Best Places to Shop for Canoes Near Pittsburgh, PA?

[Jmharrick]

All,

New to the forum, and fairly new to paddling. I've spent some time in fishing kayaks and cheap canoes. I've been whitewater rafting several times, but have never seriously paddled a canoe.

I'm in the deep research phase trying to figure out what type of paddling I want to do. This is leading me down the rabbit hole of searching for the "right" canoe. I would like to get a tandem canoe that paddles well solo. Ideally one that could be used for day, weekend, and week+ long trips on both lakes and rivers with class II rapids.

I'm having trouble finding any retailers in the Pittsburgh area that sell quality canoes. I'd really like to be able to get in the store and put my hands on something before buying. Does anyone have any suggestions within a few hours of Pittsburgh? Brands I've looked into include Nova Craft, Esquif, Wenonah, Mad River, etc.

 

[MrPoling]

I consulted Google maps and was so sad to see you don't really have good options. Then I looked on craigslist and got even sadder. Hopefully folks who know the area will have some advice for you.

I think you have the right idea though, a good first canoe is a general purpose boat. Most of the manufacturers you listed have a canoe that is advertised as tandem or solo. Something 16 ft long and about 34 in wide.

I think you either need to widen your search or consider heavier canoes.

Blue mountain outfitters is farther away but they have a real inventory of quality canoes.

I see lots of aluminum canoes on craigslist near you. They are stiffer than the cheap plastic canoes. I've had lots of fun in aluminum canoes, and would take one over most plastic kayaks any day.

Good luck

 

[pblanc]

Pittsburgh is within 5 hours drive of Hemlock, NY where Dave Curtis makes Hemlock Canoes.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Coopers Lake tomorrow
Solo canoe rendezvous
Will be tandens too
Test paddle on the lake
Dave Curtis will be there
Coopers is near NewCastle: Slippery Rock

 

[Gamma1214]

1st: Welcome to the fire.

2nd: Go to Butler tomorrow if at all possible. As YC suggested above, the SW PA Solo Canoe Rendezvous is at Cooper's Lake just outside Butler (from PGH, it would be off I-79; about a mile west of the Moraine State Park exit).

If that doesn't work, I'd contact Ryan at Wiegel on the Water in Franklin, PA. They typically have many more kayaks in stock than canoes but he usually has a few.

Short of that, your options for anything other than plastic boats are, unfortunately, pretty limited & you might be best to bite the bullet & drive to NY. There are a bunch of options there.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I would like to get a tandem canoe that paddles well solo. Ideally one that could be used for day, weekend, and week+ long trips on both lakes and rivers with class II rapids.

Jmharrick, welcome to site membership! Feel free to ask any questions and to post messages, photos and videos in our many forums. Please read Welcome to CanoeTripping and Site Rules! We look forward to your participation in our canoe community.

I, too, would recommend a 16' tandem with a 34"-35" beam and slight rocker. There are many canoes in that dimensional range from all manufacturers.

But by all means, as recommended, try to get to the Western PA Solo Canoe Rendezvous event this weekend. There will likely be some tandem canoes there.

 

[Jmharrick]

I consulted Google maps and was so sad to see you don't really have good options. Then I looked on craigslist and got even sadder. Hopefully folks who know the area will have some advice for you.

Mr. Poling, I felt that same level of sadness when performing a similar search. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Jmharrick]

Thanks everyone for the advice on the SW PA Solo Canoe Rendezvous. I had seen a post for it, but worried it was more for experienced paddlers and solo canoes only after browsing their website. I will try to get up there tomorrow.

 

[Gamma1214]

...worried it was more for experienced paddlers and solo canoes only...

It's geared more toward solos than tandems but both are there and all experience levels are welcome. I hope you'll find that, much like this site, all are welcome. Let us know your experience.

PS: I guess I added the "S" to it... should be just WPA as per Glenn's link. Everything west of State College & south of I80 is SW PA to me. I think it's a "burgh" thing... you understand it, I'm sure.

 

[pblanc]

Thanks everyone for the advice on the SW PA Solo Canoe Rendezvous. I had seen a post for it, but worried it was more for experienced paddlers and solo canoes only after browsing their website. I will try to get up there tomorrow.

There will be experienced paddlers there, but not everyone will necessarily be experienced. Experienced paddlers and canoe manufacturers are always happy to talk about boats and offer free advice to less experienced paddlers.

 

[UCanoe_2]

Lancaster County Marine is stretching your "few hours" range, but a feasible trip. They are a dealer for Esquif and maintain a pretty good inventory. I bought a Prospecteur Sport from them 2 years ago, and they were good to deal with. https://www.lancastercountymarine.c.../Esquif Canoes/showroom/Esquif Touring Canoes

 

[Chip]

Based on the name, I can see where you might ignore Rocky Mountain Kayak in New Stanton, PA, which is less than a hour from Pittsburgh. But at least give them a call about canoes. I went there about 2005 looking for a canoe. They had some, but I ended up going home with an 18’ sea kayak—long story. Call them. The guy who was running the place was an open boater. Even if they don’t have canoes anymore, it will probably be an interesting discussion.

