Big Canoes

[lowangle al]

I just got an 18 foot OT guide, 1938, and I love it. Very stable for standing to paddle and flyfish. On the downside it is more affected by wind. More so than my tripper and I found myself paddling closer to midship than I would have thought to bring it around. I'd like to try a 20 footer.

 

[Canotrouge]

No Title

I've been paddling 17'9" Hellman Slocan for years, and I think it is one of my favorite, tandem or solo. I did a 10 day trip using an Esquif Miramichi 20' of RX heck... Slow slow slow....

 

[Mason]

18'6" Clipper/Jensen WW3. Deep with 4-32 specs. Great big water boat.

 

[lowangle al]

I've been paddling 17'9" Hellman Slocan for years, and I think it is one of my favorite, tandem or solo. I did a 10 day trip using an Esquif Miramichi 20' of RX heck... Slow slow slow....

I'm not familiar with the Miramichi but I have tripped in an XL Tripper. It would be a nice boat to have but not for the joy of paddling. I would think there are 20 footers that glide real nice and are possible to carry.

 

[Guest]

I'm not familiar with the Miramichi but I have tripped in an XL Tripper. It would be a nice boat to have but not for the joy of paddling. I would think there are 20 footers that glide real nice and are possible to carry.

There are sleeker, lighter, faster 20-ish footers than the XL Tripper or Miramichi. The Wenonah Min3 or Clipper Mackenzie come to mind. Drop down to 18’ 6” and the choices expand to far more new and used canoe choices.

It’s like there are two different categories of Big Canoes at that length; wide, slow, rockered 105lb freighters and narrower, lighter, go-fast-straight composite hulls that turn like a semi-tractor trailer.

In the former category I preferred the Miramichi to the XL Tripper, and I’m not usually a fan of Prospector hulls, engorged or not.

Either of those big, wide, heavy 20 foot plastic canoes choices call out for a motor mount. Getting a custom designed side motor mount on a friend’s Miramichi, so the short shaft 2.5 hp Suzuki sits at best prop height, is slowly coming to fruition. The Miramichi should be an awesome, seaworthy motor freighter with a proper depth side motor mount.

I’d still rather have a Grumman 20 foot square stern. A unicorn used.

Or a 20 foot Grand Laker, an unaffordable unicorn.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mad...AhUkqlQKHW4AAaAQ9QEIODAB#imgrc=YOEQHpuop5tNzM:

Have cash, will travel for either.

 

[lowangle al]

That MR grand laker is a nice looking boat and the Winona's look real functional, but I don't find them astheticaly pleasing. If I get a 20 footer it will be wood canvas, preferably an Old Town. If I ever get a big composite boat a 17 or 18' model with recurred stems is what I would be looking for, like the one in the OP.

 

[memaquay]

I dunno, I don't consider a canoe "big"until it is 20 feet. I've got two of them. 18 feet is fine for kicking around, but for serious fun, it's gotta be 20 feet.

 

[Canotrouge]

Big canoes to me are not necessarily just long... I mean my dream boat would be Kildonan Timber Cruiser, 17'6", 36"@ 4" waterline, 39" beam, 17" depth@center. That is a big canoe, that can carry a heavy load and staying dry in most conditions... Not only a long canoe that have 12-14" in depth, and 34" beam that can hardly carry 2 big guys and take load of water in moderate conditions lol.

 

[Guest]

If I ever get a big composite boat a 17 or 18' model with recurred stems is what I would be looking for, like the one in the OP.

How much recurve in the stems are you looking for? Maybe 22 feet?

I’ve been part of the race crew in one of these three times, with custom length bent shafts, and aboard for the New Year’s Day hangover cruise on the Susquehanna on a few occasions:

http://www.clippercanoes.com/mariner/

Friends have taken a couple seats out and floated the Green with a 4-person crew.

The stern man will get a heck of a workout. CT’er Chip can tell you about paddling bow. Without a rest stop.

 

[lowangle al]

I have always liked long, big, old, canvas, canoes. They are such a pleasure to paddle, because they have, "glide". Many of these, so called solo boats, neglect the increased length of the waterline. Yeah, I know that age will catch up with me in about 1 year, and the portage will necessitate a change, but there is no sweeter pleasure (maybe not) than paddling a nice long wood and canvas canoe.

After almost a month paddling my 18 foot OT guide in constant wind I finally got to take it out in perfect calm conditions. I was able to appreciate the "glide" and it was fantastic. Paddling felt effortless while at the same time my speed increased compared to a 16 footer. My guess is that it's due to the shallow draft. Will a twenty foot Guide or EM white glide even better?

 

[yellowcanoe]

OF course.. Glide=inertia

F=ma


the quantitative measure of inertia is proportional to its mass. For that reason big boats accelerate slower with a given paddle force and stop slower. Thats why quick accelerating boats are short ones.. But they also are easier to stop

Newtons Second Law : an object in motion tends to stay in motion.

http://physics.tutorvista.com/motion/inertia.html

 

[Jim Dodd]

Length/ Width ratios come into play also. Same width, but Longer, usually spells faster.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Yes and no. A paddler that doesn't develop enough power to overcome the increased skin friction will find longer slower
thats why designers develop boats of the same model in different sizes especially solo

 

[lowangle al]

So if I understand you guys correctly you are saying that I should get a twenty footer. Thanks I needed that.

 

[Paddlinhal]

I have a pair of TW Specials - 18.5 feet and 58 lbs. in kevlar. Makes poling upriver much more pleasant. And yes it seems like such a radical idea until you own one. Looking forward to adding an 18.5' Bell Mystic to the collection in the spring. Kevlar #6: Yikes!

 

[gumpus]

I think it's really cool that there are folks out there that actually use and need big canoes. All the boats mentioned on this thread are awesome.

I recently sold my Bell Northwind (17.5) since it just wasn't getting used...since it likes to have more than 500 pounds in it to be happy. I've come across a couple of relatively big boats that seemed to be really sporty even with a very light load - the Bell Northwoods and the Swift Quetico 18'4". And I do remember paddling a Bell Mystic...for sure that boat is a missile.

 

[lowangle al]

^^^^ I sure don't need a big canoe to paddle solo and empty around my lake for pleasure, and I never would have thought that a heavy 18 footer with a straight keel line would become my most enjoyable boat to paddle, but it did. The increased stability combined with the glide have made it my "go to" boat, even in the wind. It might be in my head, but I seem to use less energy with the bigger boat than I do in my 16 footers on a typical paddle. Im sure some of it is due to hull shape and not just length though.

 

[yknpdlr]

OF course.. Glide=inertia

F=ma


the quantitative measure of inertia is proportional to its mass. For that reason big boats accelerate slower with a given paddle force and stop slower. Thats why quick accelerating boats are short ones.. But they also are easier to stop

Newtons Second Law : an object in motion tends to stay in motion.

http://physics.tutorvista.com/motion/inertia.html

Sorry, as a career physicist, I cannot let this one go unchallenged. From your own link, you will see that Newton's FIrst Law is the law of inertia. The second law is the force to acceleration law: F=MA. They are related, but distinct and different statements of how things work. Newton's third law is the action-reaction response.