I am looking for a canoe to float the local rivers in my area for deer. I am looking at a 14ft. radison with a square stern. What do you guys recomend. If this is not a subject that I can post than mods please delete. Thanks Don
From Shooting many carp from one I feel the wider the better for stability.
Will you be hunting by yourself or with another person. If by yourself, you would want something at least 14 feet long, 16 if there'll be two of you.
If you know how to canoe, you don't necessarily need to go real wide, 32-34 inches for a solo, 36 or so for a tandem. I'm assuming you will be shooting from a sitting position. A canoe is rather tippy for standing, unless you add sponsons or other floation on the sides. A flatter bottom will give you more initial stability than will more v-shaped or rounded bottom hulls, but they won't be as fast. You'll also want a little bit of rocker for ease of turning on small rivers.
You might consider a used wood and canvas canoe. They're much quieter inside and out than fiberglass, kevlar or aluminum.
They're about the same weight as aluminum and plastic boats, heavier than kevlar, of course.
What Orion said, plus, flat bottoms are less maneuverable, slower to respond. How much current will you be facing, are there sweepers, snags sticking up, etc? When I solo canoe, I generally kneel near the middle of the canoe facing the stern-using the stern as the front. Kneeling puts your center of gravity lower and having the stern in the front puts you nearer the center of the canoe, which keeps the canoe level on the water and makes it easier to maneuver. When shooting, simply raise up as high as possible while kneeling.
Make sure to carry a spare paddle or 2 in case you drop one-the "up the creek without a paddle" syndrome. Hard to paddle with a bow!!!
Thanks for the input. I will be canoeing with one other person. The rivers that we will be on are shallow.Lots of rocks and some portage will have to be done as well. I also would like to use the canoe for some inland lake fishing.
Thanks Don
For two people I would go with 17': it will not seem that big when you are in it with gear. A 16' would be my minimum. Royalex canoes are lighter than canoes made with plastic laminates but are also more expensive. Also, the wider the canoe the more initial stability it has but at a cost of maneuverability and speed (power to move it). Check out the Wenonah website, they have a lot of general information.
I've done a lot of float hunting in a canoe. It's a very quiet way to hunt. You usually see a lot of game and the changing scenery keeps it exciting. Many times you'll see deer bedded near the river within bow range. This canoe is a custom built 12' wood and canvas. The other quiver in the canoe is my wife's who took the picture. On this particular float she got a shot at a young doe. She waited just a split second too long and the deer jumped and ran just as she shot. The bow I'm holding is a Don Adams English Yew wood, 72". I had no trouble shooting from the canoe as long as I held the bow horizontally.
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Yew_canoe.jpg)
Where r u located ? I would recommend a 16 footer as well.
A canoe and a pair of hip boots are one of the best investments an outdoorsman can make. It really can open up new world to you.
I have a couple. An Old Town Pack 11ft creek boat and a 15ft Grumman Sport boat.
The advice your getting here is good. Something you can solo or tandem in will also have enough capacity to get a deer out.
My next canoe will be something in the 15 to 16 ft range. I really have been pleased with Royalex.
Pay attention to weight. You will thank yourself later.
I got a 13'7" radioson with the square stern and the earth foam side, almost impossible to tip over, I put a 40lb thrust trolling motor on it. Very effective way to hunt. I cross rivers, lake fingers ect.
Check out the Nucanoe Frontier, it may be of interest. Stable enough to stand up in.
Check out the Nucanoe Frontier, it may be of interest. Stable enough to stand up in.
If you are worried about bumping rocks, Old Town Penobscot. If you have money and are looking for an excuse to go to Ely Minnesota, go on a canoe trip and try out a Souris River Quetico 17". Both are tough, but the souris river will weigh about 20 pounds less. http://redrockoutfitting.com/
http://redrockstore.com/canoes.html
I have a Wenonah Fisherman that can handle two people but can also be handled easily by one person. Very stable canoe.
I would avoid the Raddison if you will be scratching over rocks.
You might look for a canoe with non-molded seats, one where two can use it, or one can sit in the "front" seat and paddle "backwards". Both Penobscot and Appalachian by Old Town fit this description, but price might be a consideration...
