The movie recently celebrated it's 40th anniversary with an appearance of the original cast at Burt Reynolds' museum in Jupiter Florida where they posed with another canoe prop from the movie.
I read somewhere that about four or five of these wood and canvass canoes were used in the filming, and one was sawn in half for the wrecking scene. That one broke before it was supposed to and almost led to Ned Beatty drowning.
Last year was the 40th anniversary of the movie and some of us old timers remember it well. More than a few of us were inspired to test ourselves and our canoes, to emulate Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty and Ronny Cox, none of whom had any experience in canoes before making the film. Their qualifications were mostly that they were unknown actors and would work cheap.
Anyway, I thought it interesting that another bit of whitewater history has surfaced, and fitting that the winning bidder in the auction was Burt who will add it to his museum displays.
Michael
Now I want a canoe to hang in my living room. Got the DVD for x-mas last year.