Canoes and Kayaks

[Captain Smollett]

I realize sailfar is a sailing centric board, but canoes (and kayaks) are 'small boats' and a lot of people take them far.  It dawned on me that

(a) we don't have a thread dedicated to these awesomely fun boats and their unique "cruising" opportunities, and

(b) even with that lapse, I know several here have or have had paddling boats.

I'll start.

Ours is an Old Town Penobscot 174.  It's way too big, even for the four of us.  We got it because we wanted PLENTY of room (we are at the 'obscenely large' end for canoes...I guess the opposite of my typical small boat mentality).  This thing has a payload capacity of 1500 lbs...big enough for four people and a good load-out of camping gear.

In hindsight, we could have gone at least one size smaller, something in the mid 16 foot range would still have been plenty large.  With the 17'4", the 80 some lbs is hard to handle for one person, but I can do it (loading and unloading alone with the side helper bar on the roof rack).  Also, the wind plays havoc with over 17 ft of hull to push around.

But...still...a TON of fun.  It's not TOO bad.  I'm not complaining.  We have had a blast every time we've gone paddling, whether two, three or all four of us.

[Wade]

I have two sit on top fishing Kayaks that I do not use nearly enough, In Spring and summer I hang them off either side of the sloop. And use them as dingy and for exploring and fishing anchorages.  Great fun.

[Tim]

It would be too embarrassing to list all the canoes and kayaks I have collected over the 40 years of paddling, so I will just mention the ones I have used on multi-day trips.

I have logged numerous hours in a Open Whitewater canoe (currently a Mohawk Viper) doing trips on the rivers of the Sierras as well as the Rogue and Salmon.

My partner and I were doing 10 day trips in Desolation Sound in our Sea Kayaks (Necky Looksha 2 and a Chesapeake Light Craft homebuilt) long before getting a sailboat and taking it up there.

I have also kayaked the California north coast on several occasions in sections from the border to San Fransisco in the sea kayak.

[Captain Smollett]

It would be too embarrassing to list all the canoes and kayaks I have collected over the 40 years of paddling, so I will just mention the ones I have used on multi-day trips.

I have logged numerous hours in a Open Whitewater canoe (currently a Mohawk Viper) doing trips on the rivers of the Sierras as well as the Rogue and Salmon.

My partner and I were doing 10 day trips in Desolation Sound in our Sea Kayaks (Necky Looksha 2 and a Chesapeake Light Craft homebuilt) long before getting a sailboat and taking it up there.

I have also kayaked the California north coast on several occasions in sections from the border to San Fransisco in the sea kayak.

I'm sure you must have some pictures to post...   ;D

[Tim]

It would be too embarrassing to list all the canoes and kayaks I have collected over the 40 years of paddling, so I will just mention the ones I have used on multi-day trips.

I have logged numerous hours in a Open Whitewater canoe (currently a Mohawk Viper) doing trips on the rivers of the Sierras as well as the Rogue and Salmon.

My partner and I were doing 10 day trips in Desolation Sound in our Sea Kayaks (Necky Looksha 2 and a Chesapeake Light Craft homebuilt) long before getting a sailboat and taking it up there.

I have also kayaked the California north coast on several occasions in sections from the border to San Fransisco in the sea kayak.

I'm sure you must have some pictures to post...   ;D

LOL I was afraid you would ask that, many are non-digital or on old computers, but I will try and hunt some up.

[Tim]

Some old photos;

south end of Sea of Cortez;



Desolation Sound;



Main Salmon River;

[Travelnik]

I love canoes and kayaks.

I made a nice 14' canoe out of 3mm Mahogany strips. I sheathed it all in a nice, clear fiberglass/polyester coating, and sold it before I moved out to Texas. The sale helped pay for the move.

I also had an 8' fiberglass kayak. It was a custom fit when I weighed 165 lbs., and when I ballooned up to 245 lbs., I sold it. Then I got the Nomad.

Now that my weight is down again, I'm thinking about getting another canoe or kayak to go paddling with my wife.

[w00dy]

Sigh. I have been "building" a kayak now for almost 5 years. I'm pretty close to being done with it, but that proximity in no way bears on when I will actually take it paddling.

Here's a not too recent picture:



and another one my girlfriend took of me, wishing I was on the water:



She currently hangs in storage, waiting patiently for me to pay attention to her again, while I spend every day slaving over the other one. I'm keeping her as my escape plan, should the rest of my life turn to poo. I'll finish her off and paddle away, into the wild... ::)

[Tim]

It's a beauty!

[Bob J (ex-misfits)]

Sigh. I have been "building" a kayak now for almost 5 years.

That is one fine piece of workmanship !

[Captain Smollett]

It's a beauty!

Indeed!

By the way, Tim, thanks for digging up and posting those pictures.  Awesome.  Lots of "bigger" water you've explored.

We've only had the canoe out on the Neuse one time that was a little "choppy."  It was not *bad,* but we were having to pay a little attention to rolling.

[Tim]

It's a beauty!

Indeed!

By the way, Tim, thanks for digging up and posting those pictures.  Awesome.  Lots of "bigger" water you've explored.

We've only had the canoe out on the Neuse one time that was a little "choppy."  It was not *bad,* but we were having to pay a little attention to rolling.

Open canoes do not do well in surf  ;D I know from experience  :o  I also have a couple of decked canoes which can really take just about anything thrown at them, but my knees and hips don't really like to squeeze into them anymore.  ;)

[Captain Smollett]

Open canoes do not do well in surf  ;D I know from experience  :o  I also have a couple of decked canoes which can really take just about anything thrown at them, but my knees and hips don't really like to squeeze into them anymore.  ;)

;)

Yep, different use profile for sure.  This boat has absolutely zero rocker; even with plenty of flotation added, it is still a flat water 'trekker' and nothing else.  But 1500 lbs carry cap...wow.

It just dawned on me that my trailer sailer is 1350 lb dry.  I could, in theory, carry that boat on the canoe!   ;D

Because I've only done white water on a raft a number of times, it amazes me to see what some of those guys do with open deckers on the rough stuff.  They are, of course, purpose built/designed.

I've got a friend that paddles in the NC Mountains, and he does a fair bit of Class III and IV on his open deck boat.  It's a bit of a banana, though, and a couple of years ago, he got one destroyed when the dude he had in the front didn't follow commands very well and they wrapped a rock.  They were not in danger, but it killed the boat.

We got ours to be a 'comfortable' flat water trekker.  I have no illusions she's anything but.   ;D

[w00dy]

Captain Smollett, you've just given me an idea!

Excuse me, I'm off to start a new thread...

[CharlieJ]

Ok, here's my two. 13 foot Birders from B and B Yacht designs

[Captain Smollett]

Another "beautiful."

[Captain Smollett]

Since Tim posted some pictures ...

Alligator River Wildlife Refuge lived up to it's name...the northernmost point on the gator's range.  This shot was taken on Milltail Creek a few minutes down stream from the canoe put-in.

[Seafarer]

I bought a 17' aluminum Grumman canoe for $250, and turned in a bunch of West Marine Gold Plan coupons for a set of wooden paddles. Being AL, it's light enough that I can carry it myself and load/unload it onto the roof of my car. It's stiff, paddles well, and can carry more gear than I have. I've thought about getting a second one and making a platform with a trampoline between them and maybe a motor mount for my little 2.5HP Merc.