Hiawatha by the Charles

Will the Coop become another Abercrombie and Fitch?

Three shiny 11-foot canoes in shades of lake blue, cardinal red, and marsh grass now occupy a major portion of the Coop's sporting goods department. Canoes among the books and records and Scrabble games at the Coop?

Lincoln Fiberglass Inc. has found that the Coop has a most sporting clientele. Last year the Coop sold more of the company's fiberglass sailboats than any comparable store in the Boston area, explained department manager Roscoe W. Fitts Jr. This year they hope to launch their canoe among the Cambridge outdoorsy set.

Adequate for Idyll

"Although aluminium canoes are preferable for white-water canoeing, fiberglass is perfectly adequate for idyllic cruising," George R. Merriam '69 of the Harvard Outing Club said yesterday. "The fiberglass boat is over-priced--$169 for the 11-footer--but it will probably sell well. Most of the Coop's customers don't really know much about what they are buying," Merriam said.

Efficiency aside, who can resist a canoe that even comes in simulated birchbark? It's the call of the wild with all modern conveniences.