How many canoeists do we have here?

I bought my seats and thwarts from a manufacturer in New York who employs handicapped and developmentally disabled folks. I got my Quick-N-Easy roof rack towers and custom ash crossbars for my '63 Falcon from the same folks. They were prompt and beautifully made, even cheaper than buying them through a dealer. I haven't swamped of turned this one over yet either, but I did add floatation this fall because the hollow molded seats were the original floatation. I laced in Harmony air bags front and rear. I haven't located a matching red center bag yet, but probably don't need it since I quit running heavy whitewater. I just know that good floatation makes recovery so much easier and a bad pinning much less likely. Traveling alone as I usually do, every bit of safety edge is a good thing.
 
I own a 17' aluminum Grumman Canoe, a 11' fiberglass Eagle canoe, a 15'6" Pearson rowing dory, and another 16' plywood & fiberglass rowing dory. I also own a HDPE 11' OK Caper kayak. I LOVE to fish both ocean and streams. The dories are awesome seaworthy ocean rowers, the canoes more fror inland waters use, and my kayak I use as a dive platform to get out to the reefs to spear fish. I'll post pictures if anyone is interested.
 
Pictures of Hawai inland waters? Sure. I've never been there but I wasn't aware of streams and rivers there that could be canoed.
 
I have a 15 1/2' Frontiersman. Usually amusing myself catching a Jack or 2 with my son.

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Amusement, kids and canoes go great together. Fishing is the icing on the cake. A fiberglass layup?
 
Yup , fibreglass. The keel is getting a bit rough ; I may have to lay up some patchwork.
It's a bitch to carry on my JK Jeep ( 4 dr.) No matter how I strap it she gets loose. A roofrack is way too much money for the bolt on ( $800+), as the jeep has pretty much no rain gutters to secure the hooks. I tried to make a 2by4 rubber coated rack system but still had a lot of problems.
I've considered getting a trailer lately. I'm not putting it on the roof again , which means I'm not using it next summer unless I find a better carry system. Sounds ridiculous , but unless you have a factory/aftermarket bolt-on roof rack , the jeep sucks for carry.

Foam pads didn't work , nor did rope ratchets or truck straps. She shifts side to side and fore and aft as soon as a gust of wind hits it. Putting straps across it and to my running boards did a number on my door's paint job. Any suggestions certainly are welcome as I'm at a loss. :o
 
I had a custom made safari rack on my CJ-7. It bolted to the body on the rear corners and in front of the doors. But I am looking for a good used jet ski trailer that I can lengthen. My canoe fits in the back of my truck on top of the tool box in the front and across the tailgate in the back, but I don't like leaving the truck many places with all my tools in it, even locked. My '63 Ford has gutters so I am good with the roof rack, but my Impala has none. A jet ski trailer seems like the best solution.
 
Hey Thanks Codger. I'm going to check those trailers out.
I was actually thinking of a utility trailer with maybe a longer hitch bar ( to handle the boat/ turning radius and so I can use it for carrying gear also. Have to research it further as the roof/strap thing is just too dangerous.
 
A lot of guys lift the hood and take out a fender bolt on each side, then replace the bolt thru a piece of looped heavy webbing for tie points (they stick up thru the hood/fender joint). Your rear bumper corners should do on the back if you use a trucker's hitch.

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[video=youtube;sehiht7AsxU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sehiht7AsxU[/video]

Of course you want to use a heavier rope.
 
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I drilled a hole underneath on my front skid plate ( aftermarket accessory) and added a big eye-bolt for the front strap. At the rear the rope goes under the bumper and hooks on centre.

The boat still shifts front/back/left/right unless I strap across. Thanks for posting the strap ideas. I'm sure I'll find a solution someway.

I think I will go for the trailer Idea you mentioned. I've been considering getting a 12' aluminum again , so maybe a regular boat trailer would be good for either boat. I've seen some jet-ski trailers in the want ads also ; looks like it might work too just for the canoe.
 
You really need two ropes both front and rear, not one. Tie them in a triangle arrangement. /_\ That stops the shifting. And the trucker's hitch will not usually loosen unless you use rope that stretches. Even then, they are easily retightened.

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I leave the twin ropes on each end attached to my canoe for painters to aid in lining around obsticles or in mooring. Of course they are rolled up and secured to keep them tidy and not be an entrapment hazard.
 
heck yeah I like to canoe. I have an Old Town 14 footer. This is my uncles that I use at times. How do you like the rod rack?
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It doesn't get much better than that.
 
I have a couple of Packrafts, both made by Alpacka Raft in the US, my Denali Llama has a fitted spray deck and additional grab line and gear tie down loops, whereas the Dory/Explorer is an open boat.

Having a boat which weighs just over five pounds, packs to the size of a one man tent and can carry two 200 pound people is pretty neat, as is the material, which is all but bulletproof!

Denali Llama Packraft with Bic pen for scale!
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Cool inflatables. I paddle over way too many sharp rocks and tree branches for them to be feasable for me. But you can't beat the portability. That is one of the few areas where my tiny Dagger canoe shines. It will float dang near on wet grass. And it makes a helluva sled on snow.
 
Codger_64 said:
You really need two ropes both front and rear, not one. Tie them in a triangle arrangement. /_\ That stops the shifting. And the trucker's hitch will not usually loosen unless you use rope that stretches. Even then, they are easily retightened.

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I leave the twin ropes on each end attached to my canoe for painters to aid in lining around obsticles or in mooring. Of course they are rolled up and secured to keep them tidy and not be an entrapment hazard.
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That looks like a great idea. I'm definately going to try that before I do anything else. I went with rope ratchets last year and like them a lot better than flat straps. I'll buy a couple more and see what I can rig up.
Thanks Codger
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When this was off my back deck I did, ALOT...
Don't have the time any more, would love to get another custom birch canoe though..
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I love canoeing. No matter what else is going on, all I have to do is get in a canoe and head out on the water and life is good. I paddle mostly solo canoes, but keep a tandem around just in case my wife decides she wants to go out, but doesn't feel up to paddling (she has arthritis in her hands and paddling sometimes hurts).
 
Lots of great stories and pics here! One thing I loved about canoeing as a kid was just how quiet it was, especially when you got into parts where no motorized craft can go. The one little lake just above me is "no motor" because it simply isn't big enough to warrant more than a trolling motor, but it's a great place to learn your boat and practice paddle strokes and recoveries. No noise at all unless a car drives by!

Chris, we'll have to put that Pee Dee trip on the schedule once my knee gets better. I'm not keen on any water that has alligators in it, but winter-time trips might not be so bad. Hopefully, next winter will see me with a few more pounds shed, too!

My brother and nephew borrowing my canoe for a light paddle.
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Putting in a center seat.
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