Talk to me about canoes

Storz

Explorer
Have gone canoeing a few times recently with my in-laws, they live on a nice river here in Michigan. Wife and I are thinking of purchasing one next year, we have two boys. Oldest is 4 and the youngest is 9 weeks, we want something that we can keep a lifetime and use as the boys grow.

Use will initially be day trips on flat calm rivers, but eventually an overnighter isn't out of the question. With kids I prefer stability over speed. My wife is a very experienced canoer having grown up on the river, and I spent many years in a white water kayak (little Dagger Ultrafuge)

Pic from Saturday
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Looking at something like the Old Town Penobscot 174 or Discovery 169

174
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169
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Stumpalump

Expedition Leader
We upgraded to an Gummen 18' for the the wife, myself, dog, cooler and mandatory work related electronics. The dog can jump around and not rock it. It never feels tipsy even with boat wakes. Unless your shooting rocky rapids then aluminum is the only material that lasts unless you store it inside. Petroleum boats are heavy and rot in the sun. Aluminum is the only heirloom material unless you leave it in the water next to boats that are hooked up to electricity like in a marina. It's cold were you live so tipping may not be an option so you might even like the 19 square back. Load that thing with everthing and never worry about drowning the smart phones. Leave it chained outside to a tree for decades and it's just as good as the day you bought it. Longer is also faster so when your kids grow up that thing will fly. My wife and I literally blow past every group of kayak and short canoes with an 18. If you think you need one without a keel or has rocker in it than what you described is long aluminum territory. I hate canoes without a keel. They don't track straight and blow all over the place. Wife and kids won't help that. Whatever you buy then teach the wife to steer the rear. You don't want to watch the crew screew ups and stronger paddler up front is best. You really need a keel for wife and kids or that thing will be squrly and you will all be miserable keeping them focused.
 

Storz

Explorer
We upgraded to an Gummen 18' for the the wife, myself, dog, cooler and mandatory work related electronics. The dog can jump around and not rock it. It never feels tipsy even with boat wakes. Unless your shooting rocky rapids then aluminum is the only material that lasts unless you store it inside. Petroleum boats are heavy and rot in the sun. Aluminum is the only heirloom material unless you leave it in the water next to boats that are hooked up to electricity like in a marina. It's cold were you live so tipping may not be an option so you might even like the 19 square back. Load that thing with everthing and never worry about drowning the smart phones. Leave it chained outside to a tree for decades and it's just as good as the day you bought it. Longer is also faster so when your kids grow up that thing will fly. My wife and I literally blow past every group of kayak and short canoes with an 18. If you think you need one without a keel or has rocker in it than what you described is long aluminum territory. I hate canoes without a keel. They don't track straight and blow all over the place. Wife and kids won't help that. Whatever you buy then teach the wife to steer the rear. You don't want to watch the crew screew ups and stronger paddler up front is best. You really need a keel for wife and kids or that thing will be squrly and you will all be miserable keeping them focused.

Good info, wife has a lifetime of canoe experience having grown up on the river :) She'll be teaching me!
 

SDDiver5

Expedition Leader
If it interest you...your kids might have more fun on a SUP than a canoe. You can get a bigger one and strap on whatever gear you need. I go paddle the bay during the day and bring a cooler and my dog. Might be worth looking in to.
 

Stumpalump

Expedition Leader
Good info, wife has a lifetime of canoe experience having grown up on the river :) She'll be teaching me!
That will help a lot! My wife took a class in college. I always thought to put the man in back but read otherwise for efficiency. I just point a generall directions and focus on keeping us at speed. Canoes are a displacement hull and have effiecent sweet spots as far as speed. Once at that speed it's easy to keep it at it. If the wife is bogging or dealing with a kid or dog, cooler and work emergencies in my case I can just do my thing out front to keep it moving. It lets her feel in charge but you can control the direction a bit from the front. It's a lot of fun once you get loading up and getting it in the water down pat.
 

scanny

Observer
For stability I would reommend Sportspal / Radisson canoes. I have Sportspal 16' and it's very stable one.
 

Storz

Explorer
Found a minty clean Dagger Passage that I will be purchasing on Friday!

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calicamper

Expedition Leader
We have been running an 18ft kelvlar older hull for several yrs, cant recall the model. Its an easy two person effort to move or a single person working pretty hard. We've run two adults two kids easily. I wouldn't want anything smaller regarding load capacity thats for sure.
 

fike

Adventurer
There are a million different boats out there. If you really get into it, your first won't be your last.

With that said, used boats are everywhere and can be had for a very good price. If you want the best compromise of weight, cost, repairability, and strength, look for used Royalex boats. Unfortunately, new boats are no longer made in that material.
 

Storz

Explorer
Thanks for all the great advice everyone, I found a canoe and I am headed out with my father in law on Friday to pick it up. Its a minty clean Dagger Passage, I used to paddle a Dagger Ultrafuge whitewater boat back in college so its sort of cool to have another boat by Dagger again!

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Storz

Explorer
Just picked her up today.

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It also happens to be my son's 4th birthday

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Storz

Explorer
Got out last week with my son for a bit in the new Dagger, really impressed with how nicely it paddles!

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