I have an old (1998? 1999?) Wilderness Systems Pungo kayak. I has a big open cockpit and is ridiculously stable. My friend has the same one and brings his Border Collie search dog along with him.
I have an old (1998? 1999?) Wilderness Systems Pungo kayak. I has a big open cockpit and is ridiculously stable. My friend has the same one and brings his Border Collie search dog along with him.
mad_machine wrote: I just picked up all the Okoume plywood I need to build Chesapeake Light Craft's "Expedition Wherry"I can only work on my sailboat during the day as I do not want to bother the neighbors.. but this I can build in my basement at night or when it is raining.
cool. I kill time reading the blogs over at Duckworks Magazine and Duckworks Boat Building Supply and it makes me want to try that. They're a great source of knowledge and reasonable cost parts.
Rowing boats are still pretty popular in certain locales, but not widely popular. Check out the Duckworks sites and you'll find plenty
I really want to learn how to single-oar scull a small boat.
In reply to ultraclyde:
I used to row competitively in Highschool and College (missed going to Henley twice!) and I wanted to get back into it.. and get back into shape. The trouble with shells, it does not take a lot to swamp them or even capsize them if you hit a wave wrong or some idiot in a speedboat decides to cut it close to take a closer or look (or worse, they WANT to swamp you)
The Expedition Wherry can take my 180pound ass and another 200 some pounds of gear. It is like the combination of rec shell and kayak rolled into one
My family owns a lot of kayaks, and one canoe.
Old Town makes a solo canoe for Dick's called the Guide 119. It is a great, inexpensive platform to start with, and it is LIGHT. It does require a bit of GRM work to make it really good. Luckily, most of the work has been done, and if you search online there are plenty of build threads.
If you do get one, one of the first things you will probably want to do is to ditch the awful plastic seat and then change the seating position to be a bit lower. I dropped mine 1.5" using oak, longer stainless fasteners and PVC pipe. I can now strap a stadium seat to it and be in the same general seating position as factory. I also use a kayak paddle for propulsion.
Kind of like this, but with a bit of a drop:
One material I really like for canoes is Royalex. It's much lighter than its plastic counterparts but much more tough compared to fiberglass boats. I think my 16', 1980 Mohawk weighed ~65 #s new while a similar plastic boat would be another 25 pounds. Doesn't sound like much but it makes a big difference.
In reply to gearheadmb:
If you want to take the kids or dog in your boat, canoe is basically the only choice.
You've likely a park within an hour or two of you that has a lake you can rent an aluminum one by the hour at. Take a pleasant afternoon and see what you think.
I'll say I find it a lot like sail boating or a roll in barn loft. Wonderfully romantic in book, not nearly so pleasant in real life. Blazing sun, bugs, exhausting currents, etc.
Some years ago, I built one of these. CLC MillCreek. It's a hybrid canoe/kayak. They do have a bigger one now that would hold kids.
I do enjoy basically doing just what this person is doing. Just puttering around quieter waters on overcast days. But, it's been a while now.
That said, I've had a blast on some of the sit on top tupperware things. Some paddle reasonably well, and they all let you get wet to cool off. In fact some have built it seat holes so your butt gets wet instant. Since it's just a tupperware container, it never gets full of water when you turn it over.
Is there a go-to website for a complete novice to start learning the basics?
Basics on how canoes work, or how to paddle them?
For the former, go to an outfitter.
For the latter, pick up the Path of the Paddle book I linked earlier.
foxtrapper wrote: In reply to gearheadmb: If you want to take the kids or dog in your boat, canoe is basically the only choice. You've likely a park within an hour or two of you that has a lake you can rent an aluminum one by the hour at. Take a pleasant afternoon and see what you think. I'll say I find it a lot like sail boating or a roll in barn loft. Wonderfully romantic in book, not nearly so pleasant in real life. Blazing sun, bugs, exhausting currents, etc. Some years ago, I built one of these. CLC MillCreek. It's a hybrid canoe/kayak. They do have a bigger one now that would hold kids.
I tried the Millcreek. I liked it. It's more of a "double paddle canoe" than a kayak.. but very stable and a lot of fun
The quality and hull design of canoes can make a huge difference, too. I know some people that "hated" canoes because all they ever tried were the Grumman aluminum canoes you can rent, which are designed to handle a ton of abuse and not much else.
The design can get pretty specialized. Getting a canoe wit a lot of rocker and using it on flat water might be frustrating, but you want that hull design if you're navigating rivers with Class II water. Primary versus secondary stability is also a consideration.
for those that do not know.. "primary stability" is the stability that the basic form of the hull gives you. A wide flat hull has a lot of primary stability.
"secondary stability" is how it reacts to a lean or a "list" a boat with good secondary stability will lean to a certain point and stop.. or if it goes over, be easier to flip back upright. A hull with a lot of primary stability is -very- stable upright or upside down
gearheadmb wrote: Is there a go-to website for a complete novice to start learning the basics?
You'd do far better in the water with a person.
