Which Canoe Should I Take?

Hi all: I am a retired vet, looking for some advice as to which of my canoes others think I should take on a full-length solo 444 mile river paddle of the Susquehanna.
I plan to do it in the spring when the water is up and moving, but not flooding. I plan to camp, except maybe first night or two, depending on support.
There are lots of towns along the route, so packing grub is not a big issue.

I am very experienced in ww creek and river paddling, both in kayak and canoe.
I grew up on the Sus-q river, with lots of activities from the spring-thaw to ice-over, my entire life.

A friend and I took my Penobscot on a late April, high-flow 2.5 day, 100 mile float down the Sus-q west branch remote section last year from below Curwensville Dam to takeout above Lock Haven. Weirdest winds ever whipping through the mountains, with headwinds on nearly the entire trip.

I have a canoe cart for portage of the numerous dams and a small sailing rig for the slow stretches, wind permitting.

Canoes from which to choose:

16' Royalex Old Town Penobscot 33/34" beam, 65 lbs with skid plates. 13.5/21" center/end depth, 1100# capacity.

16' Royalex Mohawk Intrepid 33.5/36" beam, 73 lbs. 14/16.5" height center/end, 1000# capacity.

15' Royalite Dagger Reflection 33"/34" beam, est 58lbs. with one seat and skid plates. 13.5/16.5 center/end depth, 1" rocker, 850# capacity.

Priority is mostly speed and comfort. I will pull unneeded seats and add footrests. Sail is adaptable to all boats.
Concerns are W-NW spring winds on slow, dammed sections, and on SW-NW legs in miles 50-150. Sail may or may not help on the latter.

I have a good idea which canoe to use, but I am looking for other trippers who have used these canoes or padded with others using them to evaluate solo speed/comfort/paddability for a couple-week trip.

For those unfamiliar with the Sus-q, there is very little ww at normal levels and I would not expect anything much above a brief 2, unless I would seek it out. Different story at half-high to flood levels. Starts out as a small creek in Cooperstown, NY, and turns into the half-jokingly named "mile wide/inch deep" river in mid- summer. 3 hydro dams on the bottom 50 miles and slow finish into upper Chesapeake Bay.

Some will likely suggest buying a 35 pound kevlar boat, and that would be great, but unless someone gives me one, that is not an option.

On a side note, my great uncle did this trip in 1920-part of my inspiration. I still have his log with pics.

I have been wanting to do this trip for 50 years, but as we all know, life can get in the way. Though still very healthy and active, I have a decreasing window of time in which to complete this journey.

Just updated with some more canoe specs, if unfamiliar.

Thanks,
Randy

I've had a couple of 16 Penobscots, and it's a nice river tourer, probably the fastest (i.e. most efficient) Royalex canoe out there. I've also paddled some pretty big whitewater in it: solo it's a cork. I put in a solo seat just aft of the middle and removed the others--saves on weight, but added a wood thwart at one of the seat positions (just a 1x2 if I remember correctly). It's narrow enough that a bent shaft amidships is useable (I went up 2"). Sounds like a fun trip, especially with the history.

I grew up on the Susquehanna too and think that is a fine goal. I did my first trip there in '76. I like big boats so I would probably take one of the 16 footers. I never paddled any of the boats, but checked out their specs. I"d be mainly concerned about wind and avoid the Penobscot at 14 inches deep. If you are a light guy with a light load the 15 footer might be your best bet.

Keep us informed as your plans develop, it sounds interesting.

My vote would be for the Penobscot. I haven't paddled the other two, but I had a Penobscot that I paddled solo and poled. It did fine in short class 2 drops, but that was without a tripping load. Just the same, I think it would be fine with a reasonable load paddled solo. Pretty sure it's going to be more efficient on the flats. Easier to pick up and carry too.

Penobscot 16

Ditto

For rivers?
My Penobscot paddled backwards has never left me without a smile on my face.
Love that all-rounder.

I've encountered a lot of upstream winds on the Susquehanna, that's why I didn't recommend it. Not much in the way of rapids.

I've never paddled the Mohawk or Dagger, but I've paddled the Penobscot solo and tandem on lakes and rivers. I'm probably in the minority in saying I'm not a fan of the hull.

I'd be more tempted by the specs of the 15' Dagger Reflection for a solo trip. I suspect it's more stable than the Penobscot, more efficient at a recreational pace because of the shorter waterline, less subject to wind with the lower stems, and the lightest in weight.

But I can't really make a recommendation unless I've paddled all three canoes, preferably in some wavy and windy flat water, which is what you'll face on the lower parts of the Susquehanna. It wouldn't take long to decide. They're your canoes, @Rute, so I suspect you already know the empirical answer to your query.

I never liked the Penobscot much, and I have no experience with the other two hulls, but like Glenn, going by specs alone, I'd choose the Dagger.

I'd go with the Penobscot. If you have the option of installing (assuming that it does not already have) a "center" seat, that would be a great improvement. Front edge of the seat should be 4-6" behind the centerline. Height to be for your comfort, but generally 8" or so from the bottom of the canoe to the bottom of the seat, if you will be kneeling. 6" +- if you will be sitting.