What Kayak and canoe brands do members own?

[wardie]

I thought it might help new people like myself if we had an idea what brands and length Kayaks and canoes members owned? If they still liked what they bought or after knowing what they know now would buy something different or stay with what they have?

[JPTolson]

Wardie,

I have an Old Town Tripper made of royalex which is a few inches shy of 17' and weighs somewhere around 80 pounds. But I am an anachronism, so be wary of my approach to these things. At the time I bought it in 1978, it was considered a whitewater boat, but I don't think many people would classify it as that today. Nevertheless, it is very stable and has lots of capacity and freeboard. For my money and limited boat storage capacity, you can't beat it for its versatility because it allows you to carry so much gear, another paddler, and even a passenger in the middle which I have done on occasion. Ironically, I paddle it solo most of the time.

The downsides are its weight and handling. It's like a tank or a tub, but I've learned to compensate for its lack of nimbleness. It can also be a real challenge in stiff winds.

Canoe and Kayak magazine used to put out an annual issue that reviewed all currently available models of canoes and kayaks, but I haven't subscribed for some time.

It's probably important to decide what type of paddling you will do most often (river, lake, canoe camping, whitewater, racing, tandem, solo) and then get the opinion of people who do lots of that type of boating and then try out different boats before buying one. You will be welcome to try mine any time.

Hope this helps.
JP

[wardie]

JP I know if I ask you'll be the first one to respond and that's awesome of you. I thought it would help for me down the line or someone that might "drop-in" on the site to read about what people who actually paddle own.. and get an idea what some of the better stuff out there is in Kayaks and Canoes.

Not this season but probably in the off season November-December 2011 I will look for a better canoe.

Talked with Clipper 1 today about trip info on the Alleghney River. I'm rearin' to do a two or three day trip.

Wardie

[clipper1]

Which watercraft you choose depends on many factors;

Where you use it
How you use it
who will use it
Experiance
Level of fittness

The watercraft you choose will be a tool for finding recreation on the water. Find the right tool for the right job and you will find happiness on the water. After many years and experiances, our boats become almost family, or best friends, as in John Paul's case. After a dozen or so repair's, JP's 80 lbs Old Town surely weigh's over 100 lbs, and should not be car topped or portaged anymore, but JP is a loyal Soul and the boat has met his needs for a lot of years.

I have several boats for various need's, but most of my paddling is done in glatiated Ohio and NW Pennsylvania solo, and I also do a lot of camping, so a Solo Fiberglass Canoe with limited rocker and large storage capacity works best for me. My Clipper solitude weigh's 50lbs and has a 700lb capacity. I have another kevlar solo that weighs 38lbs, and I am determined to get JP into at least once this year; I am sure JP will feel like he is cheating on his beloved Old Town canoe.

[BOBK]

Venture to the darkside, try a kayak.

[wardie]

I checked on dem clippers..wow lots a coin but beuteeeeful

Rich that's an awesome canoe. BobK I'll stick with something I can get out of easily should we have a problem. I like camping so being able to take my gear is important. Not saying a kayak can't go camping but you'd have to get a decent size one or as Clipper 1 says find a buddy who'll carry your gear.

Anyone else want to let us know what they're piloting on the lakes and why they like it?

[JPTolson]

Wardie,

One other consideration is how much you expect to beat the living daylights out of your boat. When I was learning to paddle, it seemed like the more battered your boat, the better in an odd sort of way. And so another reason I bought a royalex canoe is for the pounding they could take. But Rich is probably correct about the boat gaining weight. After trips, I wonder sometimes if nicks in the royalex allow water to be absorbed in the foam layer. Or maybe I'm just tired at day's end.

One of the really nice things about Rich's boat is how it knifes through the water. I probably have to take three strokes for every one of his to travel the same distance.

And, of course, Rich is correct again...how can I cheat on the old gal? I think someday it's just going to crumble apart like crazed, dried out plastic.

jp

[rambler]

Like Rich says, the best boat for you depends on what how you plan to use it. I will add that how much you want to spend will also have a big impact on what boat you may end up with. I've bought all my boats used, always for less than half of what they would have cost new. If you're patient and willing to drive a few hours to pick up a boat, you can usually find something.

My first canoe was a (used) Old Town Discovery Scout. A tandem river canoe, 16 ft long made of polyethylene. It weighs about 80 pounds. (It is out of production, but the OT Appalachian is the same boat, except in Royalex -- about 25 pounds lighter). It's designed to be a river tripping boat has a little bit of rocker and can carry quite a load. As a result, on the lakes (where it turns out I do most of my paddling), it's not the best choice -- unloaded it has a lot of freeboard and is just plain hard to handle in the wind. I would love to replace it with something a little lighter, probably in Royalex. Boats I would consider today include the OT Penobscot or the Mad River Explorer, there are many others.

But after buying that tandem, I found that I was doing most of my paddling solo. Rather than take JP's approach, I started looking for solo boats. The one I spend most of my time in now is a Swift Osprey in kevlar. A little over 14' long and weighs about 42 pounds with a little bit of rocker, easy enough to cartop by myself. Works well on lakes and is pretty maneuverable for twisty streams. But I don't want to paddle that boat where I might crash into rocks or do a lot of damage, so I also have a (well used) Mohawk XL13 -- a 13-foot Royalex whitewater boat with quite a bit of rocker.

Hope this helps....

[wardie]

Thanks to everyone whose responded. I often wonder about the solo thing myself. I to believe many of my trips will be solo. I am wondering if I should add a 12 footer Kayak to the 15 foot canoe that way if I go solo less problems trying to paddle it.

Seems like you can always pick up a used Kayak darn reasonable in comparison to a good canoe. Wardie

[jimbo]

The vice president and I paddle 14? Perception Carolina kayaks. Bulk heads fore and aft for flotation and camping gear with a proven haul design. Having paddled white water, kevlar solo and an Old Town canoe, since 1990, I made the switch last year after much research. My experience is that paddling solo became much easier, faster and a whole lot more convenient. The longer and narrower the boat the faster it will be, but less stable, although Mike does stand in his and I fish from mine. It is very hard to find this boat used. You are free to try it anytime.
Jim