use it. I don't want to hijack this thread but could use some advice on best way to add ribs keeping cost and weight down.
the end caps on my x-17 are not as long as the ones in the pic. good catch.

Thanks for all the advice and info.

If it is an X-17 in GoldenGlass etc or a Sawyerlex, what's it worth in this condition? At this point I think it would be cool but I'm not enough of an addict to pay collector price or something.

They're pretty terrible at sending information. Here's the latest picture which doesn't show much else.

If the owner could send a picture of the hull's interior, I could tell for sure. I still think the bow treatment appears to be a strip of Keel Eazy, which is just an adhesive, after-market skid plate.

Now that I take a closer look at the picture, I tend to think it’s the X-17, because it seems to be a fiberglass hull. The end caps are not what Sawyer originally fitted the X-17 with though, as zdki mentioned too. So the end caps have me a bit bewildered. It’s possible the original owner added longer decks.

The interior color is uncommon also, because Sawyer almost exclusively painted the interior of their "Goldenglass" canoes gray.

What is the seller's asking price for the canoe?

Hans Solo

Hey,

Figured I would just bump this thread instead of starting another one. Been looking to get my own canoe and wanted to get the all your thoughts on this deal that came up on CL. It is a bit over what I would like to spend but not but much. I have been trying to stick to a 500 dollar budget (would be more comfortable at 400) but wanted to get thoughts about wether this is worth stepping up for. Just don't know if it's a great deal or good deal at 650/600.

Reading through the thread took me to school but still didn't give me a ball park for price.

I generally like to go for deeper multiday trips so one concern I have is the weight. I have access to an aluminum Grumman that's about 85lbs that I use. My thoughts are if I'm going to spend money I would like to drop some weight. Understanding that I won't be able to cut down a ton without a Kevlar budget. I spoke with the gentleman and he didn't know the model or weight of the top of his head but told me "it's not that heavy." Hoping one of you could identify from the pictures. I took a look through Hansolos catalogs but still couldn't be sure myself.

What say you board?

Thanks

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/boa/6164178421.html
sorry it's not a link as I am on my phone.

I'm not an expert on these, but I believe that you will want to look in the "Oscoda" catalogs. I believe Oscoda split from Sawyer as a brand that was more family/lake cabin oriented. A quick google image search led me to HansSolo's album (link attached).

It looks like this might be the Oscoda 'Family 17', clocking in at 72lbs. This puts it in the same weight class as the aluminum supertankers. This would be a great boat for a lake cabin, but maybe a bit heavy for portaging.

My opinion is that it is overpriced at $650 (maybe $450 in the TC market??). If you decided that 72lbs < 85lbs and that you wanted to go for it, remember that you will also need to purchase/build a portage yoke for this boat, as the manufacturer did not include one.

http://photos.bwca.com/h/HANSSOLO-200614-210011.JPG

Thanks,

Can definitely tell now that the one picture says Oscoda. Much easier to figure out when you know what you are looking for!

Seriously you guys are pro's! Looks like I'll be hauling the Grumman a little while longer.

And that price is high for a Chopped Fiberglass Boat.

How About a nicer Kevlar 18 footer for less?
https://duluth.craigslist.org/boa/6171026924.html

And Portage yoke pads included. It doesn't mention about the yoke itself though.

Hans...
I have a friend who has a Sawyer...Alasco expedition 222...It is in excellent condition...It is 18 plus feet long. I am thinking about purchasing it but need to know what it might be worth?

quote Banksiana: "I have a Sawyer 222- a great big (18'6" 34" at the waterline)expedition boat,. It is the best all around hull on the water I've ever paddled. Every bit as fast as my Wenonah MNII, but dead stable in all conditions, handles great in big waves and sheds water well enough that it's my favorite whitewater tripping boat.


However, at 90#+ (Goldenglass layup, no foam core) it is largely retired.


