New To Canoe, But Not To Paddling

[Rusty Ole' Bucket]

Dynel is a fabric like fiberglass it is woven and can conform to contours of a canoe. There is so much great information on this site for builders first time or experienced.
Jim

I use Dyneema rope (Amsteel) a lot, for it's size it's super tough and doesn't stretch. I wonder if it's the same material just woven and not braided into rope? I'll do some research into some of the build threads to see how to use it. This is the stuff I'm taking about.

Dyneema® | The World's Strongest Fiber

A fiber that’s 15 times stronger than steel, yet light enough to float on water. Think it sounds too good to be true? Think again.

www.dyneema.com

I use it on my boats and hammocks.

That spelling seems too close to be a coincidence.

 

[Alan Gage]

Ai says no relationship:

ChatGPT - Dynel vs Dyneema comparison

Shared via ChatGPT

chatgpt.com

 

[Rusty Ole' Bucket]

Ai says no relationship:

ChatGPT - Dynel vs Dyneema comparison

Shared via ChatGPT

chatgpt.com

Hmmm...interesting.

 

[Rusty Ole' Bucket]

As promised, my ugly mug doing the thing.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Rusty, I'm late to this thread but welcome to site membership! Feel free to ask any questions and to post messages, photos and videos, and to start threads, in our many forums. Please read Welcome to CanoeTripping and Site Rules! Many of the site's technical features are explained in Features: Help and How-To Running Thread. We look forward to your participation in our canoe community.

Test your canoe out for a while. A 16' tandem canoe re-seated into a solo canoe is often a good solution for larger guys who want space and stability. Unfortunately, the lighter the weight of a canoe (as for carbon/Kevlar composites), the more expensive. Sometimes, however, you can find low prices for beat-up composite canoes on the used market that are still plenty useful for activities like fishing.

 

[Rusty Ole' Bucket]

Rusty, I'm late to this thread but welcome to site membership! Feel free to ask any questions and to post messages, photos and videos, and to start threads, in our many forums. Please read Welcome to CanoeTripping and Site Rules! Many of the site's technical features are explained in Features: Help and How-To Running Thread. We look forward to your participation in our canoe community.

Test your canoe out for a while. A 16' tandem canoe re-seated into a solo canoe is often a good solution for larger guys who want space and stability. Unfortunately, the lighter the weight of a canoe (as for carbon/Kevlar composites), the more expensive. Sometimes, however, you can find low prices for beat-up composite canoes on the used market that are still plenty useful for activities like fishing.

Thanks for the warm welcome Glenn. I'm really enjoying the site so far.

 

[Black_Fly]

Welcome. What weight are you allowed to carry overhead? In the waters pictured, you could get by with a Kevlar hull, which can be very lightweight (but not gator proof).

 

[Rusty Ole' Bucket]

Welcome. What weight are you allowed to carry overhead? In the waters pictured, you could get by with a Kevlar hull, which can be very lightweight (but not gator proof).

Thanks for the welcome Black_Fly. I don't have a weight limit imposed by any of my doctors, just whatever I can handle comfortably. My canoe is a huge improvement over my kayak at more than a 50 pound reduction. I may try something lighter in the future, thanks for the recommendation.

Rusty

 

[Idiot Savant]

Hi everyone. I've been lurking for a while but got tired of not being able to see y'alls pictures so I decided to sign up.

I've been kayak fishing for about 15 years now. I have a big fat nasty Ascend 128T that has served me well, I've caught a lot of fish out of that thing. I've even done a few week long large lake excursions. It's heavy, it's a wind sail, but I've loved the thing and it's always gotten me back to the truck.

Well, enter my doctor and a cardio stress test, next thing I know I'm having open heart surgery, quintuple bypass, that was last May. Long story short, I can no longer handle a 130 pound fishing log. I'm only in my late 50s so there's no way I'm ready to stop fishing or paddling but my doctor said I need an equipment change to something lighter. I'm a bigger guy, 6' and 235 pounds. I looked around for a kayak that would fit the bill and couldn't find anything rated for enough weight and in my budget (yeah, that thing reared it's ugly head) that I liked. My wife suggested a small canoe so I started looking at canoes on Marketplace. I found a gently used Old Town Sportsman 119 and managed to work out a deal that fit into the "B" word thing. It cuts the weight considerably and still leaves me with a little weight room for gear. The main thing is it gets me back on the water.

If I really get into it and like the canoe over a kayak, I could see myself upgrading to a new lighter boat in the future. I'd love to hear some suggestions for a logical upgrade from the Old Town considering my situation. I'm also VERY open to finding something (like a tandem) and modifying it to a solo boat. I love tinkering and working on stuff. I live down south in the US and spend a lot of time on the water, fishing, camping and just exploring. I added Paddleways to phone a while back and have really enjoyed the extra info on places to paddle. I'm definitely interested in expedition canoeing and could see that in my future as well, there's lots of rivers, lakes and marshes around here to explore.

My wife and I have also talked about a tandem canoe we could paddle together, but it sounds like it's going to be hard to get her off her own kayak. I kinda like my own boat too, she can do her thing while I fish. We go out together often, so it may be a thing one day.

Thanks for the great paddling information resource! I'm looking forward to learning more about canoeing, canoe tripping and talking with y'all.

Rusty

From my own personal experience, I can tell you that you can build yourself back up but, even so, I'd rule out most rotomolded kayaks because of the weight. Even if you could handle them, after you recover, you won't be able to down the road. Canoes can be very light. The thwarts and yoke are handy for lifting and carrying. I'd recommend using a double blade paddle with a solo canoe. You are already used to it and it's a lot easier to master than a single blade.

 

[Rusty Ole' Bucket]

From my own personal experience, I can tell you that you can build yourself back up but, even so, I'd rule out most rotomolded kayaks because of the weight. Even if you could handle them, after you recover, you won't be able to down the road. Canoes can be very light. The thwarts and yoke are handy for lifting and carrying. I'd recommend using a double blade paddle with a solo canoe. You are already used to it and it's a lot easier to master than a single blade.

Thanks for the advice. This May will be two years since the surgery (wow that went fast) and I've been steady working on my fitness, I can't say I'm 100% but I'm close. I think you're right about rotomolded kayaks, I'm never going back that direction at this point. I've been out on my Old Town a few times now and I'm sold on canoes.