80s With Canoes

[Bryanseye]

18' We-non-ah Kevlar Spirit II on a Tradesman roof rack. Very easy to load and unload by myself as the canoe is actually very light and it travels well up on the roof

View attachment 1657981

I remember helping a few French Canadians portage a similar boat in the Quetico Park area of Ontario. We were several days into a trip with heavy Grummans and this group was struggling with their packs when we found them on a beach. There was a language barrier but we offered assistance in the only way a bunch of guys from Texas could, we talked louder and slower. Anyway, I had usually been doing canoe duty with the aluminum boats so thought it only fitting that I carry one of these lightweight kevlar things Holy crap, I almost launched that thing into the tree trying to put it on my shoulders.

 

[Corbet]

I will see your canoe and raise you one sailboat and two paddle boards. There is an Old Town Appalachian buried under all that. I use Yakima canoe mounts on my home built rack.

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

No canoes unless you use the the old time British convention of referring to sea kayaks as sea canoes. Technically, they are SOF baidarkas, a Tupperware Greenland style kayak and a surf kayak.

 

[Red Merle]

No canoes unless you use the the old time British convention of referring to sea kayaks as sea canoes. Technically, they are SOF baidarkas, a Tupperware Greenland style kayak and a surf kayak.

View attachment 1658264

View attachment 1658265

View attachment 1658266

Awesome! Have you ever checked out George Dyson's book called Baidarka? It's a great book that covers the history of the kayak and also features stories and awesome pics about the baidarkas that he built. The Mount Fairweather is one of the most incredible boats I have ever seen. If that is of interest to you, you could also check out Ken Brower's book the Starship and the Canoe, which talks about George and his fascination with kayaks, but also George's father, Freeman Dyson, a famous mathematician and physicist whom worked on the Orion Project which dealt with the idea of deep space travel using nuclear pulse propulsion that would have enabled a spaceship the size of Chicago to travel deep into space by essentially rolling nuclear bombs out of the back end of it which would propel it forward.

Both great reads if you are into kayaks and or space.

https://www.amazon.com/Baidarka-Kayak-George-Dyson/dp/088240315X

https://www.amazon.com/Starship-Canoe-Kenneth-Brower/dp/0060910305

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

Awesome! Have you ever checked out George Dyson's book called Baidarka? It's a great book that covers the history of the kayak and also features stories and awesome pics about the baidarkas that he built. The Mount Fairweather is one of the most incredible boats I have ever seen. If that is of interest to you, you could also check out Ken Brower's book the Starship and the Canoe, which talks about George and his fascination with kayaks, but also George's father, Freeman Dyson, a famous mathematician and physicist whom worked on the Orion Project which dealt with the idea of deep space travel using nuclear pulse propulsion that would have enabled a spaceship the size of Chicago to travel deep into space by essentially rolling nuclear bombs out of the back end of it which would propel it forward.

Both great reads if you are into kayaks and or space.

https://www.amazon.com/Baidarka-Kayak-George-Dyson/dp/088240315X

https://www.amazon.com/Starship-Canoe-Kenneth-Brower/dp/0060910305

My first baidarka was from a set of his plans, after reading his book, I drove up to Bellingham to pick up tubing. I’ve met George several times. My baidarkas are aluminum but I have designed them to be shorter for “Ocean white water” /rock gardening. Right now I actually have a longer (5.28 model that he designed) that I inherited that I am in the process of rebuilding to my liking by increasing rocker, raking the cockpit and adding hatches and reinforcing the deck stringer before reskinning.

 

[Red Merle]

My first baidarka was from a set of his plans, after reading his book, I drove up to Bellingham to pick up tubing. I’ve met George several times. My baidarkas are aluminum but I have designed them to be shorter for “Ocean white water” /rock gardening. Right now I actually have a longer (5.28 model that he designed) that I inherited that I am in the process of rebuilding to my liking by increasing rocker, raking the cockpit and adding hatches and reinforcing the deck stringer before reskinning.

That's really cool! I would love to build one of those one of these days.

 

[samtoddlee]

2015 wenonah prospector 16' UL kevlar - 40 lbs
stock roof rack
BWCA every summer

Has anyone used the thule portage?

View attachment 1649833 View attachment 1649834

yes I have the portage for my canoe but I've found that the Malone canoe stops work better and are higher/sturdier. Awesome canoe there.

