Wooden Boat Guy transitioning to ? (need advice)

[Scot]

Just joined the group after skimming info posted on forums for a while. Thanks to all for good info and discussions; very interesting. As profile pic suggests I am a wooden boat guy. Age is taking over slightly as is the need to get a bit lighter in a tandem boat (my solo stripper sill fine, but...) for day trips and short overnights. (1-3 days) I have not liked paddling the super-light Kevlar composites in the past. I just do not like the feel of them. Has anyone tried the new Esquif sport in T-Formex Lite? I'd like to know how it tracks and if it is a good choice for a tandem for mostly lake, occasional moving water, and short trips for the two of us. I weigh in at 250# with a partner who is about #120. We do not do much whitewater over class II any more. Mostly canoe-camping now. Want to purchase a tandem of this sort in the -60# range. I've looked at Northstar, Wenonah, Esquif, Swift, etc. mostly in the Prospector shape, but some in a shallower more contemporary as well. (Huron, Keewadin, etc.) Again, trying to transition in tandem from a wooden boat (Old Town 1959 - I restored) for weight and durability in put-in and take-out. Thanks in advance for any info and thoughts...Cheers!

 

[Boatman53]

Welcome to the campfire Scot. I’m a wooden boat guy too but I also have a Kevlar and a carbon fiber solo canoe. Nothing feels like a wood and canvas boat so comprises will have to be made. Good luck in your search.
Jim

 

[Scot]

Thanks Boatman53. This is not an easy transition. I have made three strippers, the 18'6 Gil Kilpatrick Guide - family canoe - my favorite, restored an OTCA 1959 our current tandem, and made an Ashes designed (Guelph) for my current solo. The bigger ones are just getting a bit heavy now. UGH! I hate to lose the aesthetics and feel of wood, but...Cheers!

 

[Alan Gage]

Maybe a Merrimack canoe would fit the bill for you:

Merrimack Canoes - Lightweight Hybrid Composite and Wood Canoes for paddling with family, wilderness trips, fishing, and casual paddling | Sanborn Canoe Company

Lightweight hybrid composite and wooden canoes for trekking, fishing, and paddling with family.

sanborncanoe.com

 

[Patrick Corry]

Come on man.... you can't just go over to the dark (non-wood) side!

Just kidding. For me the aesthetics and feel of my wood/canvas canoes justify the extra effort. My favorite solo shown below is 52 lbs. I'm 73 and fortunately still somewhat agile. I just have to plan my moves a little more than when I was younger!

 

[Benson Gray]

I hate to lose the aesthetics and feel of wood

You may want to consider a trailer. I have become a big fan of them as I get older.

Benson

 

[lowangle al]

I really like my composite Seliga Tripper at 40 lbs. It's a great hull that I love to paddle, I think Joe hit the nail on the head with this one. Although I'd rather paddle one of my w/c boats I love this boat and don't feel the compromise too much.

I agree that the light composite boats don't feel as good, but I've gotten used to it. I also started using a twenty- twenty-five lb. bag of ballast in it when solo and that improved the feel.

You can get a trailer, and should, so you can keep paddling your Old Town, but the trailer won't help you on a trip.
Did I mention it's pleasing to look at.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

To me, I really have never noticed much "feel" difference between a composite canoe and a stripper. That's because I consider strippers to be composite canoes—fiberglass with a wood core.

There is a feel to wood/canvas that is unlike other materials, which isn't replicated by composite, plastic or aluminum hulls. You'll just have to accept that.

If you're moving to lighter weight canoes because you're getting old, that makes eminent sense to me. But I have news: You'll get EVEN OLDER. Nonstop! And hence lighter weight will continue to become more and more important.

Thus, I'd skip all plastic canoes because they are only slightly lighter or even no lighter than wood/canvas, unless your budget won't allow you to get a lightweight composite canoe. There is an abundance of them, including Hemlock Canoe, which is near you and has a nice 16'-5" tandem called the Eagle.

With 370 pounds of body weight in the canoe, plus gear, you perhaps would be better served by a 17' tandem. There are lots of reasonable choices in that length. The decision about any canoe is often dictated, not by ideals, but by what's on the used market within driving distance at an affordable price. If you have the bucks to buy a new composite, your choices will expand greatly—and vice versa for your bank account. In canoe buying, light weight is inversely proportional to price.