I happen to be a sales rep for Old Town, and will echo the comments made about Royalex. While a little expensive, the weight is fantastic. One thing to consider is everyone in the canoe industry gets Royalex from the same source....and mid year next year Royalex is no longer going to be produced. So if you're on the fence about getting a Royalex canoe, get it while you can.
For two people and gear, bigger is better. I've owned a 17'3" Old Town Tripper for over 30 years and it does the job. My 3 grandsons own it now.
Forget a canoe and google GHeenoe
paddles the same and you wont end up swimming in cold water
Dang, Ron looks like you may have had a "likker still" up in 'em woods and lookin fer thu revinuer man. We might be related, does that mean I can come to Shrewhaven next year?
There have been a couple canoe / kayak threads here lately with lots of good info.
For me i like my Native Watercraft ultimate 14.5
Check out paddling dot net or canoeing dot com
The prospector canoe design is a nice hull for one or two to paddle, I like royalex but as said going to be harder to find in the future. If you live in a canoe rich area should not be too hard to find a new or good used canoe. We have 3 canoes tend to keep the souris river Kevlar and the longest one off of rivers, the Wenonah Prospector 15 was purchased used specifically for river use, and I've a Old Town Pack that I use solo. Have not hunted out of the canoe though. See plenty of wild life though should give a try.
The Souris River prospector design in the 17.5 is one of the most versatile canoes out there, i love them, but wife hates them. Like its 16 foot brother, they feel a bit tippy when compared to the three Quetico models. My Seliga is probably still my favorite canoe of all them. Stay away from asymetric designs like the Wenonah Minnesota II, I have had a number of them. They are rockets in the Bdub, but they do not like going with much current. I do not believe that a roylex likes bashing into rocks anymore than a kevlar Souris River. The occasional contact will not destroy either one, but repeated skidding will wear a hole in them both. A symetical canoe with a bit of rocker and some good initial stability is a requirement for floating rivers and fishing lakes. That is what was said would be the purpose of his canoe. I think the Prospector would feel a bit tender when being used for fishing by most. They are fun to paddle in whitecaps, but they react more to motions made inside the canoe by fishermen than a canoe like the Quetico Souris River models.
Definitely you will need at least a 16 footer. There are lots of good designs out there, (stick with name brands), but I think you should really consider ABS or similar materials. They are very quiet, slip over rocks with a minimum noise, and have less tendency to "stick" to a rock like aluminum. They aren't fast, but you don't want fast. This would be a good time of year to find a used one. After you've used it for a few seasons you will have a better idea of what you like and don't like.
I have a 17' Old Town Penobscot I plan to sell in the spring. It is royalex so it is light but still has about 900 lb. load I believe. Very good secondary stability. I can roll it out on it's side to where one gunwale is only a couple inches from the water and it is very stable. There is a thwart right behind the front seat so it is not possible to paddle solo from the front seat which is why I am selling. The 16' doesn't have the thwart behind the front seat. Something you may want to consider for a tandem or solo canoe.
The advice about 16 ft or larger is spot on. You can always solo paddle (or row) a larger tandem canoe, but you can't get more space/capacity in a smaller canoe.
I have owned my OT Penobscot for over 12 years, and have covered 1000's of miles in it solo and tandem. You'd be hard pressed to find a more versatile canoe.
I recently rigged up a rowing outriggers on my Penobscot, so I can solo it with my dog. It makes a great rowboat, and it is easy to maintain 4mph with a couple of 7 1/2ft oars.
If the Penobscot has a wood seat drops it is possible to either mount it lower with a wedge shape drop support. You can also remove it and mount a supporting wedged seat drop bolted to the back rail of your front seat. Ash cut the same length as the current seat drops. A dowel in the front and the shaped one in the back with the gunnel bolt and a shorter bolt through the seat and the bracing support. The wedge is easy to make out of one inch ash. Cut a square that equals the seat drop. Run the grain so it is either diagonal or horizontal. Measure in one inch on the top and one side and cut a parbolic sweep from mark to mark, with a flattening on the bottom and round off the corner. Drill for the seat post, the hole already is there in the gunnel and the seat, bolt it on. Then drill through the low end through of the brace and the seat. Drill a sink hole to make the bolt flush. A bit of Watco Oil and it's good to go.
