No reviews posted yet.
How is it?
What do you think of it?
looks like a fishing boat to me
with keel…maybe you ought to try the fishing boards
it certainly is wide
Now wait a minute…
Why are the only comments here completely negative? Sure, it is a Grumman but I have seen the Old Town Pack mentioned on this board MANY times, with most comments being favorable. The Pack is shorter and wider than this new Grumman. If so many visitors to this board have had and still own a Pack, then I’m sure that some of you also just might enjoy this boat for a bullet proof beater or, gasp, a fishing canoe.
Fishing
I’ll bet it’s much noiser – and colder – than a comparable Royalex or poly canoe. If i were going to fish in it I’d put in a piece of outdoor carpeting to minimize the inevitable bumps and bangs.
OK sports Fans I paddled one!
Both my mixed partner, Gearwoman, and i paddled the little Grumman for an hour each. We both liked it a LOT.
For reference, she owns and paddles both a Merrimack Baboosic and a Wenonah Jensen WWC1. I have a Wenonah Mocassin and have had a Wenonah Solitude and and Old Town Pack. She paddles the Pine Barrens of NJ and i paddle the Finger Lakes.
The 129 is stable, is narrower than the Pack, the Mohawk solo 13, and is wider than the Wenonah Sandpiper or Bell Flashfire; using boats of approximately same length. It handles well, turns and leans nicely; and tracks better than you would expect in an aluminum solo with traditional ends. I could pace a couple in a Mad River Royalex Explorer easily, but had to push to keep up with the same pair in a Kevlar Spirit II.
The hull seems lighter than its published 44 pound weight. Did not get it onto a scale, but will get the real world weight soon.
The bench seat was well located, i could sit and also get my feet under it to kneel, size 10.
Being the first true aluminum solo it feels different from any boat i have paddled. Since it is so stiff, no flex in anything, it seems bolted to your body even sitting down. Move your hips and it responds, no wiggle in a cane seat feeling, no wooden gunwale flex, no bottom oilcanning like most royalex solos, just a solid little boat.
GW leaned it more than i ever could, she felt it was not quite as good as her Baboosic for freesyle manuevers, but behaved very well when leaned over. She much preferred it over the Mohawk solo 14’s she paddles so frequently at her canoe club outings. She estimates it will catch her friends in royalex Bells by surprise in the tight little Pine Barrens streams. We will know that in Sept.
Do not pass this boat off lightly, go out and paddle it. I truly hope it becomes a very popular boat for Grumman/Marathon. It is a great design that should be looked at by every Boy Scout camp as a great hull to teach solo canoeing to the small bodied young scouts. And as a canoe that can be soloed on a trip by a smaller person.
Bill
Thanks!
– Last Updated: Jul-14-04 12:10 PM EST –
It's nice to hear that there's another solo option out there. I've never liked aluminum canoes for aesthetic reasons, but as you say, if it gets more folks out in solos it's a good thing.
Just checked -- suggested retail is $700.
“T” keel or shoe keel?
Which does it have?
Thanks
I believe it has a standard keel.On my 18 its about 3/4 of an inch.
A few years back I sugested to marathon to build a very similar canoe but with some rocker;they basicly said yeah right who would buy an aluminum WW canoe.Well, it appears there are other people out there who want a solo that you dont have to worry about if it gets to many U.V. rays and will last forever with little care.
Thanks for the review!
Now I gotta test one.
JOHN
T Keel
Lightweight Tee Keel. No reinforcing bulb on the bottom of the keel just a straight rib. the flat whitewater keel would suit me better, but the boys at Marathon went with something standard and will certainly drag before the hull skin which does ad to the life of the hull.
Bill