Lightweight Canoes

[Codger_64]

(I'm usually paddling with an inexperienced paddler)...

I know that feeling well. I have three adult children, two teens and five grandkids.

"Just sit there with the paddle in your lap and enjoy the ride. I'll tell you what stroke and what side when I need help!"

I don't do whitewater any more. Deliverence started me on the wilder stuff and I somehow lived thru it. But I was ten feet tall and bullet-proof then. I found out I wasn't bullet-proof. Class III-IV is a rush. I did early runs in open canoes on the Hailstone, code-name for the upper reaches of the Buffalo only floatable in near flood conditions.

Codger

 

[desmobob]

I don't do whitewater any more. Deliverence started me on the wilder stuff and I somehow lived thru it. But I was ten feet tall and bullet-proof then. I found out I wasn't bullet-proof.

What a great movie... I have a copy and haved watched it a lot of times.:thumbup:

I thought I was bullet-proof too, until I had to be fished out of the frigid water of the ice-lined Hudson River early one spring after staying in too long, trying to retrieve my boat after capsizing. I've been scared before, but I'm pretty sure this was the only time I figured I was going to be cashing in my chips.

I rarely take any risks involving very cold water any more!

Stay sharp,
desmobob

 

[mckrob]

If you want to buy locally, pay the guys a Langford Canoe in Dwight a visit (about 2.5h north of Toronto), they've been building canoes forever so must be doing something right.

http://www.langfordcanoe.com

Swift Canoe's main office is on Highway 11 just south of Gravenhurst off the northbound lane, they have a factory outlet there, they also manufacturer great canoes.

http://swiftcanoe.com/

If I had to replace my canoe with one similar to what I have now, I would would probably buy the Swift Osprey:

http://swiftcanoe.com/canoe/solo/osprey.htm

My main canoe is a 13'10" York River, built in Peterborough, Ontario. It is at a guess 40 years old and built of fibreglass. It is light enough that I could lift it on/off the Landcruiser myself and portage it quite easily, (I would guess 50lbs?). 90% of time it gets used as a solo boat, but it has no problem carrying two full grown men and gear. I would highly recommend if getting a solo canoe get one relatively short in the 14' range. As far as I know York River is out of business, which is really too bad, as theirs was one of my favourite designs. I'll see if I can dig up a photo. I also have a 16' cedar strip that was hand built in Quebec about 75 years ago, I restored it about 20 years for credit at highschool, i find it too large, and really tippy as it is way too bouyant being constructed of wood.

 

[runningboar]

My son got caught in a wicked bad strainer this spring, scared the bejesus out of me, I have slowed way down myself. I still love canoeing and kayaking but sometimes the rush isn't worth the risk. Chris

 

[Codger_64]

My son got caught in a wicked bad strainer this spring, scared the bejesus out of me, I have slowed way down myself. I still love canoeing and kayaking but sometimes the rush isn't worth the risk. Chris

About ten to twelve years ago when my oldest son was a teen, I took him on what should have been a very enjoyable early spring canoe trip on the upper reaches of the Buffalo River. The water level was at optimum flow over the low water bridge.

From the time we put in until the time we reached the take out, we spent our time doing swift water rescue of people and canoes. Water temps were in the low fifties, sometimes mid forties where underground springs welled up in the riverbed. Air temps were a pleasant mid to high sixties.

Besides recovering people and swamped canoes, we had to deal with cases of mild hypothermia. The last one was a 70 year old on heart meds. None of the people prepared for dunking. None had dry clothes, fire makings or means to heat drinks. Few had any business being there that day because of lack of preparedness and lack of canoing skills.

Thankfully, the Reaper was absent from the river that day. The only peeps we had to ferry were alive.

Codger

 

[Mick57]

I generally prefer to paddle from a kneeling position. I bought a kneeling thwart to install in my Northwind so it would be more comfortable to paddle solo. I glued kneeling pads in place for both seating positions and in the center for solo paddling in my Mad River Eclipse. I'll have to do some serious experimenting with the Magic to find what works best. I did send an e-mail to Bell to get their opinion.

