We need a canoe for river camping. I’m an intermediate kayaker and am brand new to canoeing. Class I and II is all we’re aiming for right now, but we’d like the ability to go further later…maybe. We also want to be able to row the still water here in the VA Beach area without difficulty. I have boiled my decision down to three canoes and was wondering what everyone thought about them (and if anyone had any other brand/model options).
Old Town Appalachian (16’, 2" rocker)
Wenonah Rouge (16’, 3" rocker)
Wenonah Prospector16 (16’, 4" rocker)
Anyone have any thoughts, or other options???
no opinion on which is best but
I would be skeptical about that published Wenonah Prospector rocker number. I can’t see it.
But better yet, ericnyre here says he actually measured it (as best you can) alongside Novacraft Prospector and they are about the same. Both with around 2.5"
thanks
Thanks Clarion. That actually makes a lot of sense. The Wenonah catalog lists the Rogue as the most rockered, but then states that the Prospector has one more inch. Didn’t make sense, your comment does.
Anyone have any experience paddling a Rogue on still water? How bad is it?
I made this decision last year
I live in San Antonio so the water considerations were different. I was attracted to the big water and load carrying capacity of the Rogue & the Appalachian. I visited TG Canoes and looked at the boats and came to the conclusion that I should buy a boat for waters I would be travelling 90% of the time and not those visions I had in my head that might happen a few times in my lifetime. That being said, wordy I know I’m an English Teacher, I chose a 16’ RX Prospector in Burgandy with wood walnut stained gunwales and the cener third seat option. The boat is amazing! I have paddled it with three people or unloaded, solo paddling from the bow and it’s a ton of fun. I haven’t gotten into the debate about the advertised 4" of rocker and I haven’t measured it, what I can tell you is that the boat performs well, tracks very well considering what it is, and I’d bet it would be your best choice.
The fit and finish on my boat was excellent. I installed tugeyes and laced them with webbing and attached Spectra Painters to those.
Alright, I’ll shutup. Just very pleased with my investment.
God Bless.
App Vs Prospector Opinion
– Last Updated: Jan-10-06 10:29 AM EST –
I have spent a fair amount of time in both of these hulls.
The Appalachian is a much better river runner/stay dry in big water boat. The narrowest part of the stem is still 2"+ wide, which is great for rock bashing and running drops, but doesn't 'bite' the water very well in flat water conditions. It is a tough boat to track in windy conditions and is relatively slow in comparison to other 16' boats.
The Prospector is a better tourer and lake condition boat. The bow and stern have much sharper stems which aid in tracking but make it a slightly wetter ride in white water. The still relatively tall stems do catch more wind than a dedicated tourer but the its a good compromise for most conditions.
Both are relatively large volumes but the Appalachian has more room for a larger bow paddler.
Both make good poling platforms.....but I still maintain that for Mid Atlantic Stunt Poling the Appalachian is tough to beat.
I have not spent much time in a Rogue, but from my experience with the Appalachian I'll bet its a less than perfect boat for windy flat water conditions. It would be realtively slow and get blown around a fair bit.
rowing
One problem you’ll have with all the models listed is rowing. The widest beam you have on that list is 36". That’s going to be a little narrow to get any good, efficient rowing action going.
This is assuming you’ll attach the oar locks on the gunwales.
If you’re going to “paddle” and not row
– Last Updated: Jan-10-06 8:37 PM EST –
in the long run, and for some distance, you will find the canoe with less rocker will track better. Your paddling efficiency will be better with less rocker covering distance. The canoe with less rocker will also handle class 1 and 2 rivers. More rocker will spin you around real neat, but really make you work harder in still water paddling. Read the reviews and try em if you can. There are other options from both and other companies, and the choice is in the canoe more than the canoe maker.