-- Last Updated: Aug-10-16 8:01 AM EST --
Both are in royalex. The Penobscot is a 16. What's the better all around boat and why?
Thanks. Tim
tough choice
If you don’t need the extra capacity of the spirit II get the Penobscot. Both are fine boats and will give good service.
both great boats
– Last Updated: Aug-10-16 11:57 PM EST –
I have owned both a Spirit II (tuf-weave) and a Penobscot 16. They are both great all purpose models.
I suppose it depends on what you are looking to do with it. They both carry decent loads, but the Spirit II should carry a bit more. If you're planning to solo it I found the Penobscot to be great for that and the Spirit II not so much.
Off the water the Spirit II is about a foot longer than the Penobscot 16, and from personal experience I know for storage sometimes that extra foot is an issue. In Royalex the Spirit II is about 10 pounds heavier than the Penobscot 16. I find I can move a canoe around by myself comfortably up to 60 pounds, and anything over that becomes work.
For me, those are the reasons I kept the Penobscot longer than the Spirit. I preferred the lighter weight, shorter length for storage, and ability to solo it. If I did a lot of long camping excursions with a big partner and never wanted to solo it, I'd have gone the other way.
Spirit or Penobscot
I don!t now the Spirit but I own the Penobscot and used it on small creeks and on lakes. It’s a great canoe,fast on the water, tracks well but is also good on twisty creeks. Stability is much better than expected with the round bottom. Only drawback: Capacity is limited. 500 lbs is ok, but for heavier loads tere are better boats.
(Writing from Germany, hope I’m understandable)