Canoe opinions

[M.C. Gusto]

I own a bunch of canoes. Some modern, some over 100 years old, one modern that built out of a 100 year old mold.... lots of canoes.
For what your describing, you should concentrate on getting something with a 2 inch rocker front and back. The classic Chestnut Prospector hull comes to mind, it’s a perfect all a rounder.

[daveyn]

I have a nova craft prospector and its a wicked boat, It will easily carry all the gear you can pile in it and its very durable and quiet. Only issue is that I would like a boat with a keel and mine doesn't have one so you get a little sideslip in the wind, but other than that its an awesome boat.

[Dewey Cox]

This thread is getting me excited for the spring.
It's cold and snowy outside right now, but in a couple months time we'll be paddling down the river, catching a couple fish, drinking a little beer, and generally not worrying about the state of the world today.

It can't get here soon enough.

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by Yoter

I have a 17 ft. Grumman square back. Great boat with a two horse outboard.
All Grummans have a keel, square stern or double-end. Not good for river/manouverability but help reduce dfift on a windy lake. Aluminum also "STICKS" on rocks in rapids. Colemans
"Slide" over rocks. My 2 cents.

Yes aluminum sticks and sticks BAD! FIL has an 18' Grumman we used last year with low water. Sure was loud and bumpy, may have sprung the keel too on a couple rocks. Friends had a Coleman and they were much quieter and slid over the rocks. A Grumman would be perfect for use on lakes though. For a runabout boat without any intentions of lots of tripping and portages, I wouldn't do fiberglass or kevlar etc...

Wife and I just bought a Old Town Penobscot 16'. My sister and BIL have had that boat for a decade and highly recommended it. It is a 3 layer poly boat. Royalex isn't made any longer but the "new" formulation is called Tformex.

Personally I shy'd away from buying a used canoe. I've seen way too many "good deals" on Craigslist and when you go look the hull is cracked or the gunwales are shot. Last thing I would want is to buy a boat someone had spiffed up, only to take it on a trip and have it fail.

ALOT of Coleman's for sale in the used market. Most of the other makes like Old Town, Mad River, Wenonah and Clipper were as expensive as buying new. At least new I have a warranty and know the history of the craft.

[Barry D]

I have an Oldtown Tripper ( no keel, 2" of rocker) that I have used for 30 yrs now. ( I just looked it up and I paid $1,050.00 back in 1983 from MEC in Calgary) Back when it was a real outdoor store. Anyway, It was the first generation of the ABS plastic technology in canoes. Well it has stood the test of time and a lot of rapids and not always up-side right. I put kevlar skid plates on both ends and lowered the seats 2". Did a few hunts in it and it carried all our gear for a weeks hunt and a big bull elk for the last two days. It is a fantastic canoe for bigger loads in rough river water, but not good for the wind on open water. Tough as they get for bouncing off of rocks when swamped, but light enough to be easy to manage by yourself on portages.They slide on rocks, clean up real nice with a bailing sponge, and are warm and quiet. Don't forget that part if you are a hunter.
Fibreglass- light, fast, fairly quiet, can't take the rocks very well when rubbing in the shallows. They break real easy when swamped and hit anything. Those are the ones you see all along Alberta river shores.
Aluminum- Light, fast, noisy, cold, feels like you got breaks every time you even rub on rocks, and can have you stuck and then swamped in a blink of an eye. They don't break, but stay for ever bent when swamped and hit something. Bent them back to get out of the bush, and you better have Red Green volume of duct tape to seal the breaks and cracks.
Every thing with a Keel is good in wind, but terrible in white water for doing the quick side step around obstacles. No keel, means don't go in wind unless you want to work hard, or end up not enjoying canoeing very much.
Price point is always an issue, so Colman is by far the cheapest, toughest, but fails in all other categories. It is made to pop out of a mold real nice, but not slide through any type of water. Very good for building muscles though.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Phil

I have a 17' Coleman I purchased in the late 70's. It is not fast, it is not light (80 lbs) and it is not pretty but it has done everything I have asked for 40+ years.

Enough room for me, the wife 2 kids and a dog and very stable.
I have a side motor mount and with my electric trolling motor and with the battery sitting on the opposite side of the canoe it balances fine and works well.

I have used a 4hp outboard on the side mount on a moose hunt in Northern Manitoba but was very careful on how I packed to counterbalance the weight.

I had a friend who left one of these in the bush by his cabin in Northern Ontario one winter. When he went to get it in the spring he found a moose had stepped on it and the side was caved in. A couple of hours in the sun and it popped back good as new. Try that with an aluminum or fiberglass.

Phil

Just a good do it all canoe that will be there for many more years of use with no care nor maintenance....I just flip mine over on two saw horses in the elements by the wood shed....

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by fordtruckin

Yes aluminum sticks and sticks BAD! FIL has an 18' Grumman we used last year with low water. Sure was loud and bumpy, may have sprung the keel too on a couple rocks. Friends had a Coleman and they were much quieter and slid over the rocks. A Grumman would be perfect for use on lakes though. For a runabout boat without any intentions of lots of tripping and portages, I wouldn't do fiberglass or kevlar etc...

