Just wondering if anyone around here was into canoeing.  I am looking for info on what to look for in buying a first canoe mainly for flat water and what brands/materials would be best.  Also anyone know of a place to pick up used canoes??  thanks

The Coleman canoes are good and cheap, but they are very heavy in comparison to the higher end products. Good for casual flat water day trips. But I've seen 'em in all sorts of water.

Old Town, Mad River, Wenonah(there are many, many others) are all very good. All make various canoes for different uses and conditions.

Plastic is cheapest. Kevlar is high end. Royalex (a layered vinyl product) and fiberglass are usually mid to upper end priced. Traditional wood are beautiful but major maintenance is required. Aluminum is inexpensive, fairly heavy, magnifies the surrounding conditions (hot and cold = very hot and very cold), and very noisy. That being said, aluminum canoes are extremely durable and easy to repair. Not flexible, very fast on flat water.

Lengths are usually from around 11' to over 20'. I prefer a 14' for solo use and a 17' for tandem. Lots of room for gear and passengers. But I frequently solo in my 17', just takes a little more work. A foot or two makes a lot of difference in speed/maneuverability, especially when you're by yourself.

There are different hull designs for varying conditions. Rounded hulls are faster but more "tippy". Flat hulls are more stable but less maneuverable and slower.

I have used many different designs and materials and I prefer a good Royalex boat for all around use. Just my personal preference. YMMV.

There are bunches of books written on this subject. Do a search, tons of info out there.

Does the plastic ( I assume poly) have a problem with cracking?  How long would I want it--mainly for just one or two people.

A good all around length is 16'. The plastic (poly) are tough and repairable if things get really out of hand. But it takes a lot to kill a poly boat. I really recommend that if you're gonna' lay out the cash, that you do some research, look at used boats (want ads are good), and then really think about paying a little bit more. You do get what you pay for. If you keep your eyes open you can get a used Royalex or fiberglass canoe that you will be very happy with for about the same price (maybe a little bit more) as a poly.

All of the major manufacturers make poly canoes.

Hit the newsgroups. Look under paddle sports, and read the postings. You'll find links to other sites from the groups that will help you with your questions.

Aluminum is nice but makes a lot of noise but durable. Often can be found as rentals for sale. Poly makes a great boat, will last many years if kept covered when not in use. Kevlar and all the other high tech stuff is cool, but bring $$$.

Some "tippy" canoes are very stable after you get used to the feeling. Most flat bottom canoes have very little secondary stability, after you lean them over a bit, over you go. Try to rent or borrow a couple before you buy. Check the classifides.

So I should be looking for a used canoe, in the 15-16' neighborhood, with a semi-rounded hull, and made of Royalex or Kevlar preferably--correct?

Also why is the plastic suppose to be stored covered?

Thanks for all the info, I won't bother you fellas about paddles...

Do you ever plan on paddling alone? If you don't know already, paddling a canoe solo sucks. Wind really pushes you around, and unless your proficient with the J-stroke, you'll be switching sides constantly. I think kayaks are more versitile. Just something to consider.

Now that sounds like fun to me!

The Kayak is a one person only rig, isn't it.  Can gear be carried?

   I would bet you guys were pirates in another life!  AAArrgghh!!!

Touring kayaks are great. Can seat two, light, very fast, maneuverable and can handle some gear. The only real drawback IMHO is weight capacity. If you are hauling gear, kayaks are limited. Definitely worth checking out though.

And all boats should be covered when stored to protect from UV light. But there should be air space between the cover and the hull. Ya' can't just throw a tarp over it, too much heat can distort the hull.

I paddled for a week in the Boundry Waters.  In an ABS plastic OldTown Canoe.  Lake Canoe's are built wide.  

I take extended trips and usually don't travel light. I like my creature comforts. Things like ice chests, tents, beer, steaks, chairs, etc. Can get heavy and bulky. My 17' canoe can handle 1200 lbs. Most of the trips I have been on have been with a group. I always end up being a pack mule for all the kayakers. They never seem to have enough room. But man, those things can scoot!

I would highly recomend kayaks. You can get them in 1 or 2 person styles and the traditional ones will hold alot of gear or you can get a sea kayking style which will hold more gear or you can check into what the call yahoos which are sort of like flattop sort of kayaks which come in 1 or 2 persons and you can lash or bunjee lots of gear on them too. We are going kayaking on the Buffalo River in Arkansas on the 20th and hope to take some good pics.

You might email antiUSSA, he used to be a canoeing - whitewater guide in WV before he became a Sherpa [:D]

Went last week on the Cahaba in central Al. When you pull up at the base and it looks like a 2 ton dirt dobber has been patching the canoes you better know it is going to be rough. Alum. would'n last till the water got hot, you know what I mean. Going to Bear Creek  at Hackelburg???? this week end, rocks are a lot smoother there.

You might want to look at Sawyer canoes. We used to get them at the boy scout camp I worked at and they were very nice.

17 foot Coleman with paddles $150, in my local news paper this morning. South central Tennessee. Fayetteville that is.

There are about a thousand different types of canoes/kayaks, for about an equal number of different types of paddeling situations...

I have 3 canoes ([i]C1, OC1 & OC2[/i]) and 1 kayak that I still keep around and use for varying reasons and water types...  Flat water, trekking, whitewater ([i]I hate kayaks, so it collects spiders and waits for friends to use![/i])

For a large volume open canoe, I recommend a [b]Mad River Explorer[/b], in Royalex...  these are a bit on the heavier side ([i]especialy when you modify them for 3 thwarts, air bags, kevlar skid plates and kneeling braces, like I have[/i]).  

Personally, I would [u]never[/u] own a canoe that did not have ash gunwales ([i]the supporting braces from bow to stern[/i]), since wood flexes and gives when necessary...  The vinal coated aluminum will crunch, and distort the symetry of the hull, thus forever throwing your boat out of whack!

Depending upon where you are located in the country, there could be great demo-boat deals at a specialty shop nearby...  Try these guys, and ask for Bob Taylor ([url]http://www.paddleva.com[/url]).  Tell him that a "Burn Out" suggested you give him a shot...  He'll know exactly what it means, and take great care of you!  [}:D]  I've never paddeled with Bob, but he is a "Burn Out" member as well!


[*]  A "C1" is a decked canoe, that looks and performs much like a kayak, but is much more difficult to control since you only get 1 blade on your paddle.  The "OC" designation I've used above, stands for "Open Canoe" ([i]standard[/i]).[/*]

That's me, a couple of weeks ago, in my C1 ([i]long red canoe[/i]).  We were paddeling the Lower Yough in Ohiopyle, PA.

[img]http://www.castle-arms.com/B-III/river-trip.jpg[/img]

Covered to prevent Ultraviolet light damage