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Please help me make my first canoe decision!!!

So i heard back from the 17' old town guy he said he was really looking for 400 but would split the difference with me at 375 and throw in a sterns life jacket and foam car top carriers. Sooo tempting but i really did not want to spend more than 350. Should i haggle more and tell him 350 or nothing or should i do the extra 25 and get the carriers and the jacket??
 
That's really up to you. Life Jackets or PFDs are best bought for yourself as one size does not fit all. Except for Stearns Inflatables.. they can fit everyone. Thats another discussion ..the best PFD. Foam car top carriers are not always the best idea but for a heavy OT they ought to work just fine.( they tend to slide under a lighter load)
Personally if the PFD is an inflatable and in good shape it might be worth it. One foam block retails for $5. Four for $20.
 
If on inspection it's not cracked or warped or twisted out of shape (you know: look it over really well) then go on ahead and buy it. What the heck, you can always blame Memaquay for talking you into it!

Before the deal is done and the cash handed over, you might try rolling it up on your shoulders. You could be moved to come up with another name, but still in keeping within the color scheme idea: Pi$$er, as in "this thing is a pi$$er to carry!"

Best Wishes and good luck! Rob

ps Once you do decide to buy it, don't fiddle around, for some reason it feels really bad to have missed something you wanted by 30 minutes.
 
Go get the 17' tripper. It's got room for your family and is workable as a solo. (that's if you can manage the weight!) (that's the last warning about weight from me)

When you start camping it's got plenty of room for gear, it's got enough size and mass that while you're learning how to paddle it will behave it's self. It's very resistant to damage you will encounter while learning.
I truly do understand all this consideration about money but if you consider it over, say five years of fun in your canoe the little extra won't matter a piffle.

Maybe it will help if you think of the Tripper as a pretty good all round canoe. You can't go very wrong with it. There are faster, lighter, more nimble, more specialized canoes out there but you're not at the point where these things will much matter to you. And shoot, who knows? this may be the canoe that will serve for you lifetime!

So...go get your canoe. Then come back and tell us about it and maybe include some pictures. Then we can get started giving you confusing and conflicting advice on books to read on how to paddle and various aspects of canoe tripping!

Go thou and diddle no more.....

Rob
 
I told him i would take the tripper at 375. Just waiting to hear back from him. And yes if anything goes wrong i am blaming you Memaquay;)!!
I will let you guys know when i hear back from him. I hope its good to go and there siint anything wrong with it when i get there as its a bit of a drive.
 
An old town camper 16 just popped up. I really like it but its 100 more dollars.

It weighs 21 pounds less but caries almost the same amount of weight like 200 lbs less.

should i try and scrape together the extra 100 and get the camper instead the weight dif is what matters to me, however then id have to get paddles where as the tripper comes with everything.
 
Didn't you already commit to buy the Tripper?

I don't think it really matters. If the canoeing bug catches you you'll be dumping whatever boat you buy now and upgrading. If it doesn't bite you then you won't really care what you paddle once or twice a year.

Alan
 
Yeah it's a very hard choice. I like the extra weight cap of the traveler but it's only by 200 or so lbs. the 21 pound weight dif can make a huge dif in car topping it. The traveler has everything needed like paddles jackets etc. but the camper is newer and nicer and it has Rolodex for sure. Both have pros and cons. Will they be about the same in the water? Myself and my wife are pretty heavyset so there will probably be a pretty big amount of weight needed. I am not sure how much they are going to want to go though. I wonder if the camper would hold all of us ok. If they don't end up liking it then the solo aspect of the camper also benefits me.
 
Put your wallet back in your pocket, go down to the library and check out all the books on canoeing. Read. Go on Amazon and buy used, other canoeing books. Read them. Think about it.
Think some more.

This coming winter save up some money for a canoe.

When spring comes start looking for a good canoe using your new found knowledge.

Grasshopper you're not ready,

Rob

ps: that's as nice as I can put it.
 
Boy, I'd say just the opposite... sorry Rob.

The amount of money you will lose on buying either one of those boats is minimal, they aren't going to go up or down in value very much, in contrast to say a new boat, which like a car, will depreciate immediately.

