Help with canoe purchase

[frozen-fire]

Hey guys...

 

Need some advice on my first canoe purchase. I want something that is not too big/long and able to support two people (my girlfriend and I... we probably are around 250 lbs put together).

I'm not interested in any trolling motor at the moment, we actually would like to paddle!

She's more interested in the paddling around a calm quiet lake and getting good exercise out of it, and well.... I'm interested in getting more fishing time in. To get away from the shore for once is a definite plus! There must be bigger fish out there!

 

I currently drive a 1999 Honda Civic coupe. This canoe must be able to go atop. It's a small car, so there probably will be less selection, no?

How will I deal with an anchor? I don't want to drift around all day and drain ourselves paddling over some hot spots.

How long should this canoe be? What make should I go with?

 

In terms of car mounts, I know that places like LeBaron's sell foam mounts. Should I just get something along the lines of this, or invest in a car rack instead?

 

Sometimes I regret the purchase of the Civic. Should've went with a larger sized car so I can drag an actual fishing boat around. Oh well... at least the Civic is pretty good on gas.

 

Any advice from you experts and people who have gone through the same phase is greatly appreciated!

[modny]

roof racks are always alot better than foam mounts, but its whatever is in ur budget..

 

as far as anchor, get a onion sack, or something along those lines, tied to rope, fill it with rocks when u get to your destination.

[Victor]

hey frozen-fire,

 

I bought a canoe 3 years ago and just recently invested in my first boat so I can give you some advices on this . Here's a few things that comes to mind:

 

1) Length-wise, I think a 15-16' would do just fine for two people

 

2) Although you guys prefer paddling at the mean time, I'd say try to get one with a motor mount or a square stern one. Sooner or later you might want to explore further away from your launching point or you might want to start trolling, it's alot easier to do it with a trolling motor/small gas motor, I'd advice you to keep that option open even if you won't be getting the motor now.

 

3) Keep the weight of the canoe in mind, seeing how you and ur girlfriend combine to be around 250lbs, I'd assume that you're 150lbs, it might be difficult for you to lift it onto the top of your car. (I'm guessing your girlfriend won't be able to help much here) I own a 16' fiberglass canoe and it weighs almost 80lbs, I can't load it on my nissan sentra on my own. (although i am only 135lbs but i'm not that weak neither )

 

4) For anchoring, I have been using a juice jar filled with sand, it works fine when it isn't too windy (15km/h or less), however when it's too windy out it wouldn't be safe to go out on the canoe anyway. Lots of people are using drift sock and they swear by it, I haven't used one so far.

 

5) Car mounts: Canadian Tire has those styrofoam mounts and it's been working fine for me, probably not worth getting rack installed onto your car when you're only looking at spending $250 or so for the canoe.

 

6) Check kijiji/craiglist/buysell, they sometimes have good reliable canoe for that price. Just for a reference I bought mine that comes with a 1968 1.5hp motor (with minor problems) for $350. Mine is quite old though, but reliable.

 

7) I have seen Civics tow trailer/boats, although it's not designed for that purpose but I believe they do have a towing capacity. By upgrading breaks/transmission fluid (i'm not sure what you need to change here), you can probably get away with towing a 12' tinny with a small outboard. I have seen them go as low as $400 for a used package.

 

8) Don't forget that you'll need all the safety equipment, i.e. PFDs, paddles, safety kit (with ropes, whistle, flashlight, etc)

 

That should have taken you a while to read lol ... and is all i could think of for now, if you need more help. Feel free to PM me.

Edited August 12, 2008 by Victor

[ccmtcanada]

Great advice Victor!

 

I'll add my two cents as well.

 

We have a 14 foot fiberglass canoe and bly and I have fished out of it just fine. Plenty of room there. I used just those foam things for the roof of the car....you'd be able to put that canoe on top of the civic no problem...just tie it down properly and you're good to go.

 

We have a trolling motor bracket for our canoe....they are likely pretty cheap....so even if you decide to troll later then there is still a good solution for you.

 

Our canoe anchor is a big coffee tin filled with concrete and a bracket on top to attach a rope to. We have two of these made....really cheap and they work great.

 

And like Victor said....if you get a stripped down 12 foot tinny with a 6 to 9.9hp motor and light trailer, your car should be able to handle towing that without any real issues.

 

Have fun making your decision!

[gdelongchamp]

CTC currently has a sale on canoes. Only 399.00 each. Made in Quebec by Pelican. 16 footers. They are an excellent buy for anyone who doesn't want to invest too much. You can also check their website for more info. They are the "Explorer Dix" model. Even come with a built in BEER cooler and BEER holders. I purchased two of them for my kids.

 

As I said earlier, they are a good buy. I spent many days in canoes up north and have an appreciation for well built canoes. I prefer aluminum Grummans personally but they are very pricey now. And if the kids don't use them they can be resold in like new condition.

[gdelongchamp]

PS My 12 year old and 14 year old girls can easily carry the canoes (about 70 pounds.)

[bbog]

another 2 cents to add...

 

I have a Coleman 15.5' canoe and started with the foam roof system. Using the foam to load the canoe requires two people. I upgraded to a proper roof rack and can load the canoe by myself by sliding it on the rack. For a longer trip with an accomplice I actually prefer the foam since the canoe sits lower on the car and appears more stable.

 

Depending on your budget you may wish to consider having both.

 

Our 15.5' is large enough for two adults, all our fishing gear and 2 Golden Retrievers.

 

Your canoe choice will also require some consideration of the construction/material. Our canoe is indestructible since it is made of RAM-X.

 

Just about any canoe will suite your needs on the water. The issue is how you get it to/from the water that will help determine what you get.

