Coleman Expedition 146 dlx

This is your utility workhorse canoe... It's not going to win any races, and it certainly won't portage well, but you'd be hard-pressed to find another canoe that will tolerate as much abuse as this one.

This review is for the Coleman Expedition 146 dlx, also branded as the Pelican Excursion 146 dlx. Pelican acquired Coleman's canoe division in 2000 and continued making RAM-X plastic hull canoes to Coleman's specifications. Some canoes were branded Coleman, and some were branded Pelican. They eventually dropped the Coleman branding altogether.

Specifications:

• Length: 14' 6"
• Beam: 37" at the yoke
• Seats: x2 - hardwood frame with nylon webbing
• Weight: 92 lb
• Max capacity: 800 lb
• Hull material: RAM-X-CEL (HMWPE)
• Colours: Green or Red outer hull, light beige/grey inner hull, black deck hardware.

Ease of Use (6/10): I'd say it tracks about average for a flat bottom canoe, but it moves and steers slowly. That being said, it does impressively well in the water considering how much it weighs. It is equipped with a yoke, which I have used to load and unload the canoe. The weight makes it hard to maneuver when it is on your shoulders, and I have scratched my car a couple times trying to load it solo. I think most people would vastly prefer a two-person carry or a canoe cart if they were doing any light portaging. Personally, I would not even consider portaging this canoe.

Features (8/10): The hardwood yoke and webbed seats were a nice cosmetic touch, and more comfortable than the moulded plastic seats on the non-DLX models.

Construction & Durability (10/10): One thing you cannot fault this canoe for is its durability. It is virtually indestructible. It might weigh 92 lbs, but you can pound rocks all day and only have a few small scratches to show for it. Even if you manage to hit a "can-opener" at high speed, you'll likely just gouge the outer skin of HWMPE, and not even reach the core. These canoes can hold up to some serious neglect (even intentional mistreatment!). If you care for yours, it will last a lifetime.

Conditions: My canoe was manufactured in 2004. The previous owner told me that it has been in virtually every body of water in the Frontenacs. It's seen some light whitewater use, it's been left outside, and it certainly hasn't ever been babied. In all those years of heavy use, it only has light scuffs and scratches over most of the belly, and has just barely worn through the outer plastic skin at the proudest point of the bow and stern.