lightweight solo canoes - paddles and PFDs?

[Peakbagr]

Barbara and I are getting back to paddling. While we've been looking for kayaks for a while, decided that we go the way of ultra light weight solo canoes. They scoot along very well, more suited for fishing and letting the dog in for a ride. And I love bushwhacking. Barbara's Kevlar is 15 lbs.
The carbon fiber model I'll be picking up is 11 lbs, making for some pretty easy cartopping and portaging.

We haven't boated in years and I wanted to ask for some double bladed paddle recommendations.
Lost Pond Boats (Hornbeck canoes) where we got our boats carriers Werner paddles. The options are one piece and two piece. One model they carry is the Cascadia (32 oz). The other is the Calliste(22oz.).
How important is the swing weight vs the large cost difference between the 2 paddles ? We probably won't be doing long touring, mostly small streams, lakes and ponds.
They also carry the Kokatat brand of PFDs. I've looked around on the net for PFD comparisons, but it would be good to know what you guys think about this brand vs others.

Thanks

 

[IndianChris]

No long touring you say? Then swing weight is probably not too much of an issue. However, I do have a carbon fiber Werner (I think its the Camano, bent shaft) and when I pick up an aluminum paddle I say "no thank you." The Werners are great!

You prefer the double bladed paddles for canoing, hey? I could never pick that up. But then again those boats you mentioned do sit kinda low in the water, right?

Watch out for those low hanging trees on the narrow rivers and streams...the double bladed paddle can be a pain in the neck...ask ColdFeet.

I have a Stohlquist vest and love it. It's called the "Wedge." Real comfortable and has a great range (no punn intended) of motion. The only thing is, it could use more pockets. I'm happy though because of its range of motion. Check out their website...

Stohlquist PFDs

My drysuit is Kokatat. I can't comment on their pfds but the drysuit is certainly a quality piece of work.

 

[Pat T]

I'm happy to hear that you got the Hornbecks!

My PFD is a Kokatat and I like it a lot. I got it in a bright color as I use my canoe on big lakes sometimes and I want to be seen by motor boats. By the way, I have lots of fun bouncing over big waves in the Hornbeck. It takes them in stride.

My paddle is one piece. It fits nicely inside the canoe for carries. It's the one Pete used to make himself. My only problem was that it drips back on my arms a little--not a problem in the warm weather but not pleasant when it is cooler out.

So now I need to buy a Hornbeck for my husband so we can do the Henderson Lake to Duck Hole trip this summer.

Pat T

 

[Peakbagr]

Pat,

Do you recall how long a carry it is from the UW parking area to the put-in on the eastern side of Henderson Lake?
Do you know how far you can paddle from the norther part of Henderson Lake toward the Preston Ponds before you have to portage?

Thanks

 

[Pat T]

Hi, Peakbagr,

The carry from the UW parking lot to the put in on Henderson seemed like miles but was probably only .25 miles. We were trying to carry an enormous Mad River canoe (65 lbs. that felt like 100). Fortunately, our marriage is still intact. I had told my husband it was a "short carry." With the Hornbecks, it will be a piece of cake. It's really a pretty path and the footing is great.

We have not been beyond Henderson Lake. I think we found the carry at the northern end of Henderson. We could only paddle a very short distance before the stream got too shallow to go further (maybe only 50 yards or less). I'm sure there are others here who have better information. I hope you get a chance to do it this year.

Pat T

 

[Peakbagr]

Thanks. We had a 17' Mad River Royalex for years before selling it a couple of years ago. Great boat, but it spent most of its life in the garage because of its weight and difficulty get it out and on/off the car.

 

[Nessmuk]

There is a long thread on this topic on the adkforum.

 

[sardog1]

I will take all your Royalex boats you want to get rid of. I'll even haul them away for no charge. (Nessmuk and others, have you seen Wenonah's Wilderness in Royalex yet? My, oh my, oh my. And I think that if I saw one in Kevlar I'd faint dead away.)

 

[IndianChris]

Wow, that is a nice boat.
I'm a big fan of the Argosy though...a little more river friendly.

 

[sardog1]

Wow, that is a nice boat.
I'm a big fan of the Argosy though...a little more river friendly.

Yeah, my BWCA predilections are showing. It would be soooo much fun to see if I could blow past the tandems on both the lakes and the portages.

