Question On Canoe Disposal

[Keeled Over]

As long as everything goes as planned myself and 2 brothers will canoe the Missinaibi next year all the way to Moosonee. Praying for snow this winter.

I purchased a used Mohawk tandem for the trip. Neither myself or my brothers want this canoe at trips end, and if I can get around bringing it back to NY I am willing to discuss options.

Any thoughts on the possibilities of either selling it, or giving it away at trips end? I'll trade it for a few cold beers. I would think it would be easy to give it away, but what do I know. I don't plan on using a trolling motor on it so I won't need to register it in NY, but can I get into Canada without it being registered?

I know a short time back YC mentioned how practical these folks up north are so this might get used for dragging deer out of the woods. If I enter Canada with 2 canoes on the roof and I come back with only 1, will the constabulary drag me back into that same little room they brought me to when my 9 year old daughter put a blanket over her head to go through customs?

Previous owner - in Ohio - did use a motor so it has an expired Ohio registration with the registration numbers on the hull. I am thinking this might cause a problem so I figure I should register it in my name to play it safe.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

Thank you.

 

[recped]

You might find someone in Moose Factory or Moosonee that will take it off your hands but the chances of getting much if any money for it are slim.

In Canada there is no requirement to register canoes (freighters with big motors probably different). I've finished 9 different trips in Moosonee, I've never seen a canoe there that belonged to a local (other than the ubiquitous freighters). The area around Moosonee is definitely not canoe friendly.

You won't interact with Canadian Customs when returning to the US, I doubt US Customs would know or care if you had only one canoe rather than two on your return to the US.

It would cost you about CA$75 to put your boat on the train back to Cochrane, if it's worth more than $100 in your local area you might as well take it home and sell if you like.

Out of curiosity, what Mohawk model is it and how is the condition? You might be able to sell it in the Ontario area (using Kijjiji, like Craigs list) with delivery in the Toronto area on your way home, generally speaking canoes are worth more in Toronto that almost anywhere in the US.

 

[Robin]

I have crossed the border back into the U.S a few times with a different amount of canoes than when I entered Canada, but no one noticed.
Gerald Guay told me of an outfitter who was abandoning old worn-out royalex canoes at the mouth of an arctic river.

 

[jdeerfoot]

Various friends in my group have crossed the border into/out of Canada through the years with boats and other items (extension ladders, rooftop boxes) on the racks that went one way without any questions from border authorities. I have noticed that vehicles appear to be photographed when entering the US. I assume the Canadian authorities do the same and I know the two countries share some access to their databases on border crossers.

 

[memaquay]

I'm sure if you give it away free, someone will take it.

 

[scoutergriz]

You might find someone in Moose Factory or Moosonee that will take it off your hands but the chances of getting much if any money for it are slim.

In Canada there is no requirement to register canoes (freighters with big motors probably different). I've finished 9 different trips in Moosonee, I've never seen a canoe there that belonged to a local (other than the ubiquitous freighters). The area around Moosonee is definitely not canoe friendly.

You won't interact with Canadian Customs when returning to the US, I doubt US Customs would know or care if you had only one canoe rather than two on your return to the US.

It would cost you about CA$75 to put your boat on the train back to Cochrane, if it's worth more than $100 in your local area you might as well take it home and sell if you like.

Out of curiosity, what Mohawk model is it and how is the condition? You might be able to sell it in the Ontario area (using Kijjiji, like Craigs list) with delivery in the Toronto area on your way home, generally speaking canoes are worth more in Toronto that almost anywhere in the US.

transport canada only requires licensing on boats of any kind with motors 10hp or larger, that's why the 9.9 is so popular here, up there canoes are popular for duck and moose hunting because they can access the lowland bogs and sloughs far easier than a motor boat. you won't see them around town though because they're usually stashed at their favourite hunting spot. Selling it there would be tough though, most residents are subsistence hunters and don't have a lot of cash.
A friend's daughter lives up there somewhere and her husband has a half- dozen canoes stashed in various spots.

 

[scoutergriz]

Various friends in my group have crossed the border into/out of Canada through the years with boats and other items (extension ladders, rooftop boxes) on the racks that went one way without any questions from border authorities. I have noticed that vehicles appear to be photographed when entering the US. I assume the Canadian authorities do the same and I know the two countries share some access to their databases on border crossers.

both a friend and I have been stopped coming back to Canada because of canoes on the roof, but then again it WAS February.
all they wanted was some proof of ownership or origin, My buddy had a bill of sale, and mine had the factory applied canadian flag on the stern- that was enough to satisfy them

 

[yknpdlr]

My team has traveled from the Adirondacks to the Yukon with brand new looking wood strip boats several times without any question. I once carried across a brand new shiny carbon fiber C4 canoe that belonged to a partner who was not traveling with me. I had him give me a copy of the bill of sale with his information and signature, but I did not need to show it traveling in either direction.