As for the 90-miler, I'd love to paddle it! I almost had my neighbor talked into entering a few years back. I'm a bachelor and lack the support crew necessary to pull it off. One of these days....

I have an old Navy girlfriend out in Rochester. When I get out there to visit, I'll take a spin down to the Hemlock shop and take a look. Interesting stuff....

Stay sharp,
desmobob

I prefer kneeling myself, but I'm sure you know it's nice to sit & stretch out the legs from time to time. Just one of the reasons I've always preferred a canoe over kayaks.
Dave Curtis does demos with most of his boats every Thursday around 5:30 on a small lake near his shop. I stopped in last week & he's not doing it anymore this year, as it now gets dark pretty early. You can shoot him an email or call & see when he starts it again in the Spring. Or you could stop in anytime & take any boat out to try. He's good about that & the water is only 5 minutes away. Or if you're anywhere near Raystown, PA, there's a big paddling gathering there this weekend. They've been doing it for 4-5 years now & it gets bigger each year. Dave told me he's going for the first time, so he'll be bringing most of his boats. You can read about it over at www.paddling.net. I haven't been to one yet, but it sounds like alot of fun from the usual followup threads. Shoot me an email when ya get up to Dave's shop.

 

[Mick57]

About ten to twelve years ago when my oldest son was a teen, I took him on what should have been a very enjoyable early spring canoe trip on the upper reaches of the Buffalo River. The water level was at optimum flow over the low water bridge.

From the time we put in until the time we reached the take out, we spent our time doing swift water rescue of people and canoes. Water temps were in the low fifties, sometimes mid forties where underground springs welled up in the riverbed. Air temps were a pleasant mid to high sixties.

Besides recovering people and swamped canoes, we had to deal with cases of mild hypothermia. The last one was a 70 year old on heart meds. None of the people prepared for dunking. None had dry clothes, fire makings or means to heat drinks. Few had any business being there that day because of lack of preparedness and lack of canoing skills.

Thankfully, the Reaper was absent from the river that day. The only peeps we had to ferry were alive.

Codger

Sounds scary. Cold water & inexperience is a recipe for disaster. Hope they realize how fortunate they are to still be around.

 

[Codger_64]

Yes, few noobs to canoing really realize the danger. Especially when the sun is shining and the flowers are blooming. It is a bit strange to say, but this is less of a problem with yakkers. Most of them get some training and mentoring, it seems. Anyone can rent a canoe and get crazy. I got letters of thanks from several of the people I helped. The old man's son was a Little Rock attorney and was very grateful. And the one responsible for their situation.

Oh yeah. Lightweight canoes. Fun as playboats, easy to carry and cartop by yourself, not as versitile as larger, heavier canoes. Whatever floats your boat! That is why a lot of canoists have two or more canoes. I only have two at the moment. Looking for a THIRD, BUT KNIVES KEEP GETTING IN THE WAY!

Codger

 

[desmobob]

Yes, few noobs to canoing really realize the danger. Especially when the sun is shining and the flowers are blooming. It is a bit strange to say, but this is less of a problem with yakkers. Most of them get some training and mentoring, it seems. Anyone can rent a canoe and get crazy.

I think things are just the opposite around my neck to the woods. Everyone sees kayaks and wants one. Anyone can hop in and paddle successfully with a double-bladed paddle, and they're sitting on the bottom of a typically very wide-beamed and heavy roto-molded boat so they feel secure. I have YET to meet one of these kayakers who knows how to roll/self-rescue.

The people with canoes tend to be either novices who are afraid enough of "tipping" that they are challenged paddling in flat water and would never attempt any whitewater, or are seasoned paddlers.

Oh yeah. Lightweight canoes. Fun as playboats, easy to carry and cartop by yourself, not as versitile as larger, heavier canoes. Whatever floats your boat! That is why a lot of canoists have two or more canoes. I only have two at the moment. Looking for a THIRD, BUT KNIVES KEEP GETTING IN THE WAY!

I thought I was happy with the three I have, and as much as I personally DISLIKE those short little solo boats, when duck season rolls around, I wish I had one for some of the hard-to-get-to little marshes I hunt. I'm sure I'll end up with one eventually.