Whatever material you choose, the canoe has a lot of options for you: With just a little imagination, you can rig an outrigger so you can stand to shoot at carp, but slide out of the way quickly for loading or unloading. Use PVC pipes and even an intertube on the water to make it solid.
I am on my sixth canoe. I had one growing up- a Grumman 17 footer that took a beating frogging, trapping and fishing. Had several while in the military but they got sold every PCS move. This Al I got in a yard sale for $25 bucks-just not a lot of demand for canoes in the Nevada desert. We will carp out of it by Fallon this spring. an electric trolling motor makes solo moving a piece of cake-the ones that allow different depths work well and are cheap. Good advice on solo trippping from others.
And it will take you into the back deer bedding areas in the dark so you can be in your stand at daylight when they drift in to bed. carpet on the floor absorbs noise, some wood brackets for your daily gear also make it easy to organize. have your life jacket and some places made me register my canoes-even if I did not use an electric trolling motor.
You, sir, have just opened a door to fun
Delaware has no naturally occurring lakes or ponds, they are all old mill ponds. So, someone owns the pond, the pond bottom, AND the streams/creeks that feed the pond. You cannot legally hunt or fish on the pond/creek without permission. The State owns the majority of the ponds, and by law, they are wildlife refuges. The only public waterways are tidal, but the shorelines to the low water mark are private, so you still can't hunt without permission. There are maybe a half dozen public ponds in the State that butt up to public hunting areas. You will have a hard time proving to the enforcement officer that you killed the deer legally and were just transporting it across the pond in your canoe, especially if the deer is wet!!! Not worth the risk to me. I am so jealous of you folks with waterways you can canoe/hunt!
i have a old town tripper. it 17 ft. long and wide. you can haul a lot of gear. very stable but kinds slow. i like mine
Unless you are going to use a motor do not get a square stern if used in a river with current. Evan a small current will want to push the square stern to the down stream side making it necessary to constantly correct with a paddle. This makes it difficult to shoot when alone.
I use a Old town Pack boat, its 12' but it only weights 38lbs.... then just get canoe out riggers for standing.
Try Golden Hawk canoes... Really tough, light, stable and just great for bowhunting...
ive had a old town discovery 146, 14' 6". for years. it has a flat bottom and a small keel molded in the bottom full length. ive stood in it often. You cant dance around, but standing and shooting in calm water is no problem. and it moves along pretty well for a flat bottom.
Steve
I have a Bell Northwind 16.5 but also really like the Nova Craft Prospector 16 as well....good all around canoes...lakes, slow to mild rivers, tidal creeks, swamps.... Good compromise between load carrying, maneuverability, shallow draft, low wind disturbance, straight tracking.
Google River Ridge Custom Canoes. Made in Minnesota. Sq stern for elect motor but not at water line. you can shoot from a seated position in a chair.
Thanks a bunch for all the great info,all this talk has me all fired up,so off to do some tire kicking today. Keep the great info coming. I also want to add a plat form for doing some shore line carp shooting.
:campfire:
I've hunted and fished out of canoes and kayaks. One of my favorites was the Old Town Guide 119. Dicks' usually has them for the high $300s. Very stable for one person with a lot of gear. If you need two people. I don't have any advice to offer.
If you want to add a platform take a look at the Nucanoe Frontier; stable enough to stand in and can be configured many different ways.
Nothing is as stable as a Gheenoe I stand and fly fish out of mine and I am a big tall heavy person
And it paddles nicely also
If you want to get really traditional go with a birch bark canoe.
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Birch_Bark_hunters.jpg)
For shooting carp you will need to check out and get the sponsons(spelling?) from Spring Creek. for paddling open water set them above the water so they don't hang up on waves, but set them as deep as you can push them evenly and out as far the bar will go when shooting carp for optimum steadiness. I have a pair of lashing bars and we put two canoes together, they can still be paddled, but are more sea worthy than a pontoon boat. For fishing lakes with power boats, I put floats on one lashing bar with one canoe, then I do not have to worry about rollers coming off the power boats.
