As the title says I may never experience what it's like to paddle a homemade canoe made from stripped cedar planks of the Abughangee mountains but I believe I found a keeper canoe.
As soon as I put it in I could tell the difference. It sat on the water like a feather instead of a bath tub.
As soon as I started out I almost started singing "Oh Canada" (it's a Canadian made canoe eh) It was light & fast. Very easy to paddle. If I wanted speed I could do it, but even a casual stroke kept me moving at a nice pace. It tracked very well (has a keel) however, I will admit, it did turn a little slow. (Purists may want to skip this next comment) I found if I did a wide sweeping stroke with my kayak paddle it helped me turn a bit quicker. It was pretty stable even with a moving dog. I did rock it side-to-side and it seemed fine.
The wooden seats were a big pain-in-the-butt (lol) but I found if I put my knees down & put my weight on them not only was it more comfortable but it made it easier to paddle & control the boat.
I was even able to lift the boat & carry it too the water. Loading was equally as easy as I just backed down to the water edge & slid it on the back of the truck.
I did want to take a moment to again thank everyone here for their patience with me in the last couple weeks. You've all been helpful. I realize I have a long way to go to be as hardcore as you guys (and gals). I look forward to reading the forum and learning on the way.
As soon as I put it in I could tell the difference. It sat on the water like a feather instead of a bath tub.
As soon as I started out I almost started singing "Oh Canada" (it's a Canadian made canoe eh) It was light & fast. Very easy to paddle. If I wanted speed I could do it, but even a casual stroke kept me moving at a nice pace. It tracked very well (has a keel) however, I will admit, it did turn a little slow. (Purists may want to skip this next comment) I found if I did a wide sweeping stroke with my kayak paddle it helped me turn a bit quicker. It was pretty stable even with a moving dog. I did rock it side-to-side and it seemed fine.
The wooden seats were a big pain-in-the-butt (lol) but I found if I put my knees down & put my weight on them not only was it more comfortable but it made it easier to paddle & control the boat.
I was even able to lift the boat & carry it too the water. Loading was equally as easy as I just backed down to the water edge & slid it on the back of the truck.
I did want to take a moment to again thank everyone here for their patience with me in the last couple weeks. You've all been helpful. I realize I have a long way to go to be as hardcore as you guys (and gals). I look forward to reading the forum and learning on the way.