Canoe Recommendations Please

You mention 14' but you link 16' , how big a family ,how old are the kids .14' might be a bit crowded for a family.
 
Mad River does make a fairly nice canoe. I have not seen or used this particular version but 14' is rather small for more than 2 people. How many in the family? How much river use (mostly flat or lots of rapids of Class II) and how much lake use? Keep in mind the weight for portability as well in case that matters with the family. I would suggest something more in the 16' - 17' range for a family.

Having said this, I went for a flat water canoe for my family in the Bell Canoe Works. I have a 18' 6" canoe that weighs in at ~48lbs and can carry it myself over my shoulders. The Bells start in the $1000 range though. A used Northwind in Black Gold would be a great grab.

A couple other good manufacturers to check out are Wenonah and Swift. They make some really nice canoes that are also in the ~$1000 range. If you could find a used Blackhawk (not in business anymore), that would also be a definite good choice.
 
Use will be pretty much split by me going in rivers by myself and me toting the family to an island on the lake we live. Island is only 1/4 mile away. Kids are 5 and 3 years old, they can obvisiously sit on the floor.

Currently taking a 19' Cuddy Cabin to the island which is a pain if that is all we are doing for the day. This is the view from my back porch, it's farther than it looks, but that is a point coming off the island with a few pine trees...
 

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Quiet Bear, not to be creepy or anything, can I come live with you?! :D

I'll be keepin a keen eye on this thread; I've been wondering about canoes lately myself.
 
fedaykincmndr said:
Quiet Bear, not to be creepy or anything, can I come live with you?! :D

I'll be keepin a keen eye on this thread; I've been wondering about canoes lately myself.
Click to expand...

Only if you are an of age hottie (female)! I keep telling my wife I have some Mormon in my lineage, but my closest opportunity to a three-way would be if she got schizophrenia.
 
Keep yapping, mabey the Mormon will set in.
They have got it sweet...7 nights of the week=7 wives
Heaven forbid you leave the toilet seat up though
 
I recently picked up a Pelican 14' ram-x canoe for a steal.

I'm very happy with it so far, sturdy, well built, tracks nicely and with the ram-x, I can stand up in it without the hull deforming.

My only complaint is the weight, 80lbs, but I got it for about 300bucks and I'm a big boy, I can handle it.
 
14' is about the right size for a solo canoe....but not a family....

We've got a 17' Wenonah Sundowner and have used it on both rivers and lakes.....
Handles well even when loaded with enough supplies for my wife and I to survive a five day trip....

Bought it used from Rutabaga in Madison WI, don't remember what it cost....
Some places, like Rutabaga, will let you test drive the boats....maybe you have someplace close to you that does the same...

Good luck,
Bob T.
 
My wife's hot but you can't have her! :D

I hear ya. I keep tryin to tell my wife, she and her hot friend can do whatever they want as long as I get to watch. She's not bitin though, sadly. :( Even tried gettin em both wasted and in the hot tub and it still doesn't work. Oh well, a man can dream! :D
 
I got a used Mad River Tahoe (14 ') in great shape, but you got to do some lookin'. WHile I'm impressed with the construction of the canoe, the Tahoe may be a bit short on rocker and a little short and wide for your needs.

Good luck and enjoy some time on the water!
 
Old Town "Guide 147"(14'-7") is my favorite canoe. Very stable, and extremely tough. They make a bigger guide model, but I can't remember what size it is. The reviews for this canoe over at paddling.net are very good. Everyone seems to love it!
 
Quiet Bear said:
Use will be pretty much split by me going in rivers by myself and me toting the family to an island on the lake we live. Island is only 1/4 mile away. Kids are 5 and 3 years old, they can obvisiously sit on the floor.
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Sounds like you'd be fine with the smaller canoe if that's all you're going to be doing with the family. It might be a bit cramped, but for such a short trip I don't think it would be a big deal. If you ever want to start taking the family on longer trips though you'll need something bigger. But maybe the kids will be older by then and you can consider other options like a second canoe with the wife and one kid in it and you and the other kid in the first.

Something to keep in mind to make it easier to take the canoe out solo is that with a symmetrical hull canoe (same shape on the bow and stern) it's easiest to just sit "backwards" in the front seat and treat the stern as the bow. You wouldn't be able to do that with the one you linked to because of the molded seats, and I'm not sure if you'd be able to find a comfortable place to sit in the middle either. Some canoes have a third seat installed for soloing, or you may be able to find a detachable one that you can use when you solo and remove when you're with the family.

I don't have a ton of experience with different canoes, but I've always liked both Old Town and Mad River. Good luck!
 
Quiet Bear said:
Only if you are an of age hottie (female)! I keep telling my wife I have some Mormon in my lineage, but my closest opportunity to a three-way would be if she got schizophrenia.
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LOL! Okay, smart alek, send me some cleaner for my monitor. I just sprayed beer all over it reading that :)
 
The Old Town Penobscot is in my opinion a good all around boat for the money. At under six hundred you might have a tough time time getting new.
All said, a 17 foot boat will handle your family for what you intend, but soloing a 17' boat will be for quiet evenings in the bay.
I'm kind of a canoe snob as I worked for Bell canoe in the early 90's and love the performance of a higher end canoe but a dry spot in the water is better than no boat at all. Watch the want ads for used and you should find something to get you across the lake.
 
Mad River Canoes are some of the best IMO. I have a 14' and it would be a shade too small for a family. I would go with a 16' because it gives you the best of both worlds, you can solo and take your family.
 
fedaykincmndr said:
My wife's hot but you can't have her! :D

I hear ya. I keep tryin to tell my wife, she and her hot friend can do whatever they want as long as I get to watch. She's not bitin though, sadly. :( Even tried gettin em both wasted and in the hot tub and it still doesn't work. Oh well, a man can dream! :D
Click to expand...

Sometimes not a dream. To be politically correct and as inoffensive as possible...let's just say that the only thing my second wife and I agreed on, after we said "I do", is that we both wanted to date other women.
 
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