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I've had a few experiences with low clouds, thankfully none while paddling. One very dark, foggy night I was camping in the Graveyard Fields in Pisgah National Forest. A breeze was blowing. Suddenly the fog blew off the mountain top. The sky lit up with stars and the Milky Way. For a few...

I normally start by fitting the stern seat where I think it should go. If you look close you might be able to tell from the wear marks. Then a test float to figure out where the front seat should go.

Bringing this out as a new thread to increase visibility. I'm curious about this: I've always used paddles with a factory varnish shaft and grip. But I get blisters on long trips, so if changing to an oil finish might help I'll give it a try. Thoughts?

I've heard having rearward trim encourages the stern to sink more as you approach hull speed. It feels true to me, especially in short light canoes and kayaks. So I'd be inclined to give the factory seat position a few paddles before changing it. I wouldn't worry a bit about moving a thwart...

What's on the outside? Are those some kind of metallic plates or are they rubber?

That is a nice looking canoe. Old school too. Good luck, hope it works out.

Is this near by? This big discovery will seat kids and absorb plenty of abuse. Only needs thwarts. (I wouldn't trouble with a yoke on a Discovery) https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/spo/d/fort-worth-canoe/7734659124.html Then this aluminum...

The wear on the ends is commonly covered with skid plates. If you search there's a couple threads that describe it well. I'd encourage you to price materials, they're not super expensive but they're not cheap either. My concern is that one looks pretty crooked. It could be a lousy cell...

I agree with Glenn. I think a 17 ft aluminum canoe would meet your needs well. They're extremely durable and readily available. The canoes you're looking at, Campers, Trippers and the Blue Hole OCA are similar in shape to most aluminum canoes. Bonus, if you don't have indoor storage...

Yeah, I've been thinking about adding ballast too. My Yellowstone solo is a little light and twitchy. I've got this nice granite countertop cut out. It should really help with stability. Any ideas what kind of glue I should use to glue it in?

Sliding focus is right about that Tripper. That is major damage, and I'd want it reinforced. With three young kids I'd look for a boat that didn't have damage. I sometimes think about how many paddling days, or days otherwise playing with the kids, a project will take.

In my experience sourcing the gunnels is the tricky part, especially if you are on a budget. For example, Ed's canoes sells a knock down gunwale kit for $200 before shipping. Factor in your time, teak oil, and some hardware, then you're better up passing and looking for a boat that has...

I'd add the Old Town Tripper to the list. I don't see many good Royalex canoes on NE Texas Craigslist. They'll probably show up occasionally if you are patient. However, a $1000 is a fair price for a Royalex canoe in good condition (no damage, no serious work needed). Of course they often...

I have a umm... friend, who in his younger years rolled a Jeep Cherokee over the bank and into the trees. The Blue Hole OCA on top of the Jeep sacrificed itself, cushioning the impact and distributing it across the vehicle. It prevented intrusions into the cabin. So yes, a strong canoe would...

This is my practice, but my vans racks are about 1 ft farther apart than most sedans. The narrower span on a sedan might force me to use a bow* line above 60 mph or on windy days. Most bow or stern lines do very little to stop front to back motion. The geometry is normally wrong. I prefer a...

Interesting. I know the sane solution for old canoes is a marine paint. I've wondered if my old FG Explorer could be painted with the automotive paint used for flexible parts like bumper covers. The problem is the work involved doesn't fit the outcome. Paint+time for an heavy old boat...

One minor reason I'm not considering a trip is because my 20 gallon transfer tank rusted out. We took it last time and did not need it. But I'm wary of getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere with no gas.

My primary canoe for many years was a very asymmetrical, flat bottom royalex wonder. It paddled lousy in any direction, although sideways was a little worse. I have a composite Yellowstone solo. It has asymmetrical rocker, with an extra 1.5 in in the front. The bow is clearly taller than the...

To keep it canoe related, here is totality from Congaree National Park, 2017. First, if you can see the eclipse I recommend it. Second, if you can paddle Congaree National Park, I recommend it. It is a special place. The trees are amazing. The park staff is always super helpful. I...

For whitewater tripping this kind of kayak is really compelling. It is a real whitewater design with a big rear hatch and foot braces designed to come out quickly access to the bow. In this thing you could run lots of whitewater that would be difficult or impossible in a canoe. I did an open...