I am looking at several used canoes. In another topic I got great advice on two Bell canoes. I would like to find a light weight tandem that also paddles well solo. It well be used in coastal marsh, lakes, backwater swamps, piedmont rivers, spring runs and the glades. It will be used for day trips, overnight, and weeklong camping trips.
Here are 3 boats I am also considering MR Kevlar Explore, MR Malecite ultralight, Wenona Aurora ultralight. How do they compare with my objectives for paddling.
No on the Malecite
its not deep enough for carrying water in the Glades and you will get soaked on the Gulf. Only 19 inches high at the bow.
The Aurora is a tub… its a fatty. Good if you want to stand and fish solo…if that is a priority for you.
Of the three I would have to pick the Explorer. You have to choose the boat can do the most hauling when you start factoring in carrying water and the chop of the Everglades.
The Everglades is mostly big wide open water that can get mean waves quick. Not the vision most have.
Thanks!
I do appreciate your sharing your knowledge. I thought th wenonah would be slow, and wondered about the Malecite in the rough.
The Explorer is heavier at 53 pounds, but I can still handle my 50 pound sea kayaks. How many more years is the question. The boat has a bent gunnel near the stern an a gel coat crack just under that. I am handy so think I could fix that. The Bell Yellowstone in royalex is 63 pounds and asking $800 with float bags and paddles… The Explorer is $200 less for just the boat. Both are only hours away. I have contacted the own and he is sending some pics. Which would you pick?
oh now it gets complicated
but I doubt the included paddles would be worth 100 each. And the UL Kevlar has floatation in it…at least enough so the boat wont sink where you say you will use it.
The other opinators must be out…wait a bit.
Probably the Explorer
The Kevlar Mad River Explorer is the first canoe I bought new, and I still have it. It is MRC’s jack of all trades tandem canoe, and they sold a ton of them.
It is not particularly fast, not particularly maneuverable, and not particularly suited to solo paddling but it is tolerable on all three counts. It is quite sea worthy and will carry a considerable load and it loads and unloads easily since it has only a single center thwart/yoke in addition to the seats.
You could use the Malecite for tripping solo in relatively calm waters but it is a pocket tandem best suited to day tripping and really doesn’t have the capacity to do tandem tripping in.
I have never paddled the Aurora, although I have paddled the Spirit II which is a foot longer and is Wenonah’s jack of all trades tandem boat, similar in a number of ways to the MRC Explorer. I can’t see how the Aurora would be better than the Explorer in any way other than lighter weight.