From the Northrup Grumman F6F Hellcat to a canoe on the Pere Marquette River

[Skipper250]

Hello Grumman Canoe Fans! Remember the first time you traveled down a river as a Scout? It most likely was in a Grumman Canoe. They have been used here in Michigan by liveries and rentals for decades. Their toughness and durability date back to when their parent company Northrup Grumman made fighter planes during WWII. I would like to see some discussion and photos from folks who own or have owned one of these bad boys. Since I first posted in another thread I?ve found four old Grumman?s just around the small lake I live on. Most are old and when the homeowners return in the spring I?ll talk to them about the history of these crafts. I got interested in Grumman Canoes when I bought a 17? Model G-17S (2525-GP-S-17) Serial 2525. The cool thing about this canoe is it has wings or stabilizers on the stern. I believe they are to help keep it upright when you put a 5hp motor on the back. I have included photos of the ID plates and hull. If anyone has one or knows anything about this canoe, I?d like to find out more. The Marathon Boat Group now owns the Grumman name and I am in contact with them to help me ID my canoe. They even have an employee who worked there and still does when the canoe was built in Marathon, N.Y. An ad showing this canoe would be the best. I guess I?ll have to wait about another week until my side of the lake thaws to put one of my old green Johnson 5hp motors on it and see what it will do. As I always say ?More fun afloat in a Freeland Metal Boat?.
Skipper250

 

[drrpm]

Re: From the Northrup Grumman F6F Hellcat to a canoe on the Pere Marquette River

Those old aluminum canoes were durable and require very little maintenace. They are great to have at a lake house for occasional use, but they are heavy and don't paddle as well as canoes made of darn near anything else. The aluminum sticks to rocks so well I joke that the bottoms of my river shoes should be made of it.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: From the Northrup Grumman F6F Hellcat to a canoe on the Pere Marquette River

Most guide and fishermen use river boats on the PM and most other rivers here in MI targeting chrome and salmon. Canoes not so much, even with stabilizers. Still a very cool looking water craft, I have never seen these before and grew up in MI.

 

[drrpm]

Re: From the Northrup Grumman F6F Hellcat to a canoe on the Pere Marquette River

I paddled Grumman canoes many times in Illinois and Wisconsin during the 70's and 80's. They were common rental boats and I had a friend whose family owned one. We used to use it a lot on Green Lake. One of my paddling buddies used to paddle the Chattooga in a Grumman with a shoe keel and a styrofoam block for flotation. I've never seen a canoe like the one in the picture though.

 

[Ned L]

Re: From the Northrup Grumman F6F Hellcat to a canoe on the Pere Marquette River

Those factory original 'squatt boards' are really neat!!! They should keep the stern from squatting with an outboard on it, and allow the canoe to actually 'get up on top' and plane quite nicely. I will be curious to hear what you think of the performance with them.