If I found one in kevlar and foam core I would buy it in an instant. "

As of a few weeks ago Hemlock Canoe Co had a beautiful, used Sawyer 222 in lightweight kevlar http://www.hemlockcanoe.com/used--demo-canoes.html

quote Seb: "Hans...
I have a friend who has a Sawyer...Alasco expedition 222...It is in excellent condition...It is 18 plus feet long. I am thinking about purchasing it but need to know what it might be worth?"

Okay Seb, I'm not sure what a "Sawyer...Alasco expedition 222" is. Do you mean a 222 Cruiser in Expedition Kevlar from Sawyer Canoe of Oscoda, Michigan?

If so, the link KONA included in his post is helpful. Naturally, a lot depends on condition. As time goes on, Sawyer canoes built in Oscoda, Michigan are getting harder to find, especially when you consider the company has been out of business for several decades.

Despite owning many canoes, many of which are Sawyer canoes, I'm always on the look-out for an old Sawyer in good condition. The ones I have come across are either beat to hell, or the seller is asking a pretty hefty price. Some of the Sawyer canoes I've seen from the 80's, (when Sawyer had some of their best designs IMHO), are priced at about what they sold for then.

If in fact the canoe in question is a 222 Cruiser from Oscoda, Michigan in Expedition Kevlar, then the price range could be anywhere from $800.00 to $1,200.00. Again, a lot depends on condition. A "Goldenglass" 222 Cruiser could range from about $600.00 to $900.00 or so. it's somewhat of a seller's market if the seller realizes what they have.

I'm basing the pricing on what I have seen Sawyers sell for lately and/or what I would consider a fair price. If you could provide more information and/or a picture of the canoe in question, I could give you a better estimation on what it would be worth.

I recently checked out a 1980 Sawyer Champion, (18'6) in a "cored" Fiberglass lay-up. The seller wanted $700.00 for the "Champ". I pointed out to him was the retail of that canoe in 1980, which he was unaware of. It was in decent shape, but not great. He was willing to sell it to me for $500.00 or less. As much as I wanted the canoe, after further inspection I realized that the "core" had been damaged and had absorbed water. (The was a problem for some "cored" Sawyer canoes around that time period because of the material that they used.) I regretfully had to pass on the canoe because of the aforementioned condition.

Hans Solo

I just joined this site to try to find a value for my late 70s Sawyer Cruiser (fiberglass) and found this string.

If one of you on this blog is interested and we can find a win-win value, I'd let it go. It's been hanging in my shed in Waverly MN just west of the twin cities for about 10 years.

Send a note or post here and I'll check back if anyone would like so see it.

Mark

I have a Sawyer Charger--in Kevlar--listed weight is 75#--Just out on local concord River yesterday--this is flatwater but this canoe is on of the fastest in downriver
Class 3 as you know--but it's getting to be work to get it on my shoulders. Canoe is in excellent shape.

Looking to trade for a Malicite

I have just bought a red Sawyer canoe 16 feet long and want to identify it. It has 1 thwart and is gray on inside. It has two white fiberglass seats. Any help would be appreciated.

quote Tim1: "I have just bought a red Sawyer canoe 16 feet long and want to identify it. It has 1 thwart and is gray on inside. It has two white fiberglass seats. Any help would be appreciated. "

A serial number would be helpful, because it would indicate the year of production. If I had to take a guess with the information presented here, I'd say it's most likely a Sawyer Sport 16 or a Sawyer Canadian. (pictured below) The Sawyer Canadian is listed at 16' 6" though and was dropped from the catalog in the early 1980's.

Another possibility is that it's a 190 Cruiser, which is a few inches shy of 16', (15' 10" to be exact). That said, the 190 Cruiser wasn't produced until 1985. The 190 Cruiser would also feature the newer Sawyer logo and the thin pinstripe accent stripes on the side of the canoe vs. the older, bolder Sawyer logo and thicker solid stripe. Many of the older 1970's vintage Sawyer canoes did not have the logo or stripe on the side at all, but usually featured a plastic molded logo attached to each side of the bow. (A 190 Cruiser would not have the plastic bow logo.)

