Canoes

Featured review by Mike

I chose the Old Town Saranac 146 canoe because of its quality, features, size, and price. Not too small or too big (needed to fit on roof rack w kayak). It's fairly stable and can easily be paddled with a kayak paddle! The padded seats, rod holders and extra storage are nice for extra gear. Plenty of room for 2-3 passengers, poles, tackle, cooler, etc. A quality compact canoe (for the price) that seems very durable. You can't go wrong with legendary Old Town brand quality.

My wife and I were looking for two kayaks, but we love canoes. She bought the kayak and I chose the Old Town Saranac 146 canoe because of its quality, features, size, and price (boat clearance sale was less than $500). It's not too small or too big (needed to fit on a roof rack with kayak). It's fairly stable and I can easily propel it with a kayak paddle! The padded seats, rod holders, and extra storage are a bonus because I use it primarily for fishing small northern lakes. I use the center seat storage to hold a compact 12volt battery for my Garmin depth finder.

Read more: Old Town Saranac 146 reviews (3)

Reviewed by Little Green Boat

Great canoe! It's rugged, light, and easy to pull over log jams or sands bars. It feels tipsy at first, but is plenty stable for fishing or jump shooting duck. Have not been dumped yet, does require a good j-stroke or double paddle.

This is a great little canoe! I have two other Old Town canoes for use with family and friends, but needed something lighter I could easily throw in the bed of the truck for fishing and duck hunting solo. The 119 has a shallow arched bottom so it does not have as much initial stability as a flat bottomed boat and will feel tippy at first, but it can actually be leaned over to the gunnels without tipping (with propped skill and balance).   The boat is easy to get down river banks and rough put-ins, and holds enough gear for my needs.

Read more: Old Town Discovery 119 review (1)

Featured review by Matt Rixx

Great canoe for day, weekend, and multi-day exploratory trips. Amazing way to fish, camp, and get away from the crowds.

I am an avid backpacker and hiker, and at one time was extremely proud to be able to go for 10-14 days with only a 45-50 lb pack. One evening, after a few drinks at a bar/pub in Leadville, CO, a local outdoorsman mentioned he recently went out for 10 days and packed 4 thick-cut ribeyes, 6 bottles of wine, 2 bottles of champagne, 1 bottle of top-shelf tequila, cheese, bread, 18 real eggs, 2 lbs of bacon, real ice (and even 10 lbs of dry ice) PLUS fresh fruit and veggies. Then to add insult to injury, he commented he covered over 20 miles a day.

Read more: Old Town Discovery 169 reviews (2)

Featured review by Deplorable

Now discontinued for some time, this was Dagger's original whitewater Royalex boat. If you are able to locate a used one, I would encourage you to purchase this fine piece of a legendary canoe maker's history and use it!

I've owned my Dagger Caper for over ten years now and couldn't be happier with it. I am not an expert paddler and have only used this boat on up to Class III+ whitewater. I frequently paddle this boat on mild whitewater and it is a joy. I paddle mainly on the Hiwassee River, Nantahala River, Little River, Citico Creek, and sections of the Tellico River. I also use this canoe in slack waters on local lakes and ponds. It has been used for overnight 20-mile trips on the Caney Fork River. Dagger Caper shown here exiting Devil's Shoals on the Hiwassee River The Caper was Joe Pulliam's first Royalex whiterwater canoe.

Read more: Dagger Caper T reviews (2)

Featured review by Kirk Mallette

Love this boat. Had an old fibreglass Clipper Explorer 17' which could not be replaced. Bought this Royalex boat to fill hole. Boy did it ever! Three inches of rocker makes this boat dance in whitewater when filled with air and it still handles great when loaded. Surfs well to boot!!

This is a great boat for those who can paddle. While it tracks beautifully with attention, it does want to turn. The rocker also means that wind drift is real so open crossings are work. Puncturing the boat to install skirt tie downs is not a worry and the wear and tear issue does not exist. The boat is warm on cold water and repairs have just not been needed so far. Glued on D rings have remained attached so far for air, cargo and thigh straps. Took out wood spacers that had hung seat below gunwales lowering center of gravity but straining the old knees and tying up the size thirteens under the seat, especially in the stern.

