Anyone have a canoe recommendation?

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Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - Printable Version

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Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - BLINGMW - 03-08-2018

I'd like to buy a basic canoe for us and two kids to tool around local lakes in. Maybe a 2nd one once my son is a little older and we can split up. Is there some compelling reason why this isn't an ok choice?

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/sun-dolphin-mackinaw-15-6-canoe-16sphamcknw156cnxpsc/16sphamcknw156cnxpsc

[Image: Mackinaw%2015.6%20canoe%20main.jpg]

[Image: Mackinaw%2015.6%20canoe%20main.jpg]

Will probably be pretty slow since it's not very long and has a flat bottom, but shorter is better for storage/moving. Should I even consider one of those indestructable aluminum ones that rental places use?
https://blacksburg.craigslist.org/boa/d/smoker-craft-aluminum-15-ft/6517708374.html

Is there some reason I should give some guy on craigslist 300-400 bucks when I can get one new for 500? Is there some reason I'll regret not spending twice as much on models that look pretty much the same?
https://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Mad-River-Journey-156-Recreation-Canoe/productDetail/Canoes/prod999901365368/cat101212
(I mean, it doesn't even have cupholders, WTF)

Tell me if you know anything, including paddles, other accessories I need. Excuse me while I go stare at my 4x6 trailer and figure out how to put one of these on there.

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - ScottyB - 03-08-2018

no recommendation the actual canoe other than see if you can wait until a holiday sale if you want to buy new. my brother in law grabbed 2 kayaks from Dick's during a 4th of july sale last year for something like 50% off. i think they like to do blowout sales on that kind of product in particular because of how much space they take up on the floor.

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - davej - 03-08-2018

We had an 'unsinkable' one growing up, basically just lined with hard foam but you could swamp it and it'd still float and you could paddle around.
I don't think we were ever in a situation where it came to our rescue, my dumbass would fall out more than I'd sink a canoe, but I'm sure it made my mom feel better.

edit: like this guy

[Image: sportspal_canoe-1024x768.jpg]

edit 2: my dad would toss it up on the roof of the car on some foam blocks and ratchestrap the hell out of it to the front and rear bumpers. I'm sure it was 100% DOT approved transportation.

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - Apoc - 03-08-2018

I spent my youth canoeing on the Rappahannock and Shenendoah, then 10 years of my adult life organizing dudebro trips down the Rapidan and Rappahannock. We always used Old Town Discoveries and I have nothing bad to say about them. The nice thing about polyethylene is it can deform and return to a mostly normal shape. I've seen one get wrapped, at an acute angle, around a rock for 20 minutes and then be used normally for the rest of the trip. This is probably aggressive for your use case, but hitting random rocks in the lake will likely occur. The materials on the one you linked don't seem to be on par with what I've used, but I have no idea if a cheaper brand would have this sort of resiliency. I do think Old Town makes a few cheaper models if you don't want to spend the cash.

I've never canoed in aluminum, but I've heard they're heavy and much easier to damage your vehicle with. That and you're buying another canoe if you ever wrap it around a rock.

Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - Senor_Taylor - 03-08-2018

My friend's mom is actually the manager at Dick's in Roanoke. Let me see if they have anything going on.

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RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - davej - 03-08-2018

(03-08-2018, 01:40 PM)Senor_Taylor Wrote: My friend's mom is actually the manager at Dick's in Roanoke. Let me see if they have anything going on.

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The jokes your poor friend must have endured growing up....

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - Senor_Taylor - 03-08-2018

(03-08-2018, 01:50 PM)davej Wrote:
(03-08-2018, 01:40 PM)Senor_Taylor Wrote: My friend's mom is actually the manager at Dick's in Roanoke. Let me see if they have anything going on.

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The jokes your poor friend must have endured growing up....

Shoot, I don't think we ever did. Brb.

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Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - Gordonovski - 03-08-2018

We used Old Towns at camp and they were pretty pleasurable to use. I think we had the basic ones, no cupholders or any of that fancy shit but I could throw around the 16' one by myself pretty easily. Opt for ones with built-in knee pads if you want to utilize proper technique.

Would not recommend the aluminum ones, even though they've been around since the dawn of time. They get ridiculously hot sitting in the sun and the ribbing can become damaged and start to leak pretty easily. Once it's damaged, there's no amount of flex seal that'll stop it.

All in all, I know much more about actually using canoes than the canoe itself. Let me know if you want those kinds of tips.

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RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - V1GiLaNtE - 03-08-2018

(03-08-2018, 12:58 PM)Apoc Wrote: 10 years of my adult life organizing dudebro trips down the Rapidan and Rappahannock.

Uh, any tips on organizing said trips? I've been trying to get a few friends for years to do an overnight trip. Basically just pack beer and go.

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - Apoc - 03-08-2018

(03-08-2018, 02:27 PM)V1GiLaNtE Wrote:
(03-08-2018, 12:58 PM)Apoc Wrote: 10 years of my adult life organizing dudebro trips down the Rapidan and Rappahannock.

