anyone know the specs on a 14' lotus canoe?

[mdkelley]

any ideas? The seller doesn't have many details other than it is ~14' long and lightweight, 30" wide. He said he weighed about 350lbs when he bought it and it felt unstable to him. I run about 180lbs. I am looking for a lightweight boat to do some weekend lake tripping. My kit is pretty light, maybe 30-40lbs for a 3 day weekend including fishing gear.

 

[mdkelley]

a bit of research on the internet and I think it is a lotus dandy. The seller told me it somehow got damage to the side of the hull while in storage. Probably not worth $300 unless I really want a project to work on.

 

[stevet]

It is a Dandy. It would be unstable at 350 pounds of unskilled paddler but should fit you well. The lines are beautiful and secondary stability is very good due to flared midships. If you’re comfortable with doing the minor repair, it would be a classic boat to enjoy.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

a bit of research on the internet and I think it is a lotus dandy. The seller told me it somehow got damage to the side of the hull while in storage. Probably not worth $300 unless I really want a project to work on.View attachment 152295

If that's the worst of it, I would buy it and put it into working order.

 

[mdkelley]

anyone know if it would be a good short excursion rig for flat water (lakes, lazy/deep rivers)? I can't find out much about it other than most say is isn't a very good design and doesn't turn well. That could be good for lake tripping though and the stability would be nice for fishing. If it doesn't really glide well or turn well I am thinking it may not be worth the time and money, that I should just put the $500 or so I would have into it toward something like a ns phoenix that seems to be regarded as a well-rounded boat. I also no longer have a workshop to tackle projects in since I sold my house last fall. I would have to stash it somewhere until the weather got better and work on it when it warms up to epoxy setting temps here in Michigan.

 

[stevet]

It is a fairly small hull if you’re intending to carry gear and want to do fishing where you would be moving around from side to side. It does not turn really well unless you heel it significantly which you would probably not want to do in your intended usage.
Purchase it more to own a piece of history of solo canoeing and for paddling unloaded just for day outings. There are better hulls produced these days.
Phoenix would suit your intended useage as would many others. Rather than list boats that may not be obtainable for you, it may be best for you to look around and find out what you may be able to acquire and if you want input about those particular boats post here again. No shortage of opinions here Good luck!