One of my canoeing memories is of coming out of the back of a large marsh at dark in my Northwind after a duck hunt. At the same time I left from the back of the marsh, I could see another hunter in the distance, about half way to the takeout, leaving in his little SportsPal solo canoe. I easily caught and passed him, leisurely J-stroking and gliding along in my seventeen and a half-footer, while he zigged and zagged and hit and switched and struggled to paddle that little aluminum-skinned, flat-bottomed bathtub of a "canoe" back to the parking lot. I loaded the light carbon/Kevlar Northwind onto my truck as easily as he did his little SportsPal.

Good paddling,
desmobob

 

[runningboar]

Guilty also, 2 canoes and 2 kayaks, and I seriously want a solo canoe, my kayak doesn't carry enough and is a royal biatch getting in and out of. Chris

 

[Mulder]

5 Canoes here
All kevlar layups.

3 Solo
Blackhawk Starship
Swift Osprey
Wenonah Rendezvous

2 Tandem
Bell North Bay Cruiser
Blackhawk 18' (I forget the name).

dave

 

[Guntotin_fool]

I also have a small fleet. but they get used, the little light ones are great for dropping off the boy or myself nad then getting onto water that doesnt have public access. All water in minnesota is publicly owned, but not all lakes have public access, sneaking in to some lakes provide you with killer fishing.....

BIg water, big canoes, little creeks and sloughs, little boats.

 

[fnc]

"Wenonah Rendezvous" was mentioned earlier so I was
Googling and found this PDQ.

http://www.canoecolorado.com/canoeing/wenonah/rendezvous/

Note: 1) the nice cover on that canoe in the NWT.
2)Lower down the Wenonah Rendezvous, a "Canoe" with a seat
like a Kayak.

If you have big feet, or are otherwise vulnerable
to entanglement under a standard Canoe seat, consider
this seat. I did not see the seat on the Wenonah site,
but I bet they have it as an option, and other dealers
and manufactures may have a seat like this also.

I had a seat like this on a solo canoe and it worked great for me.
Comfort was awesome compared other seats that I had tried.
I rigged it so it was immediately adjustable; very easy to do since
it moved on sliding tubes.

I used standard canoe paddles, crooked and straight;
both worked fine.

BTW, that is not a bad looking canoe, either. It looks a little
like the SRT picture I saw, but hard to tell.

Wenonah Vagabond looks real good for flat water,
OK for class 1.5 for sure and 2 maybe.
Yeah, I did test paddled one, and it was OK.

Google on some of the canoe models and see what experienced,
canoe guys think.

How you rig your canoe is important. Some water-proof cloth
cover (decking) will let you punch into standing waves with no
concern at all. A modern canoe, with a low bow, really needs
this. Also, your canoe should float even if filled with water.
Now add gear, will it still float? Make it so.

I have no connections to Wenonah or any dealers.

 

[Codger_64]

I haven't tried one of the sliding seats, but I have used saddles. Or pedestal seats, I think they are called. They can be retro fitted into most canoes along with adjustable foot pegs and knee pads. Some have retainer straps that let you actually roll an open canoe. This is usually done with fitted air bags which quite a few companies also offer. All of this is meant for whitwater canoing, but the saddles do work for touring too. And are more comfortable (to me) than the hard bench seat style most canoes have. The ones I have seen and used are closed cell foam and don't add much weight to a boat.

Codger

 

[Mick57]

I haven't tried one of the sliding seats, but I have used saddles. Or pedestal seats, I think they are called. They can be retro fitted into most canoes along with adjustable foot pegs and knee pads. Some have retainer straps that let you actually roll an open canoe. This is usually done with fitted air bags which quite a few companies also offer. All of this is meant for whitwater canoing, but the saddles do work for touring too. And are more comfortable (to me) than the hard bench seat style most canoes have. The ones I have seen and used are closed cell foam and don't add much weight to a boat.

Codger

Sliding seats can't be beat for trimming your boat...just a quick & easy adjustment. I had a Swift Shearwater w/the sliding seat & it was great. IMHO, it's (Swift's) the best seat out there in a production boat & wonder why more manufacturers don't go that route.