 

cheers.

[Dabluz]

If you have the budget, get a 14 foot Sportspal canoe. They weigh about 34 lbs with seats and paddles (which also double as oars) included.

 

If you want to paddle, get the canoe with 2 pointed ends, otherwise, you will be switching the paddle from one hand to another due to the fact that you cannot comfortably use the "J" stroke when paddling.

 

I'm pretty sure that the motor support comes free with the canoe. The motor mounts on the side of the canoe and you can use up to a 2 h.p. 2 stroke outboard.

 

I have been using Sportpal canoes all of my life. I've had my own for over 30 years. With a 9 lb thrust electric motor, my canoe goes about 5 km/hour with me and a bunch of equipment aboard. 9 lb thrust electrique motors are no longer sold. The smallest electrique motor is the 30 lb thrust and you can buy a Minn Kota for about 100 dollars (they are often on special at that price).

 

What's nice with the side mount is the fact that you don't have to twist around in your seat to steer the thing.

 

If it's a canoe for just paddling and very little fishing, there are faster canoes on the market. These canoes are narrower and are made for paddling. You paddle one stroke and they glide further. Due to the fact that these canoes are narrower and lower....they are lighter. However, narrower canoes are less stable. You can solve the stability problem by installing an outrigger. A kit called "duo-flo" can be bought for 200 dollars if you ever want to use your canoe for fishing. However, you can easily make your own "duo-flo" after seeing a photo of one. (search the internet)

 

If it's a canoe for excursions and camping, you will need a larger canoe....at least 16 feet.

 

If it's a canoe for rivers, you will find canoes that have a rounder bottom and fewer splines along the bottom in order to make them more manoeuverable but if it's for still water and/or large lakes, you will need a canoe with higher sides to prevent the waves from filling the canoe a flatter bottom for more stability and more splines along the bottom to help keep a straight line when paddling.

 

If it's for hauling lots of equipement long distances, there is the freighter canoe with the square back where you can install a big outboard engine. I've seen some freighter canoes that had a side console and were pushed by 50 h.p. engines.

 

So....as you can see....it depends on the why, where and how as to the choice of a canoe.

 

I used foams for a long time with my Sportspal canoe. However, the foams do scuff the paint on the roof of the car a bit. No matter what kind of car you have, there are roof supports for them. Yes....they are expensive but if you are good with your hands, you can make your own after seeing how the expensive ones are made.

[frozen-fire]

you guys are the best!

 

thanks for the wealth of information.

 

since i drive a 2 door and the car is short in general, should i get a 15 footer? or does the length of the canoe really matter as long as it is properly tied down on both ends?

 

the sportspal sounds very intriguing! whereabouts do they sell them and for how much?

 

i'm going to go check out those canoes at CTC for sure. 399 sounds perfect.

 

I'm not looking to travel that far from the launch... most likely going to hit shore spots, but a little further out, where the shore people can't cast to . Also, I'm not a huge guy..only roughly 145 ish lbs. so a 60-70 lb canoe is perfect in my eyes. I won't be fishing alone, and will always have a companion. We already have life jackets and will purchase necessary safety equipment.

[cram]

I disagree with one of the previous posters. Advise AGAINST getting a flat-back or motor-mount canoe. While its nice to have the option to use a motor, paddling a flat-back is a LOT of work. There's just so much drag. You work harder and go slower. Really cuts into your enjoyment.

[Dabluz]

A Sportspal canoe will cost about 850 dollars. They are not cheap. However there are two big point in their favour....they are extremely light and are great for fishing. They are quite stable. In the over 40 years I have fished from a Sportspal, I have never even come close to flipping over.

 

As a conservation officer, we used the 12 foot model (24 lbs) and a 1.2 h.p. Tanaka to patrol remote places.

 

2 bad points...lol. They are expensive and they are fragile. You have to watch out for sharp objects. They are just a bit thicker than a soft drink can.

 

Do not loan it to anyone. I loaned mine once and it came back with a hole in it. I patched the hole with some aluminum tape....the stuff that you use to repair mufflers etc and it has stayed that way for over 20 years.

 

They have an excellent resale value.

 

You will have no trouble keeping the 14 foot model on top of your small car with foam blocks as a support. The 12 foot model is a bit too small for fishing with 2 people aboard.

 

If you only want to go fishing, you can always get a good inflatable boat with a solid floor but you will need an electric or a gas powered motor.

 

Another option is a folding boat but you will still have to carry that on the top of your car and you won't be able to carry that thing with just foam blocks.

 

If you do decide to buy a fiberglass canoe, get a 15 foot model.

[bbog]

i'm going to go check out those canoes at CTC for sure. 399 sounds perfect.

 

If you strike out there I may be willing to sell mine!

[CLofchik]

You won't have any problem putting any canoe on a Civic with the front ends tied off. For giggles I once put a 16' canoe on a Smart

 

Stay away from square backs if you're going to paddle, they handle like pigs. Call around to all the dealers & rental places, they usually have demo's, blemished hulls & ex-rental boats they may be willing to unload on the cheap.

 

16'ish is a good all round size for two people, especially if you're going to be swinging fishing rods. As for specific boats, like anything else you get what you pay for. Coleman & Pelican crappy tire specials may come cheap, but I wouldn't want to paddle one more than a few kilometres, but a nice Swift canoe will run almost $2k.

 

The two things you will definitely need to fish out of a canoe is a drift sock & anchor. The small drift socks you can get from BPS for $20, for an anchor I always just used a basketball net filled with rocks. The basketball net lasts alot longer bouncing along bottom than anything else.

 

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