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Can I use this canoe?

Joined
Jan 31, 2013
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Middle of the Florida paddling paradise
Getting older and looking toward the future. Keep on passing up the kevalar canoes I see. Now there is a 18' kevalar We-no-nah with a big designed by Jensen decal. Not a racing model. A Bell Northwind is hard to get through some of the places we go. Thinking anything Jensen and 18' is not going to be good for tight places. A lake canoe. Should I pass or get???? Great price wrong boat?
 
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We had a Jensen 18 footer in Duralight (70 pounds with wood rails). Went straight like crazy and took a whopping big load, but didn't turn worth a crap except unloaded. Just try getting it to turn in a small twisty river with a full load and going upstream against the current. That was not a lot of fun.
 
I was just reading J Stelmok's book "Building the Maine Guide Canoe" last night and there is a passage by one of the old guides in there about the value of using the 18 1/2 foot EM White in the shallow water of Maine rivers in summer. The extra length translates to extra buoyancy and allows longer boats to travel where 16 footers can't. I have used a Maine Guide 18 for years and found that adage to be true.

I used to have a Wenonah Odyssey which is an 18 1/2 foot boat with a straight keel. It is a downriver boat that I used on rivers a lot but was always frustrated by its reluctance to turn. Mike C designed a lot his boats for the upper Mississippi River where there is plenty of room for turns. The Odyssey used to have the same "Jensen designed" decal on the rear. I would find a different boat for rivers.
 
If you're getting older (like me) carrying anything that's 70 lbs and 18' long is getting harder... you didn't specifically say you wanted a boat for solo use, but personally, i don't like driving anything more than 15' long and 50lbs solo. 16' even gets ungainly when trying to load/unload it or carry it through the woods. If you're going tandem, that's a whole different story.
 
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