There is a 16’ 36" wide Black River fiberglass canoe (no model name) for sale in our local paper for less than $300. I can find no reviews on this boat here on P. net.
Can anyone tell me anything about it. It is worth the money? How do they handle? Could you use it to learn to pole?
Any type of info would be helpful
Thanks,
A would be canoeist
If you take a look at it, there are a
few things to check. First, “fiberglass” can mean hand laid glass, leaving a definite fabric pattern on the inside of the hull, or it can mean a chopper gun layup, where if you can tell anything, you will see fibers at all sorts of random orientations. Chopper gun layups tend to be heavier, and to be more easily broken.
Second, if you are going to be poling, you do NOT want a keel on the bottom of the hull.
Third, You should kind of size up the hull shape to see if it will be stable from side to side (usually no problem) and if there is a little rocker in the fore and aft dimension. A good poling boat for someone starting out in poling should be kind of firm or stable underfoot, and the rocker makes for easier turns when you are controlling the boat in boulder fields or shoals.
Hope this helps. Others should have suggestions.