(Okay, all you Hornbeck fans, I'm not denigrating the virtues of beautiful, ultralight pond boats. I don't dare venture over to North Haverhill. "You already have a canoe. What do you need with another one?")

 

[Nessmuk]

(Okay, all you Hornbeck fans, I'm not denigrating the virtues of beautiful, ultralight pond boats. I don't dare venture over to North Haverhill. "You already have a canoe. What do you need with another one?")

Well that's just silly. It's kind of like saying you already have one pair of shoes, what do you need with another?

 

[sardog1]

For the record -- if I'd kept every boat I've owned, I'd "almost" have the perfect fleet by now. But each new one pretty much had to be financed by the sale of the previous one.

 

[spencer]

I recently convinced Joanna that:

1. our grumman tuna can is almost useless (although very sentimental)
and
2. we couldn't keep using rental boats for races

So, we now also have a OT Penobscot 17 and I've tricked it out. She's fast and clean for a rec, all-arounder.

Back on topic: I too will take any unwanted boats - especially kevlar ones...

 

[Peakbagr]

Our first canoe was a Sawyer Canadian. Sleek, fast, and effortless to paddle.
Skinny and tippy initial stabilty. Harry Roberts' review in a canoe magazine was "like a shark in a carp pond". It last only a couple of summers. My SO wasn't born a water rat as she somehow got freaked when the Sawyer heeled over when she shifted the gum from one side of her mouth to the other.

 

[Pat T]

Not getting rid of the Mad River just yet.

Sorry folks, but we're not getting rid of the Mad River yet. Too much sentimental value. We could carry 4 children and lots of camping gear in it. If we were hunters, we probably could have packed out a moose, too. Once we took it on the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. We canoed on every great pond and also had a great trip from the Chappaquidick Bridge to Cape Pogue and back.

When my daughter was 10, she and I loaded it on top of our Econoline van and took a trip on the Stillwater Reservoir. Still not sure exactly how we got it on top of the van, but we did! What a great canoe. Now it sits on the shore of a very nice lake and we only carry it a few feet to the water.

Pat T

 

[sardog1]

So, we now also have a OT Penobscot 17 and I've tricked it out. She's fast and clean for a rec, all-arounder.

"You have chosen . . . wisely." Ours is green, with cane seats and a Superior Yoke Pad. The pad makes it quite pleasant to portage -- it's sometimes tough to find this pad but well worth searching for.

What has this to do with light solo canoes? Just this -- one of the great solo boats is the (sadly) discontinued Penobscot 15. I met a woman the other day who had one stolen from her and was still mourning its absence. The sight of the Wilderness lifted her spirits.

(EDIT: I feel compelled to add this caveat, for the benefit of those who don't know. Until recently, all Penobscots were Royalex. There are now two additional versions made in polyethylene. The first time you lift boats made in each of these materials you'll understand why Royalex is worth the extra $$$, even apart from their hull design differences.)

 

[spencer]

Until recently, all Penobscots were Royalex. There are now two additional versions made in polyethylene. The first time you lift boats made in each of these materials you'll understand why Royalex is worth the extra $$$, even apart from their hull design differences.)

I was discussing this with a guy at the factory recently (I'm sitting only a few miles from the OT factory) and I guess the poly Penobscots (174 and 164) are really just discoveries in disguise. I don't remember the details of why exactly. There was something about how the polylink doesn't shrink longitudinally as much as the royalex when it comes off the mold and that's why they are a few inches longer.

Anyway, I had to replace the cane seats in my Penob (it's only new to me) and I was going to make my own out of some extra ash stock I have but then I found some really nice contoured web seats from Ed's Canoe in VT. They are wicked comfortable and came with great finish detail and weren't expensive. If you are looking to replace seats anytime soon, check these out.

 

[MarshallM]

Unfortunately, don't have anything of value to say for the benefit of the OP, as i'm a big fan of the 16-17 foot, general purpose, symmetrical, ABS open canoe, even as a solo canoe. I like the trade-offs one makes with big solo canoes, and find that my 16' 6" Mad River Explorer gets far more solo use than a smaller ABS solo canoe that i own, but would love to upgrade to an even larger solo!

Oh yea, by all means, if anyone is looking to get rid of that heavy, slow, tandem Old Town, Mad River or Dagger ABS (preferably pre-1990) tripping canoe collecting dust in the garage or cellar, am more than willing to help out.

Carry on...