By the late 70's Sawyer was no longer installing fiberglass molded seats in their canoes, but instead installed either all Kevlar tractor seats without drain holes in their Kevlar canoes, or white plastic seats with drain holes in the non-Kevlar canoes.

By about 1984 the smoke tinted Lexan seats with drain holes were more the norm for the non-Kevlar canoes, but periodically they'd install the Lexan seats in the Kevlar canoes instead of the all Kevlar tractor seats. (I guess it depended on what was in stock.) The older, white fiberglass seats did not have drain holes either.

If "Oscoda" is emblazoned on the side of the canoe, it would most likely be an Oscoda Sport 16.

I mention the seats, logos, and stripes, because that would be an indicator of the canoe's vintage.

Note: The catalog page shown below on the left is from a 1977 Sawyer Catalog. The catalog page shown on the right is from a 1980 Sawyer Catalog.

Hope this helps.

Hans Solo

quote Tim1: "I have just bought a red Sawyer canoe 16 feet long and want to identify it. It has 1 thwart and is gray on inside. It has two white fiberglass seats. Any help would be appreciated. "

Thank you, Hans Solo, for your reply. I did find a number imprinted in the aluminum gunwale “66938” which I guess is the serial number. It definitely has the fiberglass seats and the plastic logo on each side of the bow. It was in need of TLC when I bought it and I have refinished it so no stripes were visible.
Thanks so much for your help.

quote : "

quote Tim1: "I have just bought a red Sawyer canoe 16 feet long and want to identify it. It has 1 thwart and is gray on inside. It has two white fiberglass seats. Any help would be appreciated. "

Thank you, Hans Solo, for your reply. I did find a number imprinted in the aluminum gunwale “66938” which I guess is the serial number. It definitely has the fiberglass seats and the plastic logo on each side of the bow. It was in need of TLC when I bought it and I have refinished it so no stripes were visible.
Thanks so much for your help.



"

I'm fixing an old Sawyer Cruiser that was a little stove in, missing the rear thwart.......need the beam at that location
Only got to paddle it a few times last fall and great boat....tracks like a rail from the center, and tandem you can't flip it even when one of your two 70 lb dogs decides he might like to jump out and go after a duck.....buried the gunwale under, but she popped right back up...
So if someone could measure the beam at the rear thwart it'd be much appreciated

I recently came into a Sawyer canoe, that the previous owner said was a 'racing canoe'. The outside looks a little sun-faded (lost its sheen), but the canoe is sturdy and strong. How might we find out the canoe's worth?

Here are some pictures...

It looks like one of the Champion series, which were built for amateur races I believe to USCA specs. It has been modified a bunch. The rear seat removed and placed on rails in the center. Two possible reason for this, to paddle it solo or to deal with tandem paddlers of great difference in weight with the heavy paddler in the stern or both. Big man in the stern, small woman or a child in the bow. It would not be a big deal to put the seat back on the stern brackets.

Layup is old fashioned woven roving. Course, heavy and moderately strong. Probably polyester resin which may be quite brittle by now.

Its not a good touring boat unless you are thinking of chasing beav from Rainy to Grand Portage.
It might be fun to fix up and play with, but I wouldn't pay more than $150 for it, maybe $200 if it really interests you.

Thanks for the reply.

My son had it out on a pond, and it operated well. Heavy but fast in the water (I guess).

Any recommendation for how one might sell it (eBAY, etc.)?

List it on CL or ebay with local pickup/cash only.

Thanks all for the comments - appreciate this forum, and the helpful attitude.

