Canoe Suggestions?

[fatlazyless]

...not your typical paddle canoe...how to change any old 17' Grumman, Michicraft, Alumacraft, Sea Nymph, Old Town, Mad River, etc aluminum/fiberglass old used canoe into a new & improved rowing canoe with seats for one rower and/or two paddlers, plus a doggie or two....www.rowingrigs.com.....it changes the personality of a canoe by leaps and bounds..for a canoe the Scout Rig model is best because it is the lightest, costs $495. & shipping from Massachusetts, and is designed to fit into a canoe by attaching to the gunnels...the overall shape and design of a canoe makes it a natural as a rower....can honestly go through approximately 18" Lake Winnipesaukee boat wakes without taking on any water when rowed by one person seated in the middle, plus the rowing rig is attached with just four screw clamps so it can always be removed....

How to turn that old canoe into a dynamic rowing machine, lose the fat, and totally impress both the wife & girlfriend!

These Scout rowing rigs never-ever seem to show up, selling for less, in the classified ads, anywhere. As far as I know, no other maker besides Piantedosi in West Acton, Mass. makes this style product.

[Airedale1]

Instead of a canoe, you might want to consider a two-seater kayak like this Old Town Loon.



It is easier to paddle and steer than a canoe. Just pick your spots and times (think glassy conditions) out on the big lake and you will both love it.

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by Airedale1

Instead of a canoe, you might want to consider a two-seater kayak like this Old Town Loon.



It is easier to paddle and steer than a canoe. Just pick your spots and times (think glassy conditions) out on the big lake and you will both love it.

I have to respectfully disagree.

Having paddled one of those last year, so much more uncomfortable to paddle than a canoe. Far less stable, no way to adjust weight in the boat without disrupting the harmony, sitting lower in the water makes for a sore back and would not track a line if it was tied to a cable.

I would not recommend one of these boats over a canoe, especially if you want your daughter to enjoy boating and not practice bailing after a dump.

Waiting on perfect conditions to boat, may result in a lot of waiting, if the conditions have to be perfect, that should be a tell that it is not a good boat to start with.

By the way, I am absolutely loving your photos of the wildlife. Don't feel like I am dumping on your suggestion (please) but I have a personal contact at Old Town Canoe, these boats were designed and marketed toward a specific target group and DC is not it, I will not elaborate more, some trust is needed on this one.

[Airedale1]

Originally Posted by jmen24

I have to respectfully disagree.

Having paddled one of those last year, so much more uncomfortable to paddle than a canoe. Far less stable, no way to adjust weight in the boat without disrupting the harmony, sitting lower in the water makes for a sore back and would not track a line if it was tied to a cable.

I would not recommend one of these boats over a canoe, especially if you want your daughter to enjoy boating and not practice bailing after a dump.

Waiting on perfect conditions to boat, may result in a lot of waiting, if the conditions have to be perfect, that should be a tell that it is not a good boat to start with.

By the way, I am absolutely loving your photos of the wildlife. Don't feel like I am dumping on your suggestion (please) but I have a personal contact at Old Town Canoe, these boats were designed and marketed toward a specific target group and DC is not it, I will not elaborate more, some trust is needed on this one.

My personal experience with kayak vs. canoe is the opposite of yours. Hopefully somebody on here besides myself that has experience with the Loon will chime in. The Loon is known for its stability and is a favorite with photographers and fishermen.

I own an Old Town Tripper which is a 17 foot canoe and it is nowhere near as comfortable for me as my 16' Old Town Adventure XL Kayak.

I mean how could it be? In the canoe I am sitting on a molded plastic seat with zero back support and no foot support. See image below.



Compared to my kayak (pictured below) which has a padded adjustable hi-back seat with lumbar and adjustable foot supports; my canoe is nowhere near as comfortable.



Also the raised bow and stearn of the canoe catches the wind and it makes it very hard to track a straight line. My kayak without a skeg or rudder track way better than my canoe and unlike the canoe paddling is effortless.

To the OP the best advice I can give you is demo both and see for yourself.

Since you are in Wolfeboro, check out Wild Meadow Canoes and Kayaks http://www.wildmeadowcanoes.com/ which has been owned and operated by the Whalen family for over 20 years. Tom and Sally are nice folks they will steer you straight.

[Newbiesaukee]

I am really not an expert but have had an Old Town Canoe, and single and tandem "sit in" recreational kayaks which I have used only on the Lake. I agree with Airdale, the kayaks, far and away, are easier to handle, felt more stable and are way more comfortable. I use my kayaks frequently, only my guests have used the canoe in the past two years.