 

[Keeled Over]

Thank you all for your input. Great info. recped - always an encyclopedia - I have learned from you again.

My older brother has a solo, and my younger likes kayaks (sometimes you just have to hit rock bottom first) so we decided to buy a "beater."

It is a Mohawk Nova 17. The previous owner rigged it for tripping so it has all of the "D" rings and lashing straps installed, but his missus decided she likes kayaks now. I would keep it but I have serious storage problems at the moment. I was going to just get an aluminum canoe for the trip, but here in lake county I rarely came across one without a full keel.

I will be leaving and re-entering through Sudbury, Ontario for the trip. Perhaps I can find a Scout troop or something that might want it. I would much rather give it to someone that needs it over selling it.

When I started this adventure I had one canoe. Now I have four. I want 14. Perhaps a tutorial on how/where to store these things is in order - just kidding. Much easier to collect baseball cards. Canoes can be a hassle to store, but every fall when I am paddling the ADK's with the leaves turning, and the reflection of the leaves is on the water, and there is no one around including insects, the feeding of my soul gets complete. I'm gonna keep paddling until I can't.

griz - we have the same 10hp max outboard here as well. Do you get people up there that put a cowling for a 9.9h hp on their 15-20 hp so they look legal? I have taken to looking at the stamp on the motor that states the hp. I asked a guy at the put in about this. He found a cowling for 9.9 on ebay and bought it for $55.00. Leaves it on the motor all the time so the real cowling stays pretty for when he sells it as a "mint" condition motor.

 

[snapper]

@Keeled Over - I realize you were joking (maybe) but the best way to store 14 canoes is to purchase an old farm with a usable barn. At this point, the lower part of my barn is divided into two sections. One is a shop and the other is canoe storage. One of my first retirement projects was to build racks for my canoes. At the moment there are at least 14 canoes and/or guideboats up there; and maybe even an unmentionable paddlecraft (or 2) with closed decks that require a double bladed paddle.

Bottom line, nothing beats a good barn for keeping your canoes out of the sunlight and away from bad weather. Just saying...

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[VernAK]

It's common to run the Yukon River and give the boat to locals at the end of the trip.

 

[Keeled Over]

Thank you Vern - I do hope I can gift this thing!!

Snapper - I realize there are many reasons you might not want to, but if you posted a picture it would be the best internet porn there is. Not that I've ever seen any.

We are very fortunate in that, for all of the wrong reasons, we will move to Chicks fathers place, which is on a lake - I will row that dang Grumman before I die - and has a pole barn on site with a shop.

The 14 canoes came about on long layover at the airport and for fun I just started scratching a list of canoes I would want if money and storage were no object and the list totaled 14. Many of them overlap, I have this weird hang-up about tools for specific needs. As an example, I have one pair of Gor-tex pants (not waders, just pants for wet brush) for stream fishing and another for day hikes. It's the same freakin' pant. Not sure why I am this way but I am sure breast feeding was involved.

It's funny - it seems like yesterday I only had the one canoe, but even if they are just hanging in the rack they are fun to look at and plan trips.

I have thought many times about posting a questions to see how many canoes you folks have.

I wonder about occupations that have enabled you folks to paddle so many trips. Some of you have discussed this. I sit here today wishing I had followed an early dream of being a teacher. I feel I would have been good at it, enjoyed it, I like to help, and that summer thing is a bonus. I know we have a few teachers on here and I am jealous!!

 

[snapper]

@Keeled Over - Right now I'm nursing a leg injury that's keeping me off my feet. I'll try to remember to get up to the barn when I'm able to get a few photos. Nothing special up there other than my 1898 Dwight Grant guideboat but walking into that old milking parlor always brings a smile to my face. Hopefully it will do the same for others.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[scoutergriz]

keeled over; nope, I don't know of anyone that does that here in Ontario, the cops patrol busier waterways pretty heavily here looking for safety infractions, and boats over 10 hp are considered "motor vehicles" so you could get nailed for "unregistered vehicle, but there's no charge for registering for a " pleasure craft license", only for commercial "vessel registration", vessel registration also allows you to register an official boat name- a small boat vessel registration is $50.
you need a "pleasure craft operator card" for ANY hp in Ontario, even a 2hp kicker on a canoe...

 

[Keeled Over]

Same here in NY. I have to register the Grumman because I use a trolling motor on it.