Please Opinionate

[commodorified]

The Great Canoe Search seems to have been narrowed down to three candidates:

1) 16' Nova Craft Tripper.

2) 15' Abitibi fibreglass.

3) 16' Old Town, model not specified, looks to me like a Charles River or a Camper.

Anyone got any experience with any of these?

Comments

[chickenfeet]

It depends a lot on the intended use. If you do a lot of tripping involving portages you will rapidly come to see the drawbacks of Royalex. It's heavy. It is way cool for white water though. In my experience 15' isn't big enough for anything longer than an overnight trip. The best all round tripping canoe is probably a 16' glass or kevlar boat with lines as close to the old Prospector as you can find.

[commodorified]

I don't forsee overnights, or not many, but there ARE four of us, so the Abitibi was at a definite disadvantage there.

The Old Town may be our best choice, then, assuming of course that it's still for sale.

[chickenfeet]

If you don't do much portaging the Nova would be OK too. The lines look pretty decent.

[commodorified]

The Nova is pleasing to me, and I have a feeling it might last better, but it's rather more money, too. ETA: and no pic with the ad.

We're not likely to portage except when paddling around in town and needing to get past Hartwell Locks, really.

[lasergirl]

It's a difficult trip, getting 4 people in one canoe, no matter what the size. (Honestly, it was difficult daytripping with one adult and 2 mid-sized kids when my Dad, sister and I canoe-camped).

[commodorified]

There was a 22 foot cedar-strip, but it costs a bomb and you know what they're like to maintain.

[catsittingstill]

Actually, If it's in good shape to start with, one coat of marine spar varnish a year should do it. (I've built 3 cedarstrips.) If you don't have time for a full coat, at least take a little brush and flow varnish into all the scratches. That's pretty quick.

[badgerbag]

I do really like my Old Town kayak. I don't have experience with this canoe though!