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Hi from Michigan

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I just realized I had posted before without an introduction. I am a newbie to canoe tripping. I've camped my entire life, went canoeing as a kid but nothing serious. I started longing to get out on the water and share the peace and quiet with my family, so my wife bought me a '59 O.T. Otca for my birthday year before last (consider myself a VERY lucky guy). Since then we've taken an interest in learning how to camp from a hiking/canoe tripping standpoint. I also have an interest in old camping gear and have a small collection. I am very impressed with the amount of knowledge being shared here and am looking forward to reading/learning more. The "how-to" and "what do you use?" threads have been great.

Jake
 
Camping out of a canoe is easier than backpacking unless you are portaging. You can carry a lot more gear if you need to. Have fun and welcome to the site.
Dave
 
Thank you for the welcome. Hopefully I won't drive people nuts with questions.

Yellowcanoe, I was a wcha member, I do need to renew. I follow their forums regularly. Robin suggested this site after I commented on one of his threads there.
 
Welcome, Ha, it pays to advertise! Camping out of a canoe is great, lots of fun.

I was over at the Great "Canadian Canoe Routes" web site the other day and saw Yellowcanoe has our website (canoetripping.net) as her signature. Thanks, Great idea.
 
Welcome Jake,
I'm looking forward to hearing of your peaceful paddles in Michigan. Forgive me asking, what is a '59 Old Town OTCA?
 
Welcome Jake,
I'm looking forward to hearing of your peaceful paddles in Michigan. Forgive me asking, what is a '59 Old Town OTCA?

It means your SO loves you! OTCA is an Old Town Canoe model. In wood and canvas, of course. There are discussions about it at the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association forums. I entered OTCA in the search and this is what I got http://forums.wcha.org/search.php?searchid=126294

Heck, we ought to have a canoetripping.net booth at the Assembly.

Maybe we should start a thread about who is going to the Assembly at Paul Smith's College? I know I am. I think Robin is too. Now lets not start a thread about canoetripping.net doodads. We really IMO don't need any. Just post our canoe ID. My yellowcanoe is composite and ineligible. My littleredcanoe is a working fixture at the WCHA Assembly since 1998. But its never on display at Cedar City as classes are held on the water, and its usually at work. Might be on the beach in front of L(ydia)MS(mith) dorm though.
 
Your '59 OT sounds like a treasure Jake. Forgive me if I get all syrupy here, but it's a piece of cultural history. The one and only cedar & canvas boat I've ever "handled", was an old wreck a childhood friend bought and later restored. Try as I might, I couldn't get it up on my skinny teen shoulders. He used to practise every day until he could manage it. I wonder what ever happened to that craft? My aunt and uncle who owned a marina would lend me a 16' cedar boat with an old outboard every summer. It had a brass stem band to withstand my questionable driving skills. That boat was more solid than my dad's car. Just take my word for it. Anyway, I never get tired looking at wood and canvas. As per the camping with old gear, my wife tells me she already does. I don't get it. Enjoy the quiet family paddles Jake, they're priceless.
 
Here's a picture of our OTCA, the OTCA model of that era is what used to be Old Town's Yankee model. I like it, to a rookie like me it seems to be stable, as I had all of my family individually taking turns standing up and paddling around in it first day out to raise the comfort level with no mishaps.

Brad, no worries on the syrupy stuff, it's fun to hear others stories. I too was allowed to take out an uncle's small outboard, granted it was aluminum. Memorable in that I was trusted to go out alone and explore with it and yes, it got abused slightly.

Just hope to get ours out on the water this year and enjoy the peace.
 

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WOW. I wish that were my screen saver. I searched the internet last night for old cedar & canvas canoes for sale. I'm surprised to see some out there. I guess I better think harder. My revised dream toy list is now :
1) '57 Chev wagon.
2) '60 Morris Minor
3) OT OTCA
 
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