Go for the big one - sounds like you need the space and the paddles. It's going to suck going solo, but if you are really into that you will want a smaller, lighter boat anyway.

I'd say just go for it and plan on selling it within a year or two if you plan on keeping going (or keep it as a spare for friends or as a beater). Then look for something that will work better as a solo boat. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to pass it on for near what you paid for it.

I don't often promote the Raddison but for a small, solo fishing boat, it's pretty good. I hesitate to call it a 'canoe'. Depending on where you live you can usually find a good one between $400 and $500 with the seats and paddles. That could be your 'solo' boat. No technique required, you can row them. The biggest advantage to them is they are light and stable.

Get on the water, then you'll really appreciate the next boat you buy because undoubtedly it will be lighter or better performing which is not hard to do from where you are starting.

I went from the proverbial horse and cart (Radisson 14') to luxury sports car (Swift 16') myself. I quickly realized if I was going to go more places and spend more time on the water I was going to need a better tool for the job - so I shelled out the loot... and I did again... and again... and I'm sure I will again in the future. But I love having a spare boat, and I love having a light boat, and I love having a solo boat... and that was the price of admission ;)
 
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I agree w/ L'O.... immediately above.

Get the tripper, it's a workable late season start to paddling and will float your crew. Then start figuring what might really fit your needs, maybe a moderately priced, even used Kevlar composite or a Wenonah tandem. There will be others succeeding that one too if the sport intrigues. I've owned over 30 canoes before settling on the 5 or so in the boathouse.

It's a process that, seemingly, cannot be shortened as proven by my SUP board selections, 9 and counting, over the past four years.

So it goes. Humans learn slowly, Preachers, Teachers and Military Folk most slowly of all.
 
Rob I never was much of a book guy I learn more from hands on. I will practice in hallow water an take it easy til I get the hang of it. And I am very strict on life jacket policy. Got the tripper! Heading home with it will take some pics later. Thanks for your help guys!! Jordan
 
Hi Jordan, I had thought that in your #28 you were all decided to try for the Tripper then in subsequent posts it seemed you were off after that Camper. I guess I made a rush to judgment and thought if you were that easily distracted probably it would be best if you held off on any canoe until you had a better idea of what you really could use.
I was wrong to make such a judgment here. And quite evidently I was wrong in that you've made a decision and are returning with the Tripper, good for you!

About learning without recourse to books; books are pretty much my first choice, so perhaps someone here on the site can offer some ideas for you on how to proceed.

I apologize for the wrong judgment,

Best Wishes, Rob
 
Books:

Books are a great source of knowledge but I've learned in my career, and life, that not everything one must know is found in a book. And someone had to amass that knowledge in order to write the book.

I often find myself in that situation where I can easily refer to the fundamentals via published works but I must work out the exact details by my own means. The best way is to use the scientific method, but sometimes that is lengthy and cumbersome, so shortcuts get taken. Often times I am happy to see a scientific study but more often than not one is relegated to the sink or swim method - or better yet, whack-a-mole.

Such is real life. Trial and error always works.

It is usually best to spend some time up front to be sure you aren't re-inventing the wheel, although sometimes being overly educated makes you overly critical of your methods and you are unlikely to break out of the box.

I am nearly drifting into my thoughts of education, which must be rooted in some principles, but also must involve creativity and personal exploration. Being a bit of a stubborn fool myself, I need to remind myself my ways or ways I've learned aren't always the best. Sometimes, and actually often, there are multiple solutions to a problem.
 
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jp1985 said:
Rob I never was much of a book guy I learn more from hands on. I will practice in hallow water an take it easy til I get the hang of it. And I am very strict on life jacket policy. Got the tripper! Heading home with it will take some pics later. Thanks for your help guys!! Jordan
Click to expand...



YAY... And over the winter read some books. They are a lot of fun.. Instruction has faster rewards but that's another topic.
 
Rob I just realized how my post sounded. I am sorry i didn't mean for it to come of as cross. I was typing it from my phone while i waited for the guy to show up.
I just meant i am more of a hands on / real life experience learner. I have however watched some canoeing videos and even some put on by my states marine board. And i plan on attending a canoeing safety course.
As for book as Tripper said above winter time is the best :).
 
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