Blue Hole Canoe 16’ OCA Royalex - $1800 SOLD

[Lorne]

I have a genuine 16 Foot Blue Hole canoe that I have decided to sell. I love it, however most of my paddling crew either use kayaks or solo boats now. Blue Holes are the best canoes made and I know I’ll never be able to replace it once it’s gone. The canoe has always been stored inside and the royalex is in excellent condition! The price is reflective of how much it means to me as well as the condition of the boat. You can look at the condition in the photos. Here’s your chance to own a classic, genuine Blue Hole Royalex canoe! This boat is a rare find!

It has the original Blue Hole Seats that have been lowered about 4 inches with an extra pad added that can be removed if you want. It has original Blue Hole Sunbright Tennessee decals as well as a few custom decals that you can see in the photos. This is a true one of a kind canoe! True Barn find just in time for the Buffalo River to open up! This canoe will get lots of attention on the rivers in the southeastern United States! It has the dark forest green exterior with the light sea-foam green interior, very attractive setup!

If you want a canoe that will handle a couple weeks worth of supplies to head out on a wilderness adventure, this canoe is for you. In the OCA 16 you’ll find all the great characteristics that have made this canoe a paddling legend. With lots of volume to keep you and your gear dry and in whitewater or waves it still tracks well with good hull speed on flatwater. The durable royalex material and classic Blue Hole lines make the OCA 16’ the ultimate wilderness extended tripping canoe.

The Blue Hole Canoe Company was founded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1972 by Bob Lantz, Roy Guinn and Bill Peatman. The factory was on Blue Hole Road in Antioch just outside Nashville. Several hundred of the original design, for which Bill Griswold of Nashville was also responsible, were manufactured there. After building and selling the first fifty boats, Bill Peatman sold his share of the company to the partners/investor. In 1974 the company moved to Sunbright, Tennessee (not far from Oak Ridge). Blue Hole canoes were among the first to use ABS ("Royalex") plastic and quickly became the dominant canoe used in the growth of whitewater canoeing in the 1970's. In the mid-80's the remaining founders parted ways, and Roy Guinn joined up with Joe Pulliam to found the Dagger Canoe Company in 1988 in nearby Harriman, Tennessee. By 1990, Dagger had begun producing kayaks in addition to canoes. Since then, their main competitor, Perception, purchased the company and relocated it to Easley, South Carolina. However, at the time Dagger was being started, the name Blue Hole Canoe Company was sold and they were continued to be built for a while in Gordonsville, Virginia. That company closed, and the name was bought by another canoe company, which my produce them again at some point in the future. However, the legendary Royalex material is NOT being produced any longer. Canoe makers have been scrambling ever since to find a suitable replacement. The new T-Formex is a promising material but has not been proven and the canoes being produced are priced north of $2,500.

It's May in Arkansas and the rivers are about to open up, this is your chance to own an iconic canoe and enjoy the pandemic as you social distance on the serene waters of the Ozarks!

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