Uh, any tips on organizing said trips? I've been trying to get a few friends for years to do an overnight trip. Basically just pack beer and go.

Are you asking logistics or how to get people to actually commit? The former is much easier to answer than the latter.

Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - Senor_Taylor - 03-08-2018

Dick's in Roanoke will have 30% off all boats right before Memorial day, July 4th, and the end of August.

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RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - HAULN-SS - 03-08-2018

Have you considered a flat bottom john boat? I spent many of my summers using a flat bottom polyethylene. They weigh about 70lbs empty - you can paddle or (recommended) put a troller on them. wayyyy more stable for river floats. Fit 2 easy, and a third if you're careful. Btw - any and all of these kinds of boats will wrap around a rock if you get sideways in a river and tag it just wrong. Old town is what my uncles/cousins always used for their canoeing. I think you want a 13' for 2 people. Anything smaller and it's going to feel reel cramped when you start having a kid fling a rod around with treble hooks on.

As far as purchasing - you can def find a deal on used ones. I bought a 3 man old town off somebody on letgo for 180 bucks nearly brand new with paddles and life jackets.

This is nothing but a shameless plug for a family friend - Jimmy Dodd, out of Buchanan, makes strong lightweight wood canoes, which I have I think the 2nd one he ever made. He's one of the best craftsmen I know. He's got a whole selection at lazyrivercanoes.com

https://vimeo.com/256820188

This is NOT the canoe to take with a kid, but here's mine. Its been down the James and down the Shenandoah. The water does have to be up to a certain level - it can take some amount of a beating because the bottom has a fiberglass coating - but almost all scratches will buff out. You can't make a beeline into a a rock and expect no damage though. Great for lakes. Best of all, weighs 37 lbs for the 13' two man like I have:

[Image: gArnyik.jpg]

They aren't cheap, but I figure I'll hang it on my man-cave wall when I'm done with it.

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - BLINGMW - 03-09-2018

(03-08-2018, 11:56 PM)HAULN-SS Wrote:

Yeah that's super cool, and not a horrible way to spend $3500. And the John boat thing makes sense for a motor or fishing, but from what I understand doesn't track very well and takes a lot more paddling to keep them going vs a canoe. Good idea though!

(03-08-2018, 02:44 PM)Senor_Taylor Wrote: Dick's in Roanoke will have 30% off all boats right before Memorial day, July 4th, and the end of August.

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Thanks a ton for checking, I guess I'll be paying full price at least for boat #1

(03-08-2018, 01:54 PM)Gordonovski Wrote: Would not recommend the aluminum ones, even though they've been around since the dawn of time. They get ridiculously hot sitting in the sun and the ribbing can become damaged and start to leak pretty easily. Once it's damaged, there's no amount of flex seal that'll stop it.

Ok I'll go ahead and remove those from consideration, seems like few places sell them anyway

(03-08-2018, 12:58 PM)Apoc Wrote: ....The materials on the one you linked don't seem to be on par with what I've used, but I have no idea if a cheaper brand would have this sort of resiliency. I do think Old Town makes a few cheaper models if you don't want to spend the cash.

Both this and the Old Towns are polyethylene, though that certainly isn't a lot of detail. But I'll look at them too, the Saranac 146 might be just fine and is a little lighter (and smaller)

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - JPolen01 - 03-09-2018

Wow I have zero need for a canoe, but that wooden one is fancy and I like it.

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - ScottyB - 03-09-2018

(03-09-2018, 08:40 AM)JPolen01 Wrote: Wow I have zero need for a canoe, but that wooden one is fancy and I like it.

that is a work of art. i'd love to hang out for a day and just observe how he does stuff. canoe making and fine furniture is like the pinnacle of woodworking as far as i'm concerned.

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - BLINGMW - 03-10-2018

Well I went for the cheap one I posted first, a guy happened to have one barely used with accessories on Letgo. I think it'll do nicely!

Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - davej - 03-11-2018

Wait, there are real people behind letgo?
I tried to contact/buy several items and didn't get a single reply from a seller. Figured it was just a bot infested app built to mine purchasing habits for future advertising

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - BLINGMW - 03-13-2018

I just started using it, and got lucky with the canoe, seller was a nice guy. I listed my dirtbike and have had a lot of people respond with lowball offers and trades, but if they're bots, I'm impressed.

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - JPolen01 - 03-13-2018

How is it different from Craigslist? I don't understand why I would use Letgo.

RE: Anyone have a canoe recommendation? - BLINGMW - 03-13-2018

I don't know how the user base differs, but there seems to be a decent enough number of people around here. I got twice as many real people (I think) responding to you dirtbike vs my craigslist responses.
It's a LOT easier to post something
The in-app communication means you don't even have to share your phone # or email
There's a (probably easily gameable) buyer/seller ratings system
So far it hasn't randomly ghosted my listing like craigslist sometimes likes to do

Obvious areas of improvement would be the unconfigurable notifications system and range selector needs a few more levels.