I am a canoer that loves the water and here lies the dilemma. I would like a lightweight canoe now longer than 12’5 ft and very lightweight.Suitable that I can put my dogs or add a small person if need too as well.I travel on slow moving rivers and would like to go anywhere I want in nooks and crannies…I have looked at the hidden pond and alot of old towners…Any ideas? It has to have stability and lightweight is the main keys…
Thanks
Adirondack pack canoes
There are several models of Adirondack pack canoe with lengths under 13 feet. Makers I can think of offhand: Placid Boatworks, Hornbeck, Vermont Canoe, Bell, Hemlock. They are all fairly expensive. The Old Town Pack is much cheaper but not as nice a design.
Pack canoes are usually paddled as kayaks (low seat, double paddle) rather than as canoes (high seat, single paddle). Is that consistent with what you’re looking for?
I don’t know how much stability you need, and I don’t know how big you are. Many 12-foot boats will be mighty unstable if you add a frisky dog.
– Mark
Combi Pack Canoes
Lost pond, Hornbeck, has 12 and 14 foot pack canoes that are billed as combi-tandem.
If stability is a large issue, try Swift’s infused railed Mattawa at 32 lbs.
Used MRC KV Guide
They don’t make them anymore, but a used Kevlar Mad River Guide(14’9") would be well suited to your needs. Perhaps a p-netter knows of one out there.
How big are the dogs?
Guide is now the MR Freedom 14.
And Gabe, I can get my MR Guide into and out of any nook or cranny you can manage in a 12.5 foot boat. You’re talking a dog or an extra person, and you want a 12.5 foot boat? Add a dog to my weight and my Guide is just properly loaded. Add another adult and it’s a truck.
I think…
…Openboater was specifically talking about the Kevlar MR Guide (no longer available). The renamed Freedom Solo is only available in Royalex and does not fit the original poster’s light-weight or length requirements.
I’m not aware of any 12.5 canoe that can handle the multiple dogs and/or tandem use the poster is asking about. Beats me.
The Royalex MR FS that g2d suggested would certainly work for a guy and a dog, but it’s fairly hefty – in the mid 50s weight-wise. RK
What he said…
Were you talking about Hidden Pond
– Last Updated: Nov-06-07 2:32 PM EST –
the small Lincoln tandem..its surprisingly speedy for what looks like a shoebox. It has no trouble keeping up with kayaks on the Androscoggin Sea to Sea Trek.
At 14 feet its a very tiny tandem or large solo and can take dog(s).
I am not aware of anything in 12.5 foot max that will take more than one dog and sure not two people.
Why the cap on length? Storage issue?
If that’s the case…
…then the Vermont Canoe Sokoki (14" kevlar tandem) will work also. Only comes with wood trim and is gel coated. Bomber layup-50lbs…may be too heavy for your needs. It’s a Jim Henry original design and paddles like a dream for canoes in this category (14’ tandems). Of course I’m bias.
What is an ideal weight for you and how important is durability?
Bell bucktail
Bell Bucktail