Ron that is a really fine looking canoe and crew you have there. Very traditional I will be looking into one of those. Also looking at the gheenoe,and sportspal. Thanks again to all that responded for all the input.
Don
I second the Guide 119. I did change the seat in mine a bit and it is very stable and a fine boat for the money.RC
It must be nice to have rivers big enough to float and hunt out of a canoe. Everytime this thread comes around, it makes me want to go on a road trip somewhere where that is possible.
That's not to say that I haven't taken a recurve along during some of my September floats and fly fishing trips. NW Montana rivers aren't too canoe friendly.
Up here a guy needs a drift boat, 14' NRS with a rowing frame, and a Bucks Bag 9 footer if you're going to fish from June to October.
it works good in northwest Iowa, about one in four years.
QuoteOriginally posted by RC:
I second the Guide 119. I did change the seat in mine a bit and it is very stable and a fine boat for the money.RC
I forgot to mention on my pack boat I did lower my seat 3" for stability. learned this from fly fishing from a canoe everyone I know lowered the seats for easier casting,, helps with shooting a bow too.
I prefer a shallow V instead of a flat bottom. Shallow V bottom's have good secondary stability.
A canoe with a sharp V design on the front is also nice. I have a 20 year old Mad River which has never failed me.
My Mad River Kevlar Explorer is a a shallow V. It is a very versatile canoe. The design works like prospector that tracks better in wind and waves. The only slight flaws in the design occurs when running in three inch deep water, the V will make harder contact on semi firm bottoms, and when soloing in a leaned positon, the canoe settles firmly on the flattened haul, but is a bit slower than other round chined canoes in the leaned solo position..
Thanks so much for all the great info,I am going to look at a used 13 ft old town adventure tomorrow. I will let you know how it go's. Also found a mad river to possibly look at. thanks Don
I miss my old canoe greatly. I plan on building a cedar strip 16' prospector style in the near future. Good all around canoe, (although my old 12-1/2' canoe could get in just about anywhere).
Looks like I will be hunting turkey locally this spring, since all this canoe talk has reminded me to put in for my BWCA reservation for May for our first trip this year.
QuoteOriginally posted by pavan:
Looks like I will be hunting turkey locally this spring, since all this canoe talk has reminded me to put in for my BWCA reservation for May for our first trip this year.
Not to hijack the thread, but have you ever considered hunting BWCA?
What is BWCA? :dunno:
QuoteOriginally posted by tradgreenhorn:
What is BWCA? :dunno:
Boundary Water Canoe Area, a wilderness area on the border of Minnesota and Canada. A truly beautiful and unique place.
I canoed the Boundary Waters in the 60's. It was sensational
Sounds like that will have to be added to the bucket list.
x2 on the bucket list
One can only hunt moose in the Bdub if you get the once in a life time draw and are a resident. Out of staters,I think, can hunt bear in the Bdub. If you want to get Minnesota people really upset with you, just tell them that you think the Bdub moose season should be traditional archery only. Twice as many people could do it then and maybe even get more than a once in a life time chance at it.
There are non-resident licenses for bear and deer. I don't know if bear hunting in Bdub is draw only.
Long years ago there was painting of a guy in the front seat of a canoe drawing on a moose. I always thought that is what I wanted to do one day. We have paddled with in 10 yards of moose a number of times.
Ok tradgang family,this is the canoe that I decided to get. Based on all the great info that I recieved, and taking into consideration on my budget. I found a good used old town discuvery 133. It is a very wide canoe to give stabilty,yet durable enough to go down the rivers where I live. Wich means alot of portageing and rocks. Also this canoe should be quiet as well. Thanks Don
Enjoy it Don. Adding a canoe opens up all kinds of new possibilities, you won't regret it.
Good for you. A nice canoe to get started, but be forewarned, canoes are like bows, you can't have just one.
Even in our 17'3" Old Town Tripper I wouldn't feel good about shooting anything out of it except a shotgun at flushing ducks which we did plenty of. It was an extremely stable canoe but moved constantly in the water, enough to disrupt a purposely aimed shot from a rifle, bow or pistol. I tried the pistol on squirrels once and it was impossible to draw a bead on one out of the canoe.