Procman

New owner of a Sawyer 222. Built 1990. CL purchase, pretty much on impulse. In good condition for its age. Was thinking of buying new (light) but cost was out of the question for me. I am not planning any portaging of this app. 80 pound tank, just day and weekend trips around Portland and Mt Hood area. It has some chips through the gelcoat on the bow and stern, couple spider cracked impact areas and requisite scratches on bottom of hull but other than that pretty solid. Sawyer decals intact, sliding bow seat, stern foot bar missing one side angle bracket mount. Seats are white fiberglass(?) with no drain holes. Aftermarket non contoured yoke. My experience with canoes limited to an old aluminum tank at camp a few decades ago. Lots to learn. First lesson was loading it on my 4runner for the ride home, as well as moving it around my place solo. Harry Roberts book will be my primer. Have a dolly for it, yoke pad on order.
Learned a lot about this canoe AFTER buying it, thanks to all the informative posts! If I survive the learning curve will post photos.

Looking to buy this boat, which is being described as a 18'6'' Sawyer Cruiser. Any idea which model it could be? Looking to use it for 2-4 day tripping. Any help much appreciated!

It's probably a Sawyer Cruiser, 18'6"! Also known as the 222. They made several different length Cruisers, 15'9", 17'9" and 18'6". They're nice, efficient boats. It will be old, though, 20+ years.

What were the making them out of in the 60s / 70s? Think its fiberglass?

It'd either be fiberglass or Kevlar. If it were Kevlar, it'd have a Kevlar (49) sticker.
Sawyer made high quality boats. They had a less expensive line named Oscoda, made with cheaper (heavier) fiberglass.

Look at the HIN the last two numbers are the year.. They were making the Cruiser in 1989. I don't believe it is from the '60's.
In glass it is strong and a tad.. heavy.

Since I see my 3 yr old thread is back to life I'll say I saw a nice condition green tandem Sawyer listed on Facebook in the Quad Cities area. (IA/IL)

cyclones30: "Since I see my 3 yr old thread is back to life I'll say I saw a nice condition green tandem Sawyer listed on Facebook in the Quad Cities area. (IA/IL)"

Here she is, not mine just scrolled by it earlier

MacCanoe: "Looking to buy this boat, which is being described as a 18'6'' Sawyer Cruiser. Any idea which model it could be? Looking to use it for 2-4 day tripping. Any help much appreciated!

"

Although the three pictures of the Sawyer canoe in question are small and low resolution, I can confidently state it is NOT a 222 Cruiser. From what I can determine from these pictures, it’s most likely the original Lynn Tuttle designed 17’ 9” Sawyer Cruiser that has been in production from about 1966.

The 222 Cruiser was a Dave Yost design and wasn’t available until early spring of 1985. Additionally, the sheer line of the canoe in the pictures is not that of a 222 Cruiser either, but more typical of the original 17’ 9” Cruiser. If the seller is listing the canoe at 18’ 6”, he’s mistaken or he has a defective tape measure.

Furthermore, the pictured canoe has the old “crossed paddles” logo that was either a plastic emblem riveted to the bow of the canoe or sometimes just a decal. By the time the 222 Cruiser was in production, Sawyer was not trimming their canoes that way. Aside from dropping the bow emblem treatment, Sawyer “modernized” the Sawyer logo and thinned the striping on the sides of their Sawyer brand canoes; both solo and tandems.

Another indicator of the vintage of the canoe pictured is the seats appear to be the molded fiberglass tractor seats that lacked drain holes. Sawyer was installing the white plastic tractor seats with two drain holes by the late 70’s and early 80’s. By the mid 1980’s, Sawyer was installing the translucent “smoked” Lexan seats, (also with drain holes), on the “Goldenglass” canoes. The Expedition Kevlar canoes where generally fitted with molded Kevlar seats, but without drain holes.

As far as the lay-up, it appears to be the fiberglass lay-up used in the upper end Sawyer canoes. Sawyer always left the interior of their Kevlar canoes natural, (i.e. the natural gold Kevlar fabric was unpainted). The fiberglass lay-ups were generally painted with gray, speckled bilge paint. Those older fiberglass lay-ups were heavy-duty and tough, but they were heavy as hell. I had a 1979 fiberglass Sawyer Charger; which was Sawyer’s 18’ 6” tripping canoe at that time. The Charger was a great canoe and tough as nails, but it made an Old Town Tripper seem light. The 18’ 6” Sawyer 222 Cruiser was the Charger’s eventual replacement.

