Hello all. I live in Lake Worth Florida (southeast) and have just become interested in canoeing. I am an outdoors person who hikes (AT section hiker), fly fishes in North Georgia and North Carolina. I will be purchasing a canoe in November of this year so I'm starting my search early. I have already learned much from this forum. Here's what I've learned so far.
I would have to say my experience has been the occasional canoe ride tandem growing up but have not paddled for many years.
I will travel mostly solo but occasionaly bring a friend.
I will paddle mostly rivers. Would like to be able to do maybe class one's at most.
I will occasionaly fish from the canoe.
I would like to eventually do overnights or more with an occasional portage.
I will be willing to spend 1500.00 or less and may have to purchase one without paddling it as there isn't much around here except some OT guides at a Dicks and a Gander Mountain. This is mostly a kayak playground.
I have a ford ranger pick up with a 6' bed and a volvo c30.
I'm 52 weigh about 190 and am 6'
That's my story and I'm stickin to it. I would appreciate any advice on something I can paddle solo but occasionaly go tandem.
Thanks
Steve
stick to solos
Stick to solos in your search - when you want to take someone else with you, rent a tandem just for that trip (or borrow one from the various paddling friends you will acquire paddling solo on group trips).
The problem is that you have to give up so much to paddle a tandem boat by yourself, that it doesn’t make sense for the 5-10% of your time when you want to bring a friend (or even 50%, in my opinion).
It would be analogous to buying a two-person bicycle that you usually ride by yourself.
For a wild card, look at the Millbrook
Souhegan. Designed for poling, narrow enough for solo paddling, and quite stable for fishing. If you mostly paddle open waters, look at the very similar Coho. It is a little wider and has less rocker. Just tell Kaz the builder that you will paddle solo and what kind of paddling you will be doing. Millbrook boats are very light and very tough because, as a ww racer, Kaz knows what is needed to stand up to abuse.
http://www.millbrookboats.com/
Note that Kaz has the Souhegan and the Coho pictured and described in the tandem canoe category. But they are short enough and (especially the Souhegan) narrow enough for solo paddling. They are just "enough" for occasional tandem use. And, Florida is a great state in which to learn poling.
Hi Steve,
You are right, it is difficult to find a canoe in central Florida.
Check out Mosquito Creek in Apopka:
http://www.mosquitocreek.com/
They are now carrying Vermont Canoes, and I bet you would love the Indy, a beautiful solo that weighs 30-35 pounds.
I’m nuts about the Tupper I adopted last month.
Take a look at a Penobscot 16
At your height it should be ok for solo and I know it is good for tandem.
I believe there are a few here in the classifieds right now.
Cheers,
JackL