Yes Ron, the birch bark is on my to do list as well. I've done lots of research. It's the materials that aren't too available in these parts. People don't realize just how good a well made birch bark is. Sure it takes maintenance, but that's o.k. with me.
QuoteOriginally posted by pavan:
Long years ago there was painting of a guy in the front seat of a canoe drawing on a moose. I always thought that is what I wanted to do one day. We have paddled with in 10 yards of moose a number of times.
Jack Paluh...I have two of his numbered printes...and will likely get a couple more if I ever get a place with more wall space of my own.
(http://www.jackpaluh.com/images/Copy%20of%20amstrisprnt.jpg)
Pavan,
What do you think of the Souris River Prospector 16?
I haven't met to many folks who've been in that boat. I currently paddle a Starfire. Still looking for the perfect tandem/solo hull.
Jason
I test paddled one. I like the 17.5" prospector model better for us, the over 220 pound club. The Souris River 16 tracks and glides better than the wood canvas Prospector,it has a straighter midhull section. It turns about the same, and it may have a bit more payload. The souris Rivers are really tough, however, it is not bullet proof or totally rock proof. The Red Rock Wilderness store gives the impression that you can ram anything with them. You can, but you will end up with a hole in your bow. You can heel the Souris river over nicely. One thing about all Prospector designs, they are not the best canoe for paddling into the wind, when going solo. The Bell Starfire may be a faster solo than the Souris River, but with less freeboard when going double. For under 550 pounds total weight the Souris River Quetico 16 is faster and steadier than the Souris River Prospector. If you are running downstream alot and have to manipulate standing waves and cross currents, I would go with the Prospector.
build a stripper!
Strippers are basically very pretty fiberglass boats. Kinda like clear glass trad bows. They are quiet, a bit heavy, and take a good deal of time. I have the blueprints to many old designs, I have often toyed with the idea of making a shortened Redbird, they are normally 17.5 narrow tandems, but at 16' one would make a very nice solo.
The Souris River on paper looks like a 16ft Starfire with out the radical tumbleholm.
I visited Red Rock early one spring, but the lake were still frozen so I couldn't paddle one.
Dan, lot's of us in Alaska would like to build strippers! 16' seems a little tall ;)
Jason
actually mines not heavy at all! its extremely light for a 14 footer! There's a ton of factors that contribute to weight, glass and epoxy being as much as size if not more so. Mine's surprisingly light!
(https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/2823_1052385911857_3262614_n.jpg) https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1/2823_1052385911857_3262614_n.jpg
ps, I wouldn't build it like I did if you're serious about shooting out of it. In this boat I'm sitting on the floor. I decided I didn't want the hanging seat and never got around to making a seat that sat off the floor 3-4"es mainly to keep my rear end from being wet so you'll see a missing thwart and seat. I use a thick pad and a bear creek back rest/seat. I mainly use this boat for spring grayling and poking around some beaver sloughs every now and than. I have a pile of plans and am trying to decide which one to build to hunt out of.
Nice looking canoe, for me it would need a kneeling thwart, and a set of shoulder pads.
The Starfire is in many ways like a prospector, but it is a foot shorter and has less payload. I have had a couple of Bell canoes, the Northwood was my favorite. There is a difference in canoe selection options when you start loading them up with packs and people or game. Here in the lake region freeboard, wind, weight, speed and waves always comes into the equation, which makes our choices for canoes to favor larger kevlar models. You would be surprised at how far we have to carry stuff at times. Shorter canoes do not have the paddling speed that is required for cross Canadian lake region canoe trips.
There are lots of canoes that are named Prospector nowadays. If they follow the lines of the original Chestnut Prospector, they are deep boats, usually 15-16 inches (compared to 12-13 on most canoes) and have a lot of rocker. That makes them real cargo haulers and easy to maneuver in fast water.
They are good two-person tripping boats. They generally are not good solo boats. Unless heavily loaded, there's a lot of free board that catches the wind. Also, with just one person and little gear in them, they're a bit tippy. The Prospector is a very good boat. I've built several in wood and canvas, but there are much better designs out there for solo paddling/hunting.
