Nova Craft Prospector 17' for family

For what its worth -

– Last Updated: Nov-17-13 6:52 AM EST –

I paddled a Nova Craft 17 foot prospector (royalex) for a couple of weeks on a trip up north. It was a rental. I like that boat a lot for river tripping and I think it is a wonderful and versatile boat. The hull is similar to my idea of a prospector but the bottom is a bit flatter which actually improves it as an all around family type boat. I have to say though I would be surprised if the 17 foot version comes in at 60 Lbs. Felt heavier than that to me - maybe 75Lbs? Another boat that might be a good boat for the op is the Old Town Tripper - the tripper is a little bit bigger feeling for some reason, maybe the NC Prospector ia tad narrower? But they are very similar boats.

Oh by the way!
You may not have a LOT of time to make up your mind. Last I heard, the company that makes Royalex is going to cease production very soon. Others here will know more details, but I seem to remember that beyond about March 2014 it may not be possible to get a new Royalex boat at all. Also, bear in mind that there may be a six- to eight-week wait for your boat if you can’t buy it “off the shelf” at your store of choice.

April 2014
Poly One has announced that they will cease Royalex production as of April 2014.

16’ NC Prospector . . .
. . . is a deep canoe, 15", and hence voluminous for its length.



It should easily suffice to carry one adult and two kids and a dog.



It would be easier to solo and to carry than than the 17’ Prospector, and may even be cheaper.



As a lake boat, I’d get the Blue Steel version instead of Royalex if you can afford it. You’ll appreciate the lighter weight when you are 10 and 60 years old.

It’s a popular choice in the UK,
because of its versatility. For solo paddling, they “heel” the boat to one side, fairly easy to do with the prospector design, so that they don’t have to reach way over to get the paddle shaft vertical.

Plus -
the prospector hull has that whole Bill Mason thing going on. :slight_smile:

All the Masons seem to be paddlers,
artists, and writers. Though Bill’s been kinda quiet.

He still speaks wisely

– Last Updated: Nov-17-13 7:26 PM EST –

and softly from the grave. He knew what its all about.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Mason

Hard to imagine that no one will pick up the manufacture of royalex.

Prospector 16
We have a Nova Craft Prospector 16 in Royalex Light. Good all around family canoe. It’s fairly easy to load on top of the van (can be done by one person if they know how). I’d buy the same canoe again. Our paddling is mostly smallish lakes and windy rivers, and it maneuvers fine. I can easily paddle it solo from the center.

Nova Craft Pal Kevlar/Ash

– Last Updated: Dec-19-13 9:17 AM EST –

The Prospector never happened...The Osagian Classic never happened...now I have this as an option.

So I was at MEC last night on an unrelated trip and noticed a Brand Spanking New (appeared to be) Nova Craft Pal (Green) in Kevlar (Aramid I guess) with Ash Trip for $1500 down from $3000 CDN. The nice thing with MEC is it will come with full Nova Craft Warrant as well as MEC Rock Solid Guarantee (basically lifetime if any issues arrise out that are not normal wear & tear)

As I was paying for a pair of gloves, I asked the clerk to put it on HOLD for 48rs (their max) so I could research it.

I have a feeling, I won't see another deal like this from MEC (rock solid return policy, even years after) and am debating breaking the news to my wife..."I want to buy another canoe).

I would then sell the Osagian Lil Missourian Square back (my plan for a while) and upgrade to what would be a very nice canoe (at least my thinking). I just wonder if it is big enough at 16' to accomodate the odd trip (2-3 times a year) when all four of us (and dog) want to get out on the water and hit the lake. We use a sling seat and drop in now and even though we are crammed, we make it work and have no complaints from anyone in the boat.

For the most part, it's me and one of the kids, while my wife stays on shore and relaxes. So we could probably cram us all in for the odd time we want to all get in. Or heck, one of us could use one of the 2 sit on top Kayaks we have and paddle beside.

It was listed as KEVLAR, 54lbs, which to me looks like the ARAMID version with ASH trim.

Boy, it sure was pretty...that's for sure.

I don't want a very high maintance canoe, it will be stored outside (protected by raised sunroom on our bi-level house). I don't mind treating the wood every now and then, but hoping it's not something I have to worry about or may be damaged by our -30 winters up here in Winnipeg.

Thoughts?

Well, It’s a Good Hull
I’ve only paddled a royalex Pal, and only for one day, but I liked it and feel like it would meet your needs. I have a friend with a composite Novacraft and it’s held up very well. It won’t hold the volume a Prospector will, but many folks buy too much boat for their average paddling venues. You and a couple kids or you and an adult and a kid should be fine. I have a good friend who owns a Pal and I’ll send him this thread.



Only question I have is the storage. Wood gunnels do better out of rain, snow, and wet weather. If it is covered from the weather, and treated a few times a year it should do o.k.

I would say buy it.
But then, I can always come up with a reason to buy another canoe.