As far as the classic Sawyer Cruiser being a canoe country tripper; it certainly is very capable, but with limitations. The sharp entry lines and its shallow depth, makes the Cruiser a somewhat wet ride on big lakes when the waves a running large. Nevertheless, it was my main canoe country tripper throughout most of the 1980’s.

The Sawyer Cruiser compares closely to the 18 ‘Wenonah Jensen 18 and Old Town’s 18’ Columbia. These canoes were essentially classified in the “Cruising Class” canoes. Unfortunately, it seems the cruising class canoes have fallen out of favor in the last several decades. In fact, there really isn’t that classification in most canoe catalogs anymore, which is unfortunate in my opinion.

These cruising class canoes are great day paddling canoes, light river touring canoes or canoe country trippers if you watch the weight and use discretion on the big lakes when the waves are up. The cruising class canoes were also very competitive for local canoe racing. Unlike the Wenonah Jensen 18 though, the Sawyer Cruiser doesn’t technically meet USCA specs for a citizen class racer.

Hans Solo

I have a Sawyer Sport 16 from 1997. Do you know who designed it?

paddlelikeapro1: "I have a Sawyer Sport 16 from 1997. Do you know who designed it?"

Not sure of the designer but I think it is a version of the Yankee Rebel. We used our Rebel for at least 9 trips into the BWCA and Quetico of 6 to 8 days. Despite it's pedigree as the bastard stepchild of the Sawyer line we found it to be a rugged, decent paddling canoe. Fully loaded it may be a bit low in the water so in big water you want to take care. The last photo is from crossing Lake Agnes in 2+ foot waves. We retired it for a Sundowner 18 Ultralight because the 70 lbs. just became too much as we got older.

I have the chance to buy one or both of these canoes. I don't know much about them other than what the guy told me over the phone. Both canoes are about 40 years old +/-.

The top canoe is 18'6" in expedition Kevlar (weight is 67#). He said it has an asymmetrical hull and was the "downhill" racer model and very stable. He said it was a bit of a pain on lakes because of the high bow catching a lot of wind, but it was great on rivers.

The bottom canoe is 17', but he didn't know the weight and didn't tell me the model. It is also Kevlar, but not sure if it is the "expedition" Kevlar. He bought it from a friend about 5 years ago.

I have asked for pictures of the VIN to help ID the canoes, but I haven't heard back yet.

He said he would accept a reasonable offer since they don't use them anymore and wants them to go to a home where they will be used and appreciated. I'm looking to put my wife and two kids (7yo and 9yo) in the canoe with me and will mostly use them on lakes in southern Ohio, but want to be able to use them on the river too.

He also referenced them as the "premier" canoe and Kevlar is an "investment" multiple times so I'm not sure what a reasonable offer would be.

What is each canoe model? What is a reasonable price for each one? What price if I bought both? They both need to be refinished, it looks like to me, but I haven't seen them in person yet. They are obviously grimy from sitting for multiple years.

Thanks in advance for the help!

The upper canoe appears to be a 222. An excellent hull that is fast, seaworthy, stable and can carry a ton of gear. One of the finest hulls I've ever paddled. Good on lakes and rivers. However the boat in the picture does appear to suffer from some UV degradation of the resin.

The lower boat is probably an X-17.

The larger canoe would be a great choice for carrying your kids. It is an astonishingly stable hull- almost impossible to swamp. The expedition Kevlar is near bomb proof unless the exposure to sun has rendered it brittle and punky. I've owned a 222 (unfortunately in Goldenglass and weighing in at 90#) since 85. It is the best tandem I have paddled.