Addendum: I remember the guy in charge was Jeff. I’m terrible with names, so didn’t trust my memory and looked up Rocky Mountain. Owned by Jeff Prycl, so maybe I did remember. In the shop, Jeff had shown me a magazine (remember those?) cover photo of him running a waterfall in a canoe. Now, all I find is photos of Jeff in a Kayak. I guess that is where the market is. Still, I think it worth your while to call. You never know what might be stashed in the trailers out in back of the shop—I didn’t expect to find a sea kayak in New Stanton, but there it was.

 

[MrPoling]

I see Blue Ridge Outfitters has a Pal 16 in tough stuff. Nova Crafts website shows lots of people paddling it solo. The Tuffstuff is also good for rocky rivers generally bumping into things.

They have a Tformex Mad River Explorer too. It's heavier, a touch wider, and will be a little bit slower, but it's substantially cheaper.

 

[canube]

I live in Cleveland and have a Mad River Malacite possibly for sale. People like to solo it. I bought it from Dave Curtis, who redid all the wood. It's been garage kept since I've owned it. It's a great Lake and river boat but I'm not sure about class 2. I'd like $950 for it and could meet you near Lordstown if things were to be agreed to....Tons of great reviews about it

 

[Jmharrick]

So I took everyone’s advice and made it out to the WPA Solo Canoe Rendezvous. I convinced the wife, threw our 3 girls (3 yr old, and 18 month old twins) in the car and drove up to Coopers Lake Campground.

We received a warm welcome from everyone we encountered. I’m terrible with names, but I believe it was Becky and Bruce who greeted us upon arrival and gave us a quick orientation. We ate lunch with everyone and the kids ran around and tried to climb in all the canoes and pet everyone’s dog. It was all good fun.

I will say I was probably the youngest guy there by at least 20 years (I’m 31), and I had multiple people approach me and mention that age gap and say they were happy to have some younger people and kids around for the day. I might have seen another guy in his 30’s right before leaving, but that was it. I wasn’t disappointed, all of these lifelong experienced paddlers had tons of knowledge they were willing to share and everyone was friendly and encouraging.

I met a guy named Pete, who builds some beautiful wood and canvas canoes, and we had a nice discussion about family canoeing and paddling in the Adirondacks.

I talked with Steve from Hemlock Canoes and he walked me through some of their different boats and also shared some info on their used inventory back in Rochester. They had a Hemlock Eagle on display that was catching my eye.

A guy great guy named Jay from Michigan offered to paddle the tandem Eagle with me and gave me a bunch of pointers. That boat was sweet and I really enjoyed paddling it. Jay was an awesome guy who was really encouraging and convinced me I was making the right decision by sharing some stories of him taking his kids on weeklong trips to Algonquin and the Adirondacks when they were young and the memories they made.

After paddling a few canoes I went back to the Hemlock tent and spoke with Steve and Dave Curtis about a used Curtis Northstar fiberglass they have at their shop. I pulled the trigger and had them put my name on it to pick up in a few weeks.

All in all it was a great experience with a lot of pleasant, knowledgeable, and encouraging people. I will be back next year, hopefully with my canoe on the bank for people like me to try out.

Thanks everyone.

**I’m heading up to the Adirondacks in a couple weeks for a vacation so plan grab the canoe on the way.

 

[MrPoling]

Jmharrick, I'm glad it worked out for you.

Nice canoe. Fiberglass is a great material. It is stiff, affordable, and easy to patch.

Have a great trip to the Adirondacks.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

a used Curtis Northstar fiberglass they have at their shop. I pulled the trigger and had them put my name on it to pick up in a few weeks.

A fine, classic canoe. Here is a picture of it . . .



. . . from Hemlock's current used canoe page:

Used & Demo Canoes

This page was last updated November 17th, 2024

www.hemlockcanoe.com

Dave could install a third, wide solo seat near the middle if you want, but that would require removing the central portage thwart. That decision would be based on what is more important to the paddler—having a properly trimmed solo seat for paddling or having a fixed portage thwart for one-person shoulder carrying. Those of us who value a central seat more highly will buy or make a clamp-on portage thwart, such as this one that Dave sells:

Conk Solo Portage Yoke

Removable contoured minicel pad (1.5 lbs.) specify model

www.hemlockcanoe.com

It's kind of pricey. You can find others.

Actually, I have an old picture of a Curtis Northstar with three seats, which has the portage thwart left in. That person probably had it installed with wing nuts, removing the yoke when paddling solo and putting it back in when portaging. Not a bad system. I installed a wide central seat in my first tandem canoe, which my young kids could sit on as well as for my use solo. The central seat in this picture is not a wide seat, but Dave has them.