They are quite different and a water test would seem the thing to do. Another important factor is where and how do you plan to use them.

[jmen24]

I do not disagree that a kayak is more agile than a canoe to a point, I can pole my canoe up stream in a rip, 90 degrees to a rip, anywhere I want to go.I understand not everyone is interested in learning all they can about boat handling skills so I will leave it at that, plus poling is a standing activity. But we need to examine the OP's original statement and how the boat will be used. And yes the seats are far more comfy, what with the padding and back support. But the removable back cane web seats in my tripper are just as a comfy and if the back needs a rest the knee supports get some use.

The main reason the loon does not apply to the OP's situation.

In a single person kayak, you are centered or slightly aft within the length of the boat. This is for weight distribution and proper balance fore and aft of the boat. To far back and it will steer wildly, with little control. To far forward and the same situation only its the rear of the boat that is causing the issues.

In a Loon you are forward or aft of the central balance point of the boat, with no way to change this unless you sit out of the one of the seats. The idea is to get out on the water with his daughter, so after moving into the center section of the boat, where is his daughter going to sit. With a closed bow and stern, the space becomes very limited, granted he will gain some room when balancing her weight, but we are talking inches in comparing a child against an adult.

I am not an anti kayak open boater, if you read back in some of my posts, I kayaked the Dead River last summer at 2,800cfs, it was one of the most exciting experiences of my life. I have access to any type of boat I want, when I want it and have paddled many different canoes and kayaks, some better than others.

Everyone's experiences are different as well as needs, for a single photographer or fisherman, I would not recommend a tripper, it is more boat than what is needed, a Camper would be a better fit for mostly solo as well as a Mad River Freedom solo.

http://www.maineguiding.com/index.html Most of the photos on this site are of our trips over the years, you will see more of my wife and daughter in these than me (a good thing) The two shots of the XL running the rapids (Little Falls and Canous on the Croix), my wife in bow, with another guiding friend Dwayne at stern, I was solo this trip until the last day when Dwayne heading off early with his two kids. Dan is my wife's uncle. Not plugging the site or service, but most of my photos of these trips are 35mm and not electronic, just entered the digital age this winter.

[trfour]

In todays Citizen; http://citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...897/-1/CITIZEN



Terry
________________________________

[jmen24]

DC Pointer, how has the search been going?

We have some really great weather coming up. Hope you and your daughter are having fun exploring together, if you have already made a selection.

[DC Pointer]

Hi Everyone,
This information has been so helpful. Thank you all very, very much for taking the time to explain. You have helped me narrow my search. We are going to demo a few Old Town canoes tomorrow (with a couple hours of proper instruction) and hopefully make a decision by then.

[NoRegrets]

I have both an oldtown canoe and kayak. I absolutely love both of them and would not want to make a choice on which is better. For a long day of paddeling in the canoe we found it was tiring on the back so I purchased 2 cane seats ( http://store.oldtowncanoe.com/produc...Cane_Seat_Back ). With a life vest for padding they are very comfortable. The kayak seat and leg posts are also very easy to adjust for size and comfort. My kayak has a large opening so my legs are not constricted under much of the top. My little buddy Murphy (15 LB dog) loves the open space and rides everywhere with me.

Click on the picture and enlarge it to see one cool pup!

I tried many canoes and the only thing I noticed is many of the advanced plastic ones do not have a center keel and are less stable. A fiberglass canoe has a keel that lets it track better and not drift as much in cross winds. Our canoe is only 12 feet long (plenty for a cooler, 2 paddlers, and Murphy.

[Airedale1]

Originally Posted by NoRegrets

I have both an oldtown canoe and kayak. I absolutely love both of them and would not want to make a choice on which is better. For a long day of paddeling in the canoe we found it was tiring on the back so I purchased 2 cane seats ( http://store.oldtowncanoe.com/produc...Cane_Seat_Back ). With a life vest for padding they are very comfortable. The kayak seat and leg posts are also very easy to adjust for size and comfort. My kayak has a large opening so my legs are not constricted under much of the top. My little buddy Murphy (15 LB dog) loves the open space and rides everywhere with me.

I tried many canoes and the only thing I noticed is many of the advanced plastic ones do not have a center keel and are less stable. A fiberglass canoe has a keel that lets it track better and not drift as much in cross winds. Our canoe is only 12 feet long (plenty for a cooler, 2 paddlers, and Murphy.

Wonderful photo, that really made me smile. Thank you.