Wife and I just bought a Old Town Penobscot 16'. My sister and BIL have had that boat for a decade and highly recommended it. It is a 3 layer poly boat. Royalex isn't made any longer but the "new" formulation is called Tformex.

Personally I shy'd away from buying a used canoe. I've seen way too many "good deals" on Craigslist and when you go look the hull is cracked or the gunwales are shot. Last thing I would want is to buy a boat someone had spiffed up, only to take it on a trip and have it fail.

ALOT of Coleman's for sale in the used market. Most of the other makes like Old Town, Mad River, Wenonah and Clipper were as expensive as buying new. At least new I have a warranty and know the history of the craft.

I’ve bought some great canoes used, one does have to use their eyes and brain when buying anything used. I looked at one chestnut canoe, it was gorgeous from the top. The seller got uneasy when I flipped it over.
The canvas was shot. If I’d have gotten it cheap enough I could easily have fixed it but the price was too high. So I walked away... that’s easy to do.

There’s always 2 kinds of buyers for stuff. Some want new with a warranty and others don’t care. I’m in the don’t care category. You can always sell stuff that you bought used and not lose much if any money on it.

I’d love to be in a canoe right now instead of cooped up.

[trapperdodge]

Lots of good comments here. I have 5 canoes at the moment. 2 wood canvas, 2 aluminum and a SP. Depending what you want out of a canoe, they all have their place.

One thing about a SP is that bears love the lining. If you leave them out in bear country you might get a nasty surprise.

[Dewey Cox]

What's an sp?

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

This thread is getting me excited for the spring.
It's cold and snowy outside right now, but in a couple months time we'll be paddling down the river, catching a couple fish, drinking a little beer, and generally not worrying about the state of the world today.

It can't get here soon enough.

I hear ya.....

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

What's an sp?

Sports Pal is a brand of canoe. They look like this 👇

Selkirk

[Dewey Cox]

Thank you

[58thecat]

they were that reliable that they screwed on two pool noodles...

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

This thread is getting me excited for the spring.
It's cold and snowy outside right now, but in a couple months time we'll be paddling down the river, catching a couple fish, drinking a little beer, and generally not worrying about the state of the world today.

It can't get here soon enough.

Same ☝ here ❗

But out in my neck-o-the-woods (West Kootenays, BC) we'll be starting to do that, in the next couple o' weeks.

Selkirk

[Bushleague]

I currently own two canoes, have owned several others, and will be purchasing a third one for solo trips whenever this virus thing is over. My personal favorite is my Mad River Explorer. Its been from Michigan to Alaska, we've caught millions of fish out of it, logged thousands of miles, and paddled several metric tons of moose and elk meat out of the back country in it. These days, now that Royalex is a thing of the past, I'd look pretty hard at a fiberglass Novacraft Prospector if I needed another "all arounder".

DSCF1221 by , on Flickr

DSCF1060 by , on Flickr

P9230052 by , on Flickr

Not the Explorer, but still a great pic, daughter caught this one on Lesser Slave. Was bit of a Nantucket sleigh ride, just one of many.

DSCF1036 by , on Flickr

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

they were that reliable that they screwed on two pool noodles...

Those noodles are a gun rest for when you can’t call the moose any closer

[calgarychef]

This was $150.00. Came with 3 paddles and life jackets.
She was a poor old thing, well used but neglected. I stripped it and replaced the gunwales etc.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Those noodles are a gun rest for when you can’t call the moose any closer

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but having owned one, the Sportspal was my least favorite canoe I've ever used. I honestly think twice about referring to those bloody things as actual "canoes". I wouldn't trade a case of cheap beer for a Sportspal, and would not recommend them to anyone.

That said, they do float and they are light, and if you like yours then don't let me ruin your fun. But if you've never had the chance to spend some time in a high quality tripping canoe, I think it would be a big eye opener.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but having owned one, the Sportspal was my least favorite canoe I've ever used. I honestly think twice about referring to those bloody things as actual "canoes". I wouldn't trade a case of cheap beer for a Sportspal, and would not recommend them to anyone.

That said, they do float and they are light, and if you like yours then don't let me ruin your fun. But if you've never had the chance to spend some time in a high quality tripping canoe, I think it would be a big eye opener.

I treat mine like the old Portaboat I used to own, toss it into the truck and throw it into a beaver pond setting out decoys or shooting beavers, don't worry about beating it up or anything, but I prefer to use the small outboard on it.
When I do paddle it it is mostly just to go out and pick up ducks, etc.
At the lake I prefer my 12' tinner, which is about in the same shape as the SportsPal- beat up! LOL I don't have to go much further than 100 yards to get into good fishing.
Cat

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but having owned one, the Sportspal was my least favorite canoe I've ever used. I honestly think twice about referring to those bloody things as actual "canoes". I wouldn't trade a case of cheap beer for a Sportspal, and would not recommend them to anyone.

That said, they do float and they are light, and if you like yours then don't let me ruin your fun. But if you've never had the chance to spend some time in a high quality tripping canoe, I think it would be a big eye opener.