The price is very good, especially north of the border and if kept in good condition, I don’t think you would have any difficulty whatsoever selling it if it doesn’t meet your needs. Conceivably, you might even be able to make a profit on it.



Yes, the “Kevlar” denotes one of the aramid layups, and the weight indicates the heavier aramid layup. Kevlar is a DuPont trade name for a family of different types of a material generically known as aramids. Kevlar has largely become synonymous with aramid the way that Band Aid has with adhesive bandage, or Scotch Tape with transparent mending tape.



The boat will definitely have less capacity than either a 16 or 17 foot Prospector, and probably less than your present square stern canoe. As to whether it will accommodate two adults, two children and a dog I would say “maybe”. If you are planning only flat water trips on protected water in good weather you might be OK.



But the Pal is 2 inches less deep than the corresponding sized Prospector so it won’t have as much free board to keep water out if waves come up. But I wouldn’t sweat that too much because there is no one boat that is going to meet all of your stated uses, from paddling solo to paddling with 2 adults, 2 kids and a dog. The Pal would be more suitable to paddle solo than a 17 foot Prospector, and you will find that you like the lighter weight more and more as time goes on.



As for the wood trim, if you have to store the boat outdoors, protect the trim as much as you can from moisture. The rails on the boat probably come oiled. You might consider refinishing them with varnish or polyurethane which is more difficult to apply than oil but more durable.

Buy It!
That price qualifies as a steal for a quality new Kevlar Tandem. Even if its not “ideal” for your big family outings, it is a great boat to get out on the water. You will be able to get your money out of this canoe 5-10 years down the road if its kept in good condition. With the coming demise of Royalex, composite canoes will only go up in price. The NovaCraft woodwork is really solid and also their hull layups. Not as light or sleek as Wenonah, but built for their home customer base.

Bill

Buy the Pal!
It’s small for your whole family. Maybe okay for lily-dipping on a small lake. But, as someone else mentioned, you can’t beat the price and may even be able to resell it for the same or more. A suitable canoe for two adults, two kids, and a dog is going to be a real handful for one person on and off the water. OTOH, a pair of canoes such as this Pal would make a great tripping set for the family.



If I was within a short driving distance of that deal - you would already be too late.

Storage
it would be covered when not in use and with a canoe like this, I would invest in a canoe storage tarp (or something) for long term storage (winters etc).



thanks for the info

size & investement
thanks. I was thinkig much of what you stated.



at this price, even if it doesn’t work out after a season or two, I could likely recoup most of the initial investement.



It will not be our first boat, and my wife is used to me selling, trade, swapping. we are already on our 2nd canoe, this would be our third. we also have 2 kids sit on tops and 2 Juunto’s Sit On tops for us.


BUY it

– Last Updated: Dec-19-13 1:31 PM EST –

Thanks for the info. and I'm not too concerned with squeazing us all in there, but when the couple times we want to try, we'll make it work one way or antoher (or my wife or I will be beside in a kayak). For the most part, it's 1 adult and a kid or 2, which appears this boat will handle (they will be 7 & 9 in summer), so they take the seats and I'll be in the middle.

I knew the guys and gals at Paddling.net would help reaffirm my stance on it and it gives me some ammo when I break it to my wife, that I'm driving to get it on my day off tomorrow (hopefully).

As for scooping it on me, it's why I decided to put an official hold on it as I knew the next avid adventurer who saw it on the roof, would snap it up.

Often these deals sound "too good to be true" and are, but it appears I may have stumbled on to a legit, end of season, no longer carrying this brand or similar type of score. I haven't asked if it's a demo or used yet, as we were in a rush but by the looks of it, it had not seen water or perhaps just an MEC demo day outting.

If I end up purchasing (fingers crossed), I'll be sure to report back and give the full details and maybe a pic on top of the van, driving home in -40 weather.

Who knows, MEC might even agree to store it for a couple months for me, as they will know the boat is paid for and will be out. One huge selling feature and one my wife will like, is the weight of this canoe will be almost 30lbs lighter then our Osagian at 80lbs. She is not a fan of roofing it and taking it off etc. Most times we just park it where we camp and leave it there, but a canoe at 55lbs, will be one I can do myself when need be and be able to venture out at surrounding lakes where we camp, which is a huge plus for me and the kids.


Again, thanks to you and everone else for the quick responses.

FYI
Asking this group if it is a good idea to buy a canoe is somewhat akin to asking a bartender if it is a good idea to have a drink.

Pal is very popular . . .
. . . both as a tandem canoe and as a solo canoe for wilderness trippers, who paddle it “backwards” from the bow seat. You can do this in a Pal as it is a symmetrical waterline canoe.



The Chestnut Pal was the canoe featured in most of Bill Mason’s videos.



The seller may very well agree to store the canoe over the winter if a sufficient portion of the purchase price is paid. It’s worth a try.

You’re too kind with the metaphor
I’d analogize many of us, not to a bartender, but to end-stage drunks.



. . . hic