about boats- just not canoe

Brendan · Post by **Brendan** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 2:23 pm

I thought I might tap into the collective wisdom of the folks on the forum, before I get an earful from others. The wealth of knowledge and willingness to put info out on this board is always impressive. My interest in touring kayaks has been stirred up a bit, and I don't know much about them. I have a place at the beach, with easy access to a bay, and also think that it might be fun to use one on the river for fishing and camping. I currently use a 16' OC2 for this. Last summer I got one of those small rec kayaks for my kids and that has worked well. So here are some questions- what type of boat would be a good all around option for open water cruising, river tripping and camping, ( is that three boats?) and is there a used boat market?

ezwater · Post by **ezwater** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 2:41 pm

I would suggest going to paddling.net, where there are used boat listings including everything from sea kayaks to tandem and solo canoes and even an occasional decked c-1. You can also see arguments about what kind of boat is suited to what conditions.

A beach and a bay tends to suggest sea or touring kayaks, but for river camping, or for lake to lake camping with portages, tandem and solo canoes are most suitable.

People do use sea kayaks in lake-to-lake places like BWCA, but it can mean having to dig all the little gear bags out of the end of the boat at every portage, and then repacking at the next lake. For a canoe, it just means yanking a few large packs and your guitar in and out.

And some people are willing to use tandem or solo open canoes on large bays and even, with careful judgement, on the Great Lakes or the ocean. But being blown around and/or swamped is an issue.

This is pretty much a whitewater open and decked canoe board. Sea and touring kayaks are not suitable for serious whitewater, except perhaps for el cheapo downriver racing.

wannabe whitewater girl · Mon Jun 11, 2007 1:43 am

See if you can find a "Paddlefest" or "Paddle Expo" within driving distance & go & try-out a bunch of boats to see what feels right for you - "touring" kayaks range from ultra-stable, almost rec-boat-like to narrow, soft-chined boats that resemble really long old-school whitewater boats (and, of course, everything in-between and quite a few designs off to the sides as well...not to mention, everything from 12' to 21' is common)...sounds like you'd want something more on the stable side, probably @17' if you want to use it for camping...

...for used boats, try checking out paddling clubs/message boards around your part of the country (I know of over a dozen good sites for New England/Mid Atlantic area)...clubs near the shore or large lakes are most likely to have the type of boats you are looking for - you can also try Craigslist & other classifieds & ebay...just keep in mind, touring kayaks hold their value well, so you won't be getting much of a deal buying used over new (you may do as well with the special event pricing common at "Paddlefest's" & "Paddle Expo's", and then you don't have to worry about how well the previous owner took care of his boat!)[/i]

Jon Serfas · Post by **Jon Serfas** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 2:23 pm

I agree with everythingsaid so far. Especially the suggestion of going to a demo. Paddle everything you can fit into between 15' and 18'. You'll figure out what feels most comfortable real fast. For open and flat water paddling, you should think about a composite boat. It will perform better and allow you to make easy repairs for many years to come. Plastic boats need less care but "wear out" faster (hard to repair damage and age wear).
Current Designs, P&H, Prijon (best plastic boats), Valley all make nice boats.