Advice is what this board is mostly about, so I would like to offer some about age to canoe weight.
I am over 50, and found that my 74 pound canoe was getting really cumbersome to carry, lift, and set down gently. I switched to a 48 pound canoe, and found that the difference was like day and night, in that the lighter canoe only required about 1/3 of the effort for carrying and handling. So, if you are over 50, try a canoe under 50. Happy paddling, mickjetblue
I’ve got a different formula
– Last Updated: Nov-01-05 7:23 PM EST –
checked out a 78 pound canoe when I was 41, my son was 6. total age 47.We got 53 pound canoe. Now I am 46, my son 11, total age 57. We could handle that 78 pound canoe now.
I hear ya man!
That is another “Why is that?”
Why is it, that ten years ago I used to be able to throw my 80 pound OT disco up and over my shoulders and now I have to walk it up on its nose and then lower it down on my shoulders?
Could it have gained more pounds over the years???
Cheers,
JackL
I don’t know…
…if my canoes have gained weight or not, but I know I have 
Weights of the last 3 solo canoes I bought, in order: 55 lbs, 44 lbs, 33 lbs. Prices of last 3 solo canoes I bought (new), in order: $550, $899, $1999. So, I guess the AARP Law of Paddling is that the older we get, the less weight we can handle, but the more money we can spend on our toys to keep them useful.
50 / 50
I like the 50 / 50 formula. This is exactly why I am saving up for a kevlar, 'cause I am past 50 in both age and canoe weight! It won’t be too long and each of our numbers will be the same.
Thanks for adding some obviously scientific legitimacy to my need. There are some others who do not totally understand these things.
cYa Jim
For one of the same reasons i just
jumped “ship” entirely and went from canoe to kayak.
Went from a 90# OT Tripper to a 48#
Bluewater Chippewa. However, our whitewater would hammer the Bluewater, so we have a MR Synergy which probably weighs in the upper 60s outfitted. I can throw it up easily, but there is no place for a portage rack, and balancing it on my head is starting to strain my neck.
How did “jumping ship” from canoe to
kayak lighten your boat? You must have bought a lighter, more expensive layup in the kayak than the canoe.
Same here
Had the same problem. Got a new boat this spring and have averaged being out probably once a week. Mainly because I could handle getting it off and on the racks by myself if need be. Before that,if I coldn’t find anybody to go, it was tough to get the boat on the car.
I get closer to a trailer every day.
hmm
– Last Updated: Nov-02-05 8:01 AM EST –
So my 80 year old DAD should be paddling a 20Lb surf ski... Cool. He would probably like that except he couldn’t fish off it..
50# Limit
I also put a 50# limit on boats at about age 50.
I would say the last few years have been harder on my body than the 20 before that!
If it is over 55#, I am just not going to buy it. I sold off a 65# Seda Revenge just because of weight. It was a decent boat once on the water.
I remember when I could clean jerk a 90# Aluminum Gruman and carry it over my head for half a mile, but those days are long gone…
But part of that is Kathy’s Silverado with the 20" wheels, and TracRac. That extra foot makes a lot of difference, too…
Not even going to attempt racking boats on the conversion van. Going to buy a Feathercraft Java…
more gravity
Didn’t you know that as you get older that earths gravity gets stronger!
was paddling solo white water
royalex with airbags, seat weighing somewhere in the area of 65lbs i would guess to whitewater yak at 35-40lbs.
50-50: SAME BOATS
Smaller hauler.
Went from using our tall Jeep Grand Cherokee as our primary mule to our Mazda6S SportWagon, significantly lower. We’ll still sometimes -and have, with Brazilbrasil & family -use both to tote 4 (up to our entire fleet of 6) boats) out for fun with friends & family, but our number one ride is the Mazda.
Now, why IS that…???
Well, we realized as we hunted for the replacement for our old Nissan 240, that every year:
- The Jeep got an inch taller (why is that, Jack?);
- The kayaks got an inch heavier (jeez, Jack, why IS that?); and
- We got an inch older (DADGUMMIT JACK! Why is THAT???)
So maybe the 50-50 guidance ALSO applies to age and vehicle heights, and not solely to our age and the weights of the boats we use to
PADDLE ON!
-Frank in Miami
Solutions to “Why is that”…
1a.- Take a inch worth of air out of the tires or
1b. -Wear platform water shoes
2a - Cut a inch off one end of the kayak or
2b - Stop paddling so much, and let the yak sit in the sun so the extra inch of water in it can dry out.
3a - See a Rabbi and get an inch cut off or
3b - Count birthdays like I give warnings to the grandkids. - “I am going to give you kids until I count to three- One, two, two and a half, two and three quarters, two and seven eights”.
Cheers,
JackL
I went from a royalex Vagabond…
…canoe to a kevlar (got a deal), specifically to save weight. Made all the difference, and I’ll canoe oftener for more years, I think. Age is a number, old is an attitude. But things do get heavier. Real problem is grandkids-they actually get heavier as you get older. A few more years and they can carry me!
That’s why
we get shorter as we get older.
Doc
Amen to that!
I paddled the Lumber River last weekend in my OT Discovery 158…my canoe mate was a freind’s dad…he is 71! We made a great team! Sure hope I hold up as well as he has. Those senior paddlers bring some good “sip’n whiskey” for sitting around the campfire.
What part of the Lumber …
…did you do?
Did you camp on any of those inviting snow white sandy beaches.
I have been to many rivers all over the country, but that river has more inviting places to camp than any I have ever paddled on.
On the OT Disco 158: that boat might be a heavy sucker, but it has won “the bride” and I three WW races this summer. -We are going to retire it next season though since we recently got a Penobscot 16.
Cheers,
JackL
Cheers,
JackL