I am wondering about this Sawyer Cruiser. Looks beautiful, one bump on the bottom, Kevlar isn't damaged. 2 paddles. Is it worth $900

bookfinder: "I am wondering about this Sawyer Cruiser. Looks beautiful, one bump on the bottom, Kevlar isn't damaged. 2 paddles. Is it worth $900 "

She looks like a nice clean boat. How much does that weigh? If you're approaching $1000 you're getting in the range of used newer kevlars like MN II, Q17, etc.

Also, nice to see my old thread alive and well :)

It is light weight. I looked up the serial number, it said between 44-54 lbs. It is a really nice canoe. We bought it new and have taken care of it. Which is why I need to sell it. I lost my storage, it's been kept indoors. I found this website and love reading all these posts. Would be fun to go on another adventure with it, but sold the camperbus I put it on. So, there you go. One thing leads to another.

kbowman784: "I have the chance to buy one or both of these canoes. I don't know much about them other than what the guy told me over the phone. Both canoes are about 40 years old +/-.


The top canoe is 18'6" in expedition Kevlar (weight is 67#). He said it has an asymmetrical hull and was the "downhill" racer model and very stable. He said it was a bit of a pain on lakes because of the high bow catching a lot of wind, but it was great on rivers.


The bottom canoe is 17', but he didn't know the weight and didn't tell me the model. It is also Kevlar, but not sure if it is the "expedition" Kevlar. He bought it from a friend about 5 years ago.



"

Yet another Sawyer canoe post I can reply too! :-)

The bottom canoe is most likely a Sawyer X-17 from the early 80's; probably an 83 or 84 model, judging from the decals. From 1985 on, Sawyer used the more streamlined Sawyer logo and pin-stripping. If I remember correctly, the X-17 debuted around 1982 or 1983. I'm quite certain it's an Expedition Kevlar lay-up as well. Sawyer's Expedition Kevlar lay-up was a heavy duty, multiple layered Kevlar build. Sawyer's ultra-light Kevlar canoes were very rare. Good thing, because Sawyer's ultra-light Kevlar canoes were not very good in my opinion, especially compared to other canoe manufacturers like Wenonah.

The 18' 6" canoe on the top rack is clearly a Sawyer Charger in Expedition Kevlar! The Charger was only constructed in fiberglass or Expedition Kevlar. What really tells me it's a Charger is the decks on the bow and stern, as well as the lack of flare in the hull.

I had a yellow, fiberglass Charger and it was a beast! Although I never weighed it, my Charger weighed more than an Old Town Tripper I had at the time. It was still a fun canoe to paddle, quite fast, carry a ton of gear and was tough as nails. (pictured below)

The Sawyer Charger was a great design and competed with Mad River's TW Special, Wenonah's Odyssey, Whitewater X, and other big tripping canoes of the late 70's and early 80's. Unfortunately, the Charger was dropped from the Sawyer catalog in the early 80's and eventually replaced by the 222 Cruiser in 1985.

Of the two canoes, the Sawyer X-17 would be a better family canoe and all around canoe in my opinion, although I myself would be more attracted to the Charger.

Hans Solo

Thanks for all the info. They are still for sale in Cincinnati. He was willing to sell both (they don’t use them any more) for $1600. The top canoe is a 1979 Charger and the bottom one is a 1981 X-17 from what I saw, and what he told me, when I went to look at them. I felt like they both needed refinished and some other work that was going to make them more than what I was looking to spend. Plus I didn’t need two canoes.

I found an 18’ Hoefgen (small builder in Menominee, MI) and went that route for my family. It is a Kevlar/fiberglass layup and weighs only 55 lbs.

Hans,
In 60 years of paddling the Sawyer Charger was best long distance down river gear hauling boat I have ever paddled.

Can anyone identify my canoe? My dad bought it when I was younger and is not around anymore to ask. I believe it is a sawyer, serial number ends in 88. Kevlar layup, no ribs, heavy (60-70lbs?) but very stiff. No permanent flotation tanks, we put the wood seats in as a kid, not sure what used to be there. We bought it used, came with wooden gunwales. No ribs in the layup. ~17’.