No worries I am mostly just giving him a hard time lol

Really you need to go with what fits your needs. For me a canoe is for getting into crappy locations and waters I would not dare try to drag a boat into. So for me a light weight canoe I can drag or carry for long distances and drag over crap solo is most important.

I use my boat for good access location and comfort

I have paddled some nice fiberglass canoes and when they are in the water they are nicer to paddle I agree. I just hated hauling them and missed the mobility that was most important to me in a canoe

Got to go with what fits the purpose you want a canoe for is all

[catnthehat]

All this canoe talk has got me itching to do another canoe trip on the Athabasca or the Clearwater this fall
Cat

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Selkirk

Sports Pal is a brand of canoe. They look like this 👇

Selkirk

Mine's a little square back.
Cat

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

No worries I am mostly just giving him a hard time lol

Really you need to go with what fits your needs. For me a canoe is for getting into crappy locations and waters I would not dare try to drag a boat into. So for me a light weight canoe I can drag or carry for long distances and drag over crap solo is most important.

I use my boat for good access location and comfort

I have paddled some nice fiberglass canoes and when they are in the water they are nicer to paddle I agree. I just hated hauling them and missed the mobility that was most important to me in a canoe

Got to go with what fits the purpose you want a canoe for is all

You make some valid points there. IMO the canoes great strength in a fishing situations is its combination of portability and its range on the water. These two strengths need to be balanced by the individual, for me giving up some portability for a more seaworthy craft is a smart move. For others maybe not so much.

As I stated I'm in the market for another one. This canoe will be a 15' Bob Special. More portable and a better solo boat than my big trippers, but still capable of weekend tandem trips.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

You make some valid points there. IMO the canoes great strength in a fishing situations is its combination of portability and its range on the water. These two strengths need to be balanced by the individual, for me giving up some portability for a more seaworthy craft is a smart move. For others maybe not so much.

As I stated I'm in the market for another one. This canoe will be a 15' Bob Special. More portable and a better solo boat than my big trippers, but still capable of weekend tandem trips.

I understand the different position and hey that is why there is so many different styles of canoe

See we have different priorities for me hunting is the main purpose for owning a canoe. I still use them for fishing at times but not as often

In the end a guy just has to go with what fits

[Dewey Cox]

Are the pads on the sportspal for flotation if you sink her?

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Are the pads on the sportspal for flotation if you sink her?

Floatation and stability is the theory

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I understand the different position and hey that is why there is so many different styles of canoe

See we have different priorities for me hunting is the main purpose for owning a canoe. I still use them for fishing at times but not as often

In the end a guy just has to go with what fits

Yes, I do a great deal of hunting with mine... one of my main beefs with the Sportpal. I never tried it, but I wouldn't want to haul a mature whitetail buck in one... let alone a quartered moose, 2 guys, and two weeks worth of camping gear. If you've hauled big game in yours then I salute you... after a few trips in mine I would never have even tried to hunt big game in it.

Either way I'll raise my can of "Brewhouse" (the only beer I could find in these BS times) to all of us here on this thread... most of us can afford to buy more spendy toys, infact most of us own a few, but unlike so many we've never forgot the simple joy of setting out in our canoe and bringing home supper, as great outdoorsmen have for hundreds of years. May there always be a few of us to carry the torch.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Yes, I do a great deal of hunting with mine... one of my main beefs with the Sportpal. I never tried it, but I wouldn't want to haul a mature whitetail buck in one... let alone a quartered moose, 2 guys, and two weeks worth of camping gear. If you've hauled big game in yours then I salute you... after a few trips in mine I would never have even tried to hunt big game in it.

I am originally from BC and dragged a sportspal through the bush into remote swamps and then used it as a sled to drag out the de boned moose many times. Also between friends and family we hauled mule deer, blacktail, Whitetail, black bear, grizzly, mt goat and lots of waterfowl in them. They will get the job done but am not saying there was never any damage.

Now I can admit I have bent and broke ribs. I also had to patch the holes and added dents but I abused the canoe lots. I did lots of crazy things you should not do with a canoe

I have not owned one for a while but my cousin might still have my spray painted beater lol

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

No worries I am mostly just giving him a hard time lol

Really you need to go with what fits your needs. For me a canoe is for getting into crappy locations and waters I would not dare try to drag a boat into. So for me a light weight canoe I can drag or carry for long distances and drag over crap solo is most important.

I use my boat for good access location and comfort

I have paddled some nice fiberglass canoes and when they are in the water they are nicer to paddle I agree. I just hated hauling them and missed the mobility that was most important to me in a canoe

Got to go with what fits the purpose you want a canoe for is all

Drag a canoe...heck we used to fill it full of our gear and push it down the cut line to the waters edge...even rode it down like a sled....that was a little sketchy as we picked up speed bouncing off stumps....she has some long scrapes and rolled up plastic underneath....don't do this with the sports pal might loose a pool noodle.....

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Are the pads on the sportspal for flotation if you sink her?

Yup...after grandpa put the anchor through the bottom he swam with the canoe to shore...he banged her into shape and patched it up....back at it next wk-end.