16' heavy fiberglass Still Water???

There is a " 16’ heavy fiberglass Still Water " advertised on Craigslist in our area. We are newbies and I want to make sure it would be good for us.



Our water is smooth, shallow and calm. I am old fat and tired.



We currently have a 17’ alumacraft which is very light weight and fast, but to me it seems a little shaky. I think the " 16’ heavy fiberglass Still Water " would be more stable but I am scared it would be too heavy or hard to paddle.



What do you think? Thanks

Granny DP

DPForumDog

Boat heaviness
has little to do with stability. Hull shape does.



Heaviness will lead to you not wanting to pick it up as often and could actually, if you are indeed out of shape, lead to injury.



I also suggest getting together with paddlers so that you can pick up some pointers so that you can paddle with more enjoyment. Its about the paddler more than the boat.



In the realm of canoes your Alumacraft is not a fast boat, but if it suits your outings fine. However 17 foot boats are usually quicker than 16 foot boats theoretically.

The operative word is “old”

– Last Updated: Sep-30-13 9:35 PM EST –

One well-known person here is fond of saying that no one except college athletes are getting stronger. The rest of us are gradually getting weaker, and older folks are getting weaker at a faster rate. That's enough reason to shy away from ANY boat that might be heavy.

By the way, your Alumicraft canoe hardly qualifies as "light", and many good-quality fiberglass boats will be lighter, and fiberglass/Kevlar or all-Kevlar boats will be lighter still, but they aren't nearly as cheap as
a "heavy" fiberglass boat.

If I had a friend in your situation, I'd suggest sticking with the Alumacraft for a while, until they got quite a bit more familiar with how that boat feels on the water, and what it's like to carry. That kind of experience will make anyone that much better at choosing an eventual replacement, or asking the right questions about choosing a replacement, or even deciding that the current boat will be good enough. Lots of people are happy forever with a boat like the Alumacraft. It's not for "pros", but among entry-level canoes you could do a whole lot worse.

I’m not getting weaker …
I’m not getting weaker, my canoe is getting heavier.



That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Alumacraft used to be chosen over
Grummans for marathon racing in the aluminum class, because Alumacraft had a better hullform. But they were still pretty stable, and were often chosen by outfitters as rentals.



There were lightweight Alumacrafts as well as Grummans, and they were light, but dented easier.