A couple of suggestions

[JackL]

1. Is there any way to add a kayaking forum? My wife and I paddle both canoes and kayaks and the New "Paddling .com" forum sucks
2 On that same note; how about adding a place for canoes and kayaks to be bough and sold ?

 

[Iskweo]

Way ahead of you. If you scroll down to the bottom of the Home Page yoiu will see a classifieds section...sell anything you want there. Within reason of course.

While we have no problem with kayaks, it is " Canoe " tripping.net and as such is pretty focused on that aspect. Robin is very liberal with allowing cross topics and such but with the volume of traffic on the site, adding a kayak forum would suck up a lot of server room and we have had issues with that happening in the past just with what we are doing now. You have to keep in mind too that this is a self supporting non profit site. We dont have the money to expand it I dont think.

Having said that, many of our members are into the paddling sports in mulitple ways so kayaks are not off limits, just not our primary focus, which is, canoes, and using them to trip with. If you want to watch a thread go off topic in a huge way, you are in the right place. Just click on page 2 of anything and see for yourself...lol.

Christy

 

[Canotrouge]

I'm with Christy, I think it is great to have a forum only for canoe tripping, Not WW paddling, not Kayaking not SUPing....
I would be happy if it stayed that way... That said I have no control on what Robin would decide about that...

David

 

[BWCA66]

I think a lot of us really like this site because it is mainly for canoes with a heavy lean toward traditional and homemade.

 

[yellowcanoe]

We have bandwidth limitations and I for one don't want to see this become another catchall paddling site That said for me the interest here is in trips.. Destinations. I have posted some trips that were done in canoe and kayak. As we got older bigger water entered the equation and hiking with a boat left somewhat. I don't think its the what you went where in that is important sometimes as it is the where you went. I have learned a lot about destinations in Florida from Jack L that are good for both ( some not!).
There is a focus here on canoerepairrestoratinbuildinghacks etc that is less interesting to me and obviously more to some. I'd not want another forum about which "kayak is best for me". However I don't think that is what Jack has in mind..

There are trips that can be done by canoe kayak raft or motorboat.. O I think we saw all on the Yukon River.. and its the same river.
Jack are you and N OK in the Keys? I read you lost property via Irma.
I'd like to hear about your latest trips!

 

[Higgster]

Being a canoe site differentiates this site from all the other human powered watercraft sites on the web. Let the kayakers and others have their sites. We appreciate the work Robin does without the interference of others.

 

[sweeper]

All the above and most outdoor sites from paddling to bushcraft are overrun with yaks, it's nice to not have to filter through those threads here.

 

[yellowcanoe]

All the above and most outdoor sites from paddling to bushcraft are overrun with yaks, it's nice to not have to filter through those threads here.

But there are those of us who do both. Frankly if Cariboo Canoe had not posted his ahem kayak trip we might have been less determined to do the Bowron Chain

 

[Canotrouge]

I do lots of WW specific paddling and I don't post reports of them here.... I will post a few pictures from time to time, but we all agree that this site is the only one of its kind and I think it would be great if it stays like that! But of course that is just my opinion and I love to share it lol

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Jack, when this site was taken over from the former owner who died, and after we struggled to find a new administrator, Robin took over and voiced his preference for an open canoe tripping forum. That wasn't the unanimous opinion among members, but it was his preference.

Nonetheless, I post pictures and occasionally discuss my outrigger canoe. I have three kayaks, but don't specifically talk about them much. There are several canoeists here who mainly paddle decked canoes with double blade paddles, and who refurbish decked canoes, which I can't distinguish from kayaks. We also have several pack canoe members, and I think they are nothing but undecked kayaks.

Gear, clothing, cooking, and all sorts of other topics are not specific to canoes or kayaks. There are often discussions of double blade paddles.

In short, Jack, I'd encourage you to post here, but would perhaps suggest you mix it up by not focusing exclusively on kayak photos or kayak trips. But even as to trips, your knowledge of Florida and other locations can be very valuable to members here who would be interested in routes you know, regardless of the paddle craft ultimately used.

BTW, Canotrouge, I never interpreted this site as excluding open canoe whitewater trips. We've had lots of discussions about whitewater hulls, rapids, float bags, saddles, safety, and such.

 

[Canotrouge]

Jack, when this site was taken over from the former owner who died, and after we struggled to find a new administrator, Robin took over and voiced his preference for an open canoe tripping forum. That wasn't the unanimous opinion among members, but it was his preference.

Nonetheless, I post pictures and occasionally discuss my outrigger canoe. I have three kayaks, but don't specifically talk about them much. There are several canoeists here who mainly paddle decked canoes with double blade paddles, and who refurbish decked canoes, which I can't distinguish from kayaks. We also have several pack canoe members, and I think they are nothing but undecked kayaks.

Gear, clothing, cooking, and all sorts of other topics are not specific to canoes or kayaks. There are often discussions of double blade paddles.

In short, Jack, I'd encourage you to post here, but would perhaps suggest you mix it up by not focusing exclusively on kayak photos or kayak trips. But even as to trips, your knowledge of Florida and other locations can be very valuable to members here who would be interested in routes you know, regardless of the paddle craft ultimately used.

BTW, Canotrouge, I never interpreted this site as excluding open canoe whitewater trips. We've had lots of discussions about whitewater hulls, rapids, float bags, saddles, safety, and such.

Ho no I'm saying that either, I'm just saying that if it is not tripping I usually don't talk about it. But our last trip was ww tripping for sure and I gave her on the trip report w/o restrain.... I think for me is to keep it canoe tripping related, flat, moving, ww, ocean.... As long as it is tripping in a canoe I'm happy!!

 

[Odyssey]

I betcha running an internet forum focussed on canoe tripping is like trying to herd cats. We all get the focus on canoes and tripping, but it is so easy and interesting to wander down a related topic thread of canoe construction, tripping food choices, footwear failures, arthritic knee ointments, weird and wonderful camp furniture...the focus becomes blurred at times. But no matter; it's almost understood that the topic will in some small way turn back to those two words canoe tripping eventually, in spirit if not in word. Drawing a line in discourse to prevent the "dilution" of canoe tripping must be a challenge, one I wouldn't want to tackle. It helps that Robin is as patiently good humoured as he is and the forum members are as inquisitive and knowledgeable as they are, otherwise this forum wouldn't be the Crackerjack box of fun and prizes that it is. Members and lurkers are all free to gobble up the good stuff of canoetripping friendship to find a prized nugget of knowledge at the bottom of every thread. Well, almost every thread, lol.
I'm curious about other things and adventures this world has to offer, but I appreciate the focus of this forum on all things canoe tripping related. The off-topic mind wandering that happens adds an element of humour and exploration to these conversations, and the root of this forum of tripping in canoes maintains a common interest amongst us all. Robin in his desire to keep this forum focussed on canoe tripping may lose a few folks and gain some others, but there is no bad tempered intent, just a love of all things canoe tripping.

 

[frozentripper]

I agree. Paddling.net has so many diverse interests, it's hard to get through all that to get to the good stuff. Can't be bothered going there.

 

[Robin]

Hi JackL,
Yes, this is a small canoe site and I have no interest in adding kayaks to the mix. Sorry if this is not what you would like to hear but when I vetted you 2 months ago I made it clear it was "a canoe site with an emphasis on canoe tripping"

Paddling.net is a very good paddling site with many knowledgeable members, the owner has worked hard at providing a public forum and an excellent resource for canoe/kayak information . I would prefer our members not disparage it here.

Thanks
Robin

 

[Canotrouge]

Thank you Robin!!