Finding the perfect canoe is much like finding the perfect bow. There's a niche just about every place you look.
The thing is, if you want to be a canoeist than go for it. When I first started out everyone pointed me towards "stable" hunting/fishing platforms. Today, I'll take a tender responsive boat over a barge any day. Once you get comfortable with boats that have a high degree of secondary stability, there's no reason to trade performance for initial stability.
Heck, I've stood up and shot carp out of a Wenonah Voyager, one of the narrowest boats I know of.
I think the take home message on hunting/fishing canoe is don't be scared away from any boat as long as you also want to learn paddling skills.
Jason
Pavan,
I'd like to hear more about your impressions of the Souris 16' Prospector.
There's darn little information about this boat, and I've had minimal luck talking with the company for some reason.
Here's my e-mail trapshy@hotmail.com
Our go to hunting and local fishing canoe is the Mad River Explorer, it is like a fat mans Prospector. Ours is the top of line kevlar with the built in skid plates. It is a vee bottom, which inhibits its shallow running at times, but it is very well behaved in current and waves and it tracks straight with very little stearing effort. The Souris River Prospector has a round bottom, but it is not so rockered in the middle, this gives better glide and straight tracking that a standard prospector does not have. The ends come up quickly which allows it to turn in current very nicely. Souris River kevlars have harder epoxy than most other kevlars, it takes more to hurt them. Souris River canoes as a whole, can handle heavy loads very well. For big loads and big people the 17.5 version makes just about the best around canoe there is, but you do need to know the Bill Mason strokes. When I paddled the 16 footer, I laid it over. it has superb secondary stability. The 16' Quetico version while it makes a better fishing canoe and has more initial stability, does not like to be healed as far. I guess it all comes down to how often you will be going solo and where you are going go with it. I would recommend getting a midsized rubber back pack. Not for carring stuff, but to put water in to give you some foward ballast when paddleing solo. A rock in the front is not the answer, water is heavy, it will not damage or sink your boat, and if you do swamp the air space left will suspend your canoe, if the pack is tied in tight. For solo tripping I used to have a Wenonah Prsim, they are good up to 500 pounds, but are no fun running down stream in tricky currents. Going solo with the SR I think my cruise was about 2 mile per hour, tandem we were comfortable at 3 mph. We added a third person to duplicate a heavy load, and that 3 mph was pushing it a bit.
I think for most solo work and tandem stuff up to 550 pounds this canoe will be more user friendly and it is about as tough as the souris river.
http://www.nighthawkcanoes.com/cygnus-16-details.html
Pavan, you've obviously done a bit of paddling. That Cygnus is a nice boat. I agree with your observations and recommendation. BTW, where is Nighthawk located? Might they be displaying their wares at the Canoecopia canoe and kayak show in Madison this March?
My son lives in Milwaukee right now and he asked me the same thing. I think they are in Indiana. Rutabaga is one of the dealers, but I do not know how many of the Nighthawks he keeps on hand. He will deliver quite far out, I know that he has delvered a canoe to someone in Saint Paul.
I`m probably gonna get a 14 footer for big trips but I do love my Guide 119 for solo without much gear. I have a couple of yaks for fishing as well.Those wood canoes you guys are sporting are beautiful.RC
I have a 10 foot fiberglas canoe tat is bareble for getting in and out of the hunting spot not musch for anything else. Not a flt bottom so very tippy. Looking at a 14 foot yak or cnoe for my next one.
You all know when they had the very first canoe race. The day the second canoe was built. I am tempting myself to get another Minnesota II.
Enjoying this thread. I plan on adding a solo tripping canoe to the quiver within the next couple of years. Camping, a lucky youngster or unlucky deer.
Is it common for northern dealers to make models available to try or rent?
pavan,
Have you seen J. Dillard's canoes, at Savage River?
He has a couple amazingly tandems. I really like the Blackhawk.
J.O.
