I have been looking for years for an olive drab Penobscot 16. It is one of a handful of boats that I would like to own some day. I have run across a couple for sale, but haven't been fast enough to snag them. Portaging from Bat into Gillis two weeks ago I came across a guy that had one sitting on the bank. I tried to negotiate a sale, but I think I came across too eager. He wasn't even interested in taking my number incase he ever wanted to sell it. I even tried to trade a Souris River Wilderness 18 on the spot...

It sure was fun to finally see one in person anyway. The search continutes...

Interesting,one size up a 17 footer olive drab Penobscot I just sold because I have a Souris river 17 footer.

http://binghamton.craigslist.org/boa/4574486051.html how bad did you want it?

quote pswith5: "http://binghamton.craigslist.org/boa/4574486051.html how bad did you want it?"

Link

It is no big deal to paint a canoe with latex house paint. I have some older boats that look a lot better with paint. I like brighter colors. Olive drab would be hard to find in a rapid. It helps when you get distance between you and you partners to have a boat that shows up well. I like white. I was on a big river with guys in green and aluminum boats and they were hard to see. They could always find my big OT in white canvas.

I do have a Bell Northstar that is in Black Gold, which I suspect would almost be invisible in the water. Except that mine has has red gel coat, so it stands out! I didn't think I would like the bright red, but I actually do. For bwca lake trips I don't think I would replace it. However for other situations I like blending in to the environment...

I have an old town Loon 138T kayak that is olive drab, and I feel stealthy when I paddle it along the local southern Illinois lakes. I enjoy that feeling and suspect I see more wildlife because of that (though this may just be in my head.)

One thing I like about the Penobscot olive drab boats is that they are olive on the inside too. If I tried to paint one on the inside and out I think it would add a good amount of weight, and would wear off pretty quickly...


On the issue of visibility, my brother and nephew went along with us a couple of years ago. They paddled a green (not olive) Penobscot that I had at the time. They also had the blades of their paddles painted hunter orange. You could see those paddles working from a long, long way away, and you knew for sure it was them.

Paint adds a negligible amount of weight. It lasts quite awhile.

quote Drab: "
I have an old town Loon 138T kayak that is olive drab, and I feel stealthy when I paddle it along the local southern Illinois lakes. I enjoy that feeling and suspect I see more wildlife because of that (though this may just be in my head.)"

I used to have that OT Loon 138 Predator but it's in a friend's garage now that I can't sit in a kayak or canoe seat for more than a few minutes at a time. I too like that OD color.

Marine enamel (or varnish) is about 2.25 lb per qt, and I usually use about 2/3 of a qt or a bit more to put on 4 thin coats. At this rate, the paint in and out would be about 3 lbs wet, I don't know how much weight evaporates off.

Dan

"If I tried to paint one on the inside and out I think it would add a good amount of weight, and would wear off pretty quickly"