Read more: Esquif Canyon reviews (2)

Featured review by Ohkaren

Anyone who travels, but loves canoeing, knows how hard it is to transport your favourite canoe, especially in Alaska, with so few roads and so much plane-accessible wilderness. Federal aviation laws prohibit the carrying of hardshell boats strapped to the plane struts if there are passengers. It can make for an expensive trip. The Ally 811 solves the problem.

Like so many boats made in Europe, the attention to design has resulted in a product that has not had to change in many years. It's still a good design. The boat comes in a big box and you can buy a bag to carry it in. The carry bag has backpack straps and while it holds all the aluminium parts, I'll be damned if I can easy get the entire boat, including foam and skin in the bag. I wish the company would provide instructions on how to pack it. That aside, the instructions for assembling the boat are complicated and it really takes one to read and use the visual provided, while the second person gathers up the correct pieces.

Read more: Ally Canoes Model 811 16.5' DR reviews (2)

Featured review by Mumblefords

The We-no-nah Escapade is a 16.6 tandem performance touring canoe available only in "tuff weave"material. Produced mainly for lakes and gentle rivers, this boat is sleek and agile with great response to the paddlers commands.

I got in my new We-no-nah Escapade late last week and have taken her out every day since. The Escapade is a 16.6 canoe and it just so happens that 16.6 is the perfect length for a solo canoe. This canoe is only available in Tuff Weave material. I do like the feel and weight of tuff weave over royalex. The big drawback to the tuff weave however is that it does not take well to scratching. Structurally, you do no damage, but aesthetically it is easy to scratch your tuff weave paint job (why I bought the boat in white).

Read more: Wenonah Escapade reviews (2)

Featured review by Second Gear

My friend and I describe ourselves as middle-aged "fat-packers"-- but my best friend and hiking buddy got injured--really messed up her ankle, so hiking was out of the question for the summer. She grew up doing lots of canoeing, so it seemed like a good solution. Bottom line is she really had no idea where to jump in with selecting a boat. I helped her out by watching and watching Craigslist. Then this Wenona showed up. I read every bit of literature I could get my hands on...so she made her choice.

Read more: Wenonah Spirit II reviews (2)

Reviewed by Glenn Rose

When I first saw this boat I thought it was about as ugly as a playboat could be. It's asymmetrical, with the stern being blunt and blimp shaped — almost a square stern. The bow is less so, but still hardly the lines I've paddled for years, Probe 11s and Probe 12s. Paddling it was a completely different thing, though! This boat is faster than my Probes, surfs and ferries better, and just seems to glide across the current. It offers no surprises that the edgier boats do. The idea that it is only a beginner's boat is just not so. I was on the river, class II-III, with a Viper 11, Probe 12, and an Ocoee (11 ft.). They were not doing anything I couldn't do. This is a great boat. I can't wait to get it on some good water.

When I first saw this boat (the Esquif Raven) I thought it was the ugliest playboat I'd ever seen. It's asymmetrical, with the stern being blunt and blimp shaped - almost a square stern.  The bow is less so, but still hardly the lines I've paddled for years, Probe 11s and Probe 12s.  I wasn't expecting to enjoy paddling it. Paddling it was a completely different thing, though! This boat is faster than my Probes, surfs and ferries - forward and backward - better, and just seems to glide across the current.

Read more: Esquif Raven review (1)

Featured review by Erich

This canoe is based on a Trapper canoe originally built by Chestnut Canoe Company of New Brunswick. The Chestnut model was designed for trappers who needed a small, lightweight and easily maneuverable canoe for lakes, ponds and creeks. Today, the Trapper in the Nova Craft version is a great all around solo canoe for exploring small waterways and also for anglers wanting a small stable canoe to use as a fishing platform.

Background: I bought the first production model and had it shipped out with several other Nova Craft canoes that local club members purchased. Initially, I had thought to sell it after testing it, but have decided to keep it as it fits into a category not met by my other canoes. I now have about 60 hours in this canoe. Trapper's canoes were built by many firms in the early 20th century. Besides Nova Craft, Old Town also makes a trapper's canoe. There are other names, such as angling canoe, or pack canoe.

Read more: Nova Craft Trapper Solo reviews (2)