They had a booth at canoeacopia last year. My son like the solos. In the carbon layups they come with a serious price tag. For running rivers symetrical canoes are better behaved. they have a beefy 16'6" that would serve as a good dual purpose canoe. The longer asymetrical ones would handle very similar to the Wenonahs.
also check out Chesapeake Light Craft kits...they have canoes, kayaks, kayak hybrids and a couple are getting very good reviews for stability and shallow water drafting for hunters and fisherman. I am thinking of doing a Wood Duck 14 for its weight capacity....and you can put cleats on top of front deck and with bungee net or cords tie a deer or hog to the front....waterfowlers have enough room for decoys and dog as well.
Have also considered their Night Heron kayak, Mill Creek decked canoe (as well as wood duck decked canoe) and the Sassafras traditional canoe.... check them out
http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/kayak-kits/wood-duck-14-recreational-kayak-kit.html
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3K149j-g4zA/TlF4pgMl6RI/AAAAAAAACWg/93AdQyayRq8/s1600/DSCN0959.JPG)
QuoteOriginally posted by J. Oles:
pavan,
Have you seen J. Dillard's canoes, at Savage River?
He has a couple amazingly tandems. I really like the Blackhawk.
J.O.
If you like Savage River, you need to check out Grasse River Boatworks. I own a solo Classic XL. It is fantastic canoe with incredible workmanship. Not sure, I'd use it for hunting due to difficulty in loading, lack of capacity and stability.
Additionally, I'm not sure I'd want to expose a high end canoe like that to the abuse of hunting. Not that the layups aren't tough enough to handle it, but the scratches in those pretty boats would be a little hard to take. When I trip in my Classic XL or Kevlar Bell Composites Magic I always wet foot put ins and take outs to save abuse. I don't think that would be a reasonable expectation while hunting.
Anybody tried the Otter Stealth 2000 duck boat? It doesn't look like it would handle as well as a canoe in faster water, but looks incredibly stable for slow water or bowfishing.
I've considered the NuCanoe Frontier as well, although it's a little more money.
I have a 14 foot Old town canoe. The stillwater model. Very stable and weighs 63 pounds, I can manage it fairly easy on my own.
I've got a 16' square stern Sailfin sailing canoe with built in floatation. Almost 4' wide at its greatest width. I bought it to refinish and never got around to it. Its now on craigslist.
Scott,
why not use a regular canoe with outriggers for bowfishing? You can take them off for regular canoe...double wammy and only one boat!
Brock, that looks like the Little Auk from Nick Schades book! I almost built one of them for some creek flying fishing for grayling and possible bear or moose prowling. It wouldn't be the main mode of transport but it would get me off a ways where most don't/wont go.
This is my 80s era Old Town Tripper, 17'3" and #1,500 capacity. Not a solo canoe although I had used as such but it shined as a camping and tripping canoe. Hauled a ton of gear, dog, fishing gear and was indestructible made out of ABS material. We used it mainly on rocky river trips and also used it duck hunting, deer hunting. I personally would not own anything under 16' based on my experiences over the the last 30 years with this boat.
I gave it to my 3 grandsons last year and this year I gave them my 2 hp Suzuki motor so not more paddling for them. Two of them are in it here with the motor attached.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/reddogge/IMG_2173_zps612d68e9.jpg)
Some great advice above !
Although I wouldn't shoot from one unless it was for carp , I like a 16 ' canoe for any travel with wind current , load . Solo or tandem . Larger with extended travels , say more than 10 days or so .
Done a good amount of travel , canoe wilderness camping over the years . With design its always give and take with performance and stability . I have had a Dagger Legend 16'er for years . Although she is agreeably a dog on flat water , she is as stable as a rock , carries a big load with much freeboard , and really shines in rough seas ...Freshwater seas ;)
A 13-14' might get you down a stream or across a lake with gear , but start adding packs , long trip camping gear , meat (if successful) and ya are going to start having issues .
Simple to just get a canoe and paddle , but as with bow and arrow tuning its a little more complicated for more proficiency ;)
Best with your quest bro !
QuoteOriginally posted by Scott S.:
Anybody tried the Otter Stealth 2000 duck boat? It doesn't look like it would handle as well as a canoe in faster water, but looks incredibly stable for slow water or bowfishing.
I've considered the NuCanoe Frontier as well, although it's a little more money.
