Vintage Penobscot 164, Royalex W/Kevlar skid plates

Old Town Penobscot — A Sought-After Classic

We just took this beauty on trade, and we have to be honest — it wasn't easy for anyone involved. The two women who brought her in were in tears at the thought of leaving her behind. Like so many of us, the boat simply got too heavy to cartop over the years. They traded up to an Esquif Huron 15 in T-Formex Light — a fantastic modern canoe at just 47 pounds — and left this treasure in our hands.

Now she's looking for her next adventure.

The Old Town Penobscot is a truly sought-after boat. Back in the 1980s, Old Town built these canoes from a robust material called Royalex — and this is one of those original boats. Royalex quickly earned a legendary reputation among paddlers for its incredible toughness, and compared to today's three-layer polyethylene canoes, it is both lighter and nearly bombproof.

The Penobscot design itself became a favorite almost immediately — prized for its speed, durability, and excellent tracking on everything from river trips to multi-day expeditions. Solo or tandem, flatwater or moving water, this boat handles it all with confidence.

If you want a great paddling canoe with a rich history — at a price that won't break the bank — this is the one. Boats like this don't come around often, and they don't last long when they do.

Come see her. We think you'll fall in love too.

From Old Town:

The Penobscot’s nearly plumb ends, shallow arch bottom and slight rocker have made it a sleek, nimble tripping canoe for solo or tandem paddlers. Made from three layer polyethylene, the Penobscot 164 is built to be durable and tough. Nimble and quick the Penobscot 164 can run rivers with the best of them.