Share your opinion on a new canoe?

[Glenn MacGrady]

nose caps

Those look very nice. One thing to watch out for over the years is water collecting under those extended wood noses and rotting, especially when a wet canoe is flipped upside down on a car roof or storage rack. I have that problem on a Bell canoe, which were built with extended and overhanging wooden gunwales/decks.

 

[yellowcanoe]

A tiny weephole helps if you can bring yourself to do that

 

[Alasgun]

With 2 of you commenting; i‘m scratching my head wondering where this water will build up? Both caps are solid wood and were glued to the hull with G-flex. I guess you’re gonna have to splain it to my dumb arse, what im looking for.

 

[Woodpuppy]

With no space available for water to wick between the hull and nose piece you may well be in the clear. The boat Glenn is talking about, the gunwales are screwed on but not glued and so water gets in there are causes problems.

In my experience, water can almost always get in regardless of efforts to keep it out. Case in point the tail light housings on my pickup; the bulb holders all have gaskets ostensibly to keep the water out. What really happened was my light would fill halfway with water! My friend ribbed me about keeping fish in my tail lights. A well placed 1/4” drain hole solved it. So the lesson is despite best efforts water will get in, and it is good to make sure there is a way for it to get out/away.

 

[Alasgun]

Alright, this is certainly something to bear in mind. Once i had the caps carved they were submerged overnight in a wood hardener then left to cure a day or so before being glued to the hull. Once the final filing/sanding was done they each received a coat of good spar varnish and are now getting oiled, which will go on for a while. From my days with the ocean boat i have complete confidence in the G-flex from a holding/sealing standpoint but i can imagine postures that would encourage standing water and will be vigilant to defend my new “Parade Boat”. The Latin version might even be a passable name? Navicula pompa.

This will be quite a transition for me after only owning tractors. (0ld Town plastic & such)
I appreciate the quality input i receive from you guys, Thanks

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

The problem may not affect your solid, sealed and epoxied nose caps. The Bell has sort of a cavity under the convergence of the the outwales and the deck. I've never been diligent in oiling, varnishing or otherwise maintaining the wood on my canoes. The water gets under there and into the seams of the wood from wave slap and the canoe being outside, upside-down on my van or canoe racks. The rot is quite minor and could have been prevented by reasonable maintenance.

 

[memaquay]

You do beautiful work, i'm sure you could build a stripper that would put us wood butchers to shame.

 

[Jim Dodd]

A lip that extends past the end of a canoe, worries me.
I see it catching on a branch while paddling through over hanging branches and flipping me.
I like the looks ! Don't get me wrong ! Just the effect it might have.
As far as a weep hole ? All my canoes get them.
They give me peace of mind knowing, there is no water under my decks to cause rot .

 

[Odyssey]

A lip that extends past the end of a canoe, worries me.
I see it catching on a branch while paddling through over hanging branches and flipping me.
I like the looks ! Don't get me wrong ! Just the effect it might have.
As far as a weep hole ? All my canoes get them.
They give me peace of mind knowing, there is no water under my decks to cause rot .

That looks sweet Jim.

 

[Woodpuppy]

@Jim Dodd i hadn’t considered the possible snag factor, definitely a risk in places I want to paddle a maneuverable canoe in FL. But it sure does look good.

 

[lowangle al]

Never fear, Alasgun, my EM White has a similar overhang, so It's not unprecedented.

 

[Alasgun]

When i think of “over hanging” branches, low enough to snag that trim; i remember days as a kid in Florida and all the snakes we shot off of those limbs!! I can assure you at 72, there will not be any “low branch” or other tricky locations requiring me to dodge anything overhead. The Alaskan rivers i will frequent will all be a cl3 or less and no portaging, which could pose a greater impediment up here.
I sure wouldn't mind shooting some more snakes though!
Im looking at mid week for a first wetting, excitedly looking.

 

[lowangle al]

Hey what's open? Knik River?

 

[Alasgun]

Im told the creek that connects Finger and Wasilla lake’s is open at the culvert on the Seward Meridian.
I will confirm this Monday.

The Eklutna tailrace is open but it looked pretty skinny. Id rather have some actual paddling water as im not interested in poling the parade boat!

 

[lowangle al]

Have fun, I should be up there Mid May. Do you fish for rainbows in the lakes?

 

[Alasgun]

Sadly, no. With over 400 homes along the shores on the 7 mile stretch all using septic systems i’d not eat anything coming from those waters.

 

[lowangle al]

We can throw them back, but if I catch a "brown trout" I'm goin home.

 

[Alasgun]

With the garden taking all my time momentarily the new boat remained dry till this morning. The ice just went out on Knik lake a couple days ago and it’s a ten minute drive so i left home about 6:45 and had a nice first paddle with this boat. Empty it’s lively but it gave me a chance to try two of the new paddles. Kneeling at the cary yoke or sitting in the bow seat backwards it’s a joy to paddle.
In another couple weeks things will have slowed to allow an early morning paddle to the off side of another, farther from the hustle and bustle lake; just to make a pot of coffee.

 

[tketcham]

Unloaded, which paddling position did you find worked best?

 

[Alasgun]

Kneeling at the yoke by far and with the smaller paddle. The two on the right were used this morning and the Sassafras otter tale was my favorite with just me in the boat. The other one was just too much of a good thing.