These are supposedly nearish to your town.
http://barefootcanoe.com/
http://riversedgeoutfitters.com/
I row a Maas 24 on the Potomac in DC. I started with a $200 Craigslist Alden 16 I glassed back together, moved up to a 21-1/2' Maas Aero training boat for a couple seasons and swapped that plus $ for the 24. It's considered an open water racing boat or flat water advanced training boat. 24' long, 20" wide on deck, 14" wide at the waterline. Contrast this with the racing shells most people row which are 27' long and a foot wide on deck.
Sculling is a thing you can do your entire life and never get it right. It's fantastic exercise and equally relaxing and challenging.
(BTW, stock photo. This dude appears to be wearing winter clothes, and I only go when the water is above 15C. Also, no facial hair)
motomoron wrote: I row a Maas 24 on the Potomac in DC. I started with a $200 Craigslist Alden 16 I glassed back together, moved up to a 21-1/2' Maas Aero training boat for a couple seasons and swapped that plus $ for the 24. It's considered an open water racing boat or flat water advanced training boat. 24' long, 20" wide on deck, 14" wide at the waterline. Contrast this with the racing shells most people row which are 27' long and a foot wide on deck. Sculling is a thing you can do your entire life and never get it right. It's fantastic exercise and equally relaxing and challenging.
I stayed at the Gaylord hotel in Alexandria a month or so ago and was really entertained watching the rowing club next door launching from the dock in front of the hotel and running the river. It looks like such a cool activity.
iceracer wrote: An Adirondack Guide Boat is the answer.
Oh wait, they are a row boat.
motomoron wrote: (BTW, stock photo. This dude appears to be wearing winter clothes, and I only go when the water is above 15C. Also, no facial hair)
when I rowed in HighSchool, the boathouse the school used for the boys did not have a dock. We had to wade out into the water to launch.. and unless there was ice on the water, we rowed three times a week.
iceracer wrote:iceracer wrote: An Adirondack Guide Boat is the answer.Oh wait, they are a row boat.
They are still pretty neat. They're just not throw it on the car and go kind of neat, but then again, neither is a Hobie Pro Angler kayak.
Enyar wrote: One material I really like for canoes is Royalex. It's much lighter than its plastic counterparts but much more tough compared to fiberglass boats. I think my 16', 1980 Mohawk weighed ~65 #s new while a similar plastic boat would be another 25 pounds. Doesn't sound like much but it makes a big difference.
Came here to say this. If you're going to buy a Canoe for long term use, I would go with a lightly used Royalex. I personally like the Mad River and Old Town ones of 17 feet for family use.
Unfortunately the supplier of Royalex went under about 5 years ago, so most new canoes are either Plastic, Aluminum, or Kevlar. Royalex is a blend of the best qualities of all three - Durable, light, and able to form a complex shape.
well.. tomorrow I start to scarf the plywood together to make long pieces.. then I can start making my pile of wood boat shaped
I used some of the funds from the sale of my WRX to buy a Hobie Pro Angler 12. Anybody want a lightly used Jackson 'Cuda 14?
We have several. Two individual Emotion 8.5 ft for calm lakes (Sale at Cabelas and we had a gift card). A perception dancer 10ft (craigslist)for rivers amd a 12 ft inflatable tandem with a foot cable rear rudder for more open water. I just cant do canoes. I like lightweight, narrow, and convenient. The more convenient it is, they more you will go out. My wife used to row crew for Clemson and I just go out to paddle and drink beer. No matter why you are going out there, it'll be fun.Here are a few shots from Portage Glacier on the Emotions and the tandem is in Valdez this summer.
I have a 18' no name plastic canoe, a 16' no name fiberglass canoe, and a plastic fishing kayak. If the entire family is going, we take them all.
For multiple people, dogs, kids and camping gear, the 18 works great. It is not a fast boat, but it gets what you need, where you need it. It also handles big water and waves well. I bought it to make the 100 mile Waccamaw River Blue Trail. Finding a week to take the trip has been impossible.
The 16 works well for a couple of people and a little gear. It has very little free-board, so if you load it down and catch big waves, things are getting wet. It does paddle surprisingly well as a solo boat as long as the wind isn't too bad.
The kayak is a Field and Stream sit in. It's OK, but it is a little floppy for my taste. And sitting on a seat, on the bottom of the boat, makes my legs fall asleep after a hour or two. I built a cushion that helps a lot, but kayaks aren't my favorite.
Overall, I prefer a canoe. The upright seating position and not being on the bottom of the boat is much more comfortable to me on the long haul. A kayak is fine for a hour or less solo, but any longer and I'll be taking the canoe.
Try a little of everything. If I had rented a kayak for a day or so, I probably wouldn't have bought one.
In rebuttal of Toyman's post, the high end kayaks are so incredibly comfortable, it's not hard to put in 12 hours on the water and have no leg cramps or back pain. The seating has come so far in such a short time it's ridiculous.
That said, the solo canoe is the king of convenience, especially if any significant portage is going to happen. Hauling around 35 pounds in a 12 foot package with a nice carry yoke beats the snot out of trying to get 80 pounds and 14 feet anywhere.
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