 

[ewillis]

Hey, canoe peeps...no idea where this request should go so I'm double posted in the fishing thread. I have no experience with buying canoes, but have a line on a kevlar 16' USA made that was built in 1992. It's a 2 owner that is registered through 2019, has an outrigger, and paddles. It's not perfect looking, has not been restored and owner says no delamination anywhere. 46lbs. What is something like this worth...I have no idea. What should I look for when inspecting it? TIA

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

Hey, canoe peeps...no idea where this request should go so I'm double posted in the fishing thread. I have no experience with buying canoes, but have a line on a kevlar 16' USA made that was built in 1992. It's a 2 owner that is registered through 2019, has an outrigger, and paddles. It's not perfect looking, has not been restored and owner says no delamination anywhere. 46lbs. What is something like this worth...I have no idea. What should I look for when inspecting it? TIA

. I'm more of a skin on frame kayaker with only a couple composite kayaks. Scrapes along the keelson where it may have been dragged or run aground are pretty easy using Kevlar cloth and the appropriate resin If there are no obvious signs of damage/delamination, the biggest issue would be how it was stored and whether there is much UV damage.

 

[ewillis]

. I'm more of a skin on frame kayaker with only a couple composite kayaks. Scrapes along the keelson where it may have been dragged or run aground are pretty easy using Kevlar cloth and the appropriate resin If there are no obvious signs of damage/delamination, the biggest issue would be how it was stored and whether there is much UV damage.

The guy has a few boats. I can see some discoloration likely from UV and believe it was stored outdoors under a tarp. Guy "says" it's in excellent condition given the age and it doesn't need any work whatsoever, but I'm skeptical of course. Would this be a $500 boat?

 

[rc51kid]

DD's with a 28" waist

Pictures or it didnt happen

 

[RKTINC]

I have another vehicle for the canoe. All vintage 1974.

 

[operatorTRP]

 

[ZackR]

@Red Merle would be my go to for canoe questions.

My only real experience is with mine which is an old Mad River Explorer 17' with a shallow V hull. Its a beast (weighs over 70lbs) but does well on the river and can take a beating. I've also used a flat bottom Old Town canoe and it was a lot harder to keep straight when on the river.

 

[Bludozer]

I have another vehicle for the canoe. All vintage 1974.
View attachment 1960704

That garage is amazing!

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

The guy has a few boats. I can see some discoloration likely from UV and believe it was stored outdoors under a tarp. Guy "says" it's in excellent condition given the age and it doesn't need any work whatsoever, but I'm skeptical of course. Would this be a $500 boat?

Ive never bought a canoe so I have no idea about pricing. If in doubt, your local canoe shop or Craig's list might help with price comps. As far as UV damage, It's a judgement call on just how brown the Aramid (Kevlar) looks compared to the original light golden color.

 

[Red Merle]

Hey, canoe peeps...no idea where this request should go so I'm double posted in the fishing thread. I have no experience with buying canoes, but have a line on a kevlar 16' USA made that was built in 1992. It's a 2 owner that is registered through 2019, has an outrigger, and paddles. It's not perfect looking, has not been restored and owner says no delamination anywhere. 46lbs. What is something like this worth...I have no idea. What should I look for when inspecting it? TIA

I would need to know more about the boat to give you an honest opinion. Who made it? What sort of outrigger does it have and why does it have that? Any clue on a model?

How much are they asking?

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

I would need to know more about the boat to give you an honest opinion. Who made it? What sort of outrigger does it have and why does it have that? Any clue on a model?

How much are they asking?

I have to admit that "outrigger" does sound strange to me also. Unless it's an open ocean Hawaiian style racing out rigger canoe, I'm not sure why you would ever need or want an outrigger for a typical (beamy compared to a kayak) flat water canoe.

 

[Red Merle]

I have to admit that "outrigger" does sound strange to me also. Unless it's an open ocean Hawaiian style racing out rigger canoe, I'm not sure why you would ever need or want an outrigger for a typical (beamy compared to a kayak) flat water canoe.

Yeah, I am thinking it might be sponsons and that would make me think Radisson which makes me think that it's less canoe and more fishing boat.

None of the higher end manufacturers that I am aware of were offering outriggers for any of their kevlar canoes in 1992. Spring Creek did and probably still do make an outrigger kit that you can add to most canoes, but I have never seen anyone that actually knows how to paddle use one.

 

[80andy]

Here's my 12ft fishing yak. Its an academy brand so nothing special but works great for me. It weighs somewhere around 50 lbs and isn't much trouble at all to get it loaded and unloaded.