An alternative to a central solo seat would be a kneeling thwart, which could be installed about 18" aft of the central portage thwart. That would be a lot less expensive, would not provide as level a trim, and assumes you would only be a kneeling as a soloist, as many canoeists are. You can either sit or kneel off a seat.

 

[Jmharrick]

Actually, I have an old picture of a Curtis Northstar with three seats, which has the portage thwart left in. That person probably had it installed with wing nuts, removing the yoke when paddling solo and putting it back in when portaging. Not a bad system.

Thanks for the info Glenn.

I like the idea of a central seat with removable yoke.

Would another solo option be paddling from the bow if the canoe was loaded for a trip?

Do you think it would be best to get the canoe and spend some time in it before deciding on the central seat, or should I try to make a decision and get it done before picking it up? Is installing a seat something I could do at home with regular tools? I’m pretty handy and have done a fair amount of carpentry work.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Would another solo option be paddling from the bow if the canoe was loaded for a trip?

Yes, many canoeists paddle tandem canoes from the bow seat backwards, if the canoes are symmetrical, as I believe the Curtis Northstar probably is.

The problem is that when you solo paddle bow seat backwards, you will be significantly out of trim, especially if you are a heavy person, and the the front of the canoe will be sticking up out of the water unless it's ballasted down. If you have a load of gear, you can arrange it forward to achieve a more level trim. However, if you're out for a solo day trip with little gear, you either have to live with the skyward bow or put 40-50 pounds of water ballast in the bow. Some canoeists are okay with either of these scenarios. Others, like me, detest both.

If I don't have a centralized seat or kneeling thwart in a tandem, I kneel as close to center as I can off three rectangular PFD cushions stacked atop one another. Canadian solo canoeists have made a sophisticated practice of this method called "Canadian style paddling," in which the soloist kneels up close to the center of the tandem and paddles it significantly heeled to the paddling side. There are many videos of this technique online, which works nicely on calm water but turns the canoe into a sail in wind.

Is installing a seat something I could do at home with regular tools?

Yes, it's easy if you have wood gunwales. Just buy (or make) drop blocks/spacers and a seat, cut them to proper depth and width, drill holes for bolts, and insert stainless seat bolts of the correct length.

You can buy different kinds of seats, drop blocks and hardware from Dave Curtis, including the highly kneelable and comfortable Conk seats, or you can buy these things from either of these two popular vendors of canoe supplies:

edscanoe.com

High Quality Handcrafted Canoe Accessories Manufacturing - Essex Industries

www.essexindustries.org

 

[NoelCanoeDad]

So I took everyone’s advice and made it out to the WPA Solo Canoe Rendezvous. I convinced the wife, threw our 3 girls (3 yr old, and 18 month old twins) in the car and drove up to Coopers Lake Campground.

We received a warm welcome from everyone we encountered. I’m terrible with names, but I believe it was Becky and Bruce who greeted us upon arrival and gave us a quick orientation. We ate lunch with everyone and the kids ran around and tried to climb in all the canoes and pet everyone’s dog. It was all good fun.

I will say I was probably the youngest guy there by at least 20 years (I’m 31), and I had multiple people approach me and mention that age gap and say they were happy to have some younger people and kids around for the day. I might have seen another guy in his 30’s right before leaving, but that was it. I wasn’t disappointed, all of these lifelong experienced paddlers had tons of knowledge they were willing to share and everyone was friendly and encouraging.

I met a guy named Pete, who builds some beautiful wood and canvas canoes, and we had a nice discussion about family canoeing and paddling in the Adirondacks.

I talked with Steve from Hemlock Canoes and he walked me through some of their different boats and also shared some info on their used inventory back in Rochester. They had a Hemlock Eagle on display that was catching my eye.

A guy great guy named Jay from Michigan offered to paddle the tandem Eagle with me and gave me a bunch of pointers. That boat was sweet and I really enjoyed paddling it. Jay was an awesome guy who was really encouraging and convinced me I was making the right decision by sharing some stories of him taking his kids on weeklong trips to Algonquin and the Adirondacks when they were young and the memories they made.

After paddling a few canoes I went back to the Hemlock tent and spoke with Steve and Dave Curtis about a used Curtis Northstar fiberglass they have at their shop. I pulled the trigger and had them put my name on it to pick up in a few weeks.

All in all it was a great experience with a lot of pleasant, knowledgeable, and encouraging people. I will be back next year, hopefully with my canoe on the bank for people like me to try out.

Thanks everyone.

**I’m heading up to the Adirondacks in a couple weeks for a vacation so plan grab the canoe on the way.

Hello, so glad you came and had a great time. I was sitting in Dave’s tent and talked to you about my Curtis Northstar my wife and I paddle. I resent the the statement of you being the youngest guy there by 20 years. I’m 42 thank you very much. Lol. This is the 3rd year my wife, my 5 daughters and I have attended. Hope we can paddle our Northstar’s with our families together some time. Enjoy.