The otter boats are very stable, but not going to paddle around like a canoe. If you rally want to get around, I would look at the Nucanoe. It looks like it would move a lot better. If you want stability look at the otter, but the Nucanoe doesn't look too bad in that department. I see a sporting store just a few miles away from me is a Nucanoe dealer. I plan to check them out. The only thing I see that I don't like is that you look to set real close to the deck in the Frontier. It would not be the most comfortable to set in for me and hard to get up on my feet from setting. The classic looks to have more seat height with the tunnel down the middle, but a lot harder to move around and more restrictive on foot position or at least more tricky to move around.
I looked at the Nucanoe website and they are some good looking boats.RC
Pavan, I built that stripper for screwing around on the smaller creeks. Its so light you don't need shoulder pads but I did leave out the thwart which I kind of regret. I toyed with sticking it in a few times and opted out. I'm still toying with it.
A 15 or 16 footer is more than enough to do what the average person does. (hunt/fish/trap and just have fun on the water) its not a serious lets go on a 1000 mile river journey from duluth to Hudson bay (which is what sparked the stripper I built all the way back in 12th grade when I first read about it. Found a few magazines at the same time I grabbed that book and never did return the mags LOL! All but one mag has survived the last 30 years.
http://www.amazon.com/Distant-Fires-Duluth-Hudson-Bay/dp/0816655030/ref=pd_sim_b_4#reader_0816655030
The joy of building is if you do ding it, you know how to fix it.
They are not overly time consuming once you understand the how to of building. If you want to get fancy it does add a significant amount of time. Mine took forever, you'll noticed 0 staples. What should have taken weeks took months to strip, 2 strips a night. I cant imagine going stapleless on a big boat! If (when) I build the next one it will be a 16 double or 15.5 with staples. No feature strip, no fancy deck...ok maybe slightly fancy lol. Mines a wedge of sapele maple redheart maple sapele with a figured maple edge strip. Again more time!
its a great winter project, its something the hole family can get into including kids. it will do everything a high end carbon will do. It does weigh more than a carbon but it shouldn't weigh more than a 17' gruman. if it does you're using too much epoxy or you did it intentionally!
I have plans for an 18' freighter I need to get working on, plan is to add a mud buddy style motor to it. She's more like a boat than canoe. Too many projects, not enough time!
Someday I'll do the Duluth to Hudson Bay trip. The real question is how do I get out of work for 3 months without getting fired LOL!
I'm not into fancy canoing but the next stripper will be the boat I also use on the Yukon river quest, a 444 mile canoe race. I better get on it eh lol.
Another boat I'd like to build is a skin on kayak. I reckon that will be before the next stripper. Not much of a deer boat, but it could be if you're not hauling a stand or plan on using it to get your deer out. Google Greenland kayaks. If you build one, you'd best learn to roll! or at least bail because you'll be going over at some point lol.
My favorite wood/canvas comes in at 82 pounds. A stripper copy of the same canoe, came it at 72. My back is not good, that is why anything much over 50 pounds is heavy enough for me, considering that I have a 40 pound pack on as well. When we are on the long portages, I tend to split everything up. A 50 canoe gets heavy on a mile hike over a rocky hill. Would I walk a mile to get a buritto at my favorite taco stand? NEVER. Carry a canoe and 120 pounds of gear over miles of difficult portages in a day? NO problem. Paddle a canoe upstream two miles in the dark to hunt with the wind in my face in a way back ravine? I have done it many times. Canoes can make us do crazy things.
yeah pavan, but it sounds like you also had a lot of fun !
Talk canvas man I wish I could get my hands on one of Joe Seliga's master pieces. He passed on a few years back now. My little brother had the chance to check out his stuff before. Man a boat builders dream!
I cant justify a canvas build. Its not something you do one time in regards to the form.
The nice part about strippers, is you have a ton of control and can mod until you're silly. Take the forms off and depending on how big and strong back design you can stow it for a build years down the road if the forms last.
Have you bothered with the Dollys pavan? I considered one for the freighter and the double ender when they're built. If I only knew how to make sealer cure faster without destroying a finish, I could move onto the next project. Getting the boat building bug.