Want a canoe, know nothing about them

[*zap*]

I have a converted trailer dolly to move my 17' aluminum canoe and gear over ground.

 

[Yellowknife]

Nice boats - guessing here, but Mad River on the right and Souris River on the left?

Hellman Prospector on the left. A regional Canadian brand. Bought it in Whitehorse 15 yrs ago.

 

[Yellowknife]

One last note…. The last time I was canoe shopping, I was seeking advice from a more experienced tripper. His comment was:

“Just remember that RED canoes look better in photos”. Haha.

He wasn’t wrong.

 

[LIWolverine]

I’ve got an Old Town Discovery 15 flat back. I absolutely love it for what I do. Overnight/multi day buffalo river trips and some days on Greers Ferry Lake or local ponds. Hunting and fishing solo or with my family.

It’s HEAVY (100lb) but I do load it solo if I’m by myself. It’s also slow on flat/slow holes in the river. Flat back allows for a 3 horse or trolling motor and is amazing when needed. It’s also rigged with oars. Those things make travel with a load pretty sticking easy in flat water.

I think the weight limit is like 1600lb so I can pack the crap out of it with gear. I don’t even know how to top it lol. If I was only solo or one kid and just doing some quick river trips I would definitely get a lighter one that’s not flat back but the stability/capacity to weight penalty is worth every pound to me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[*zap*]

no motor on mine.....do not want to have to get a state permission slip.

 

[kfili]

Wanted to bump this-
Saw a mad river 16 ft explorer made from royalex for $600 at a garage sale. Sounded like this was a 'I know what I have' sale and not a 'I'm moving so it needs to go sale. Anyone know if that's a good deal to take on some camping/fishing? Kids would be along for camping most fishing would be solo (seemed a little big for solo but good for camping).
Any thoughts on the price?

 

[Swamp Fox]

But seriously, folks...

 

[*zap*]

Non motorized canoe's are awesome.....

 

[Amos Keeto]

Wanted to bump this-
Saw a mad river 16 ft explorer made from royalex for $600 at a garage sale. Sounded like this was a 'I know what I have' sale and not a 'I'm moving so it needs to go sale. Anyone know if that's a good deal to take on some camping/fishing? Kids would be along for camping most fishing would be solo (seemed a little big for solo but good for camping).
Any thoughts on the price?

Just looked up a mad river 16' explorer made of royalex.
Current MSRP is over $2500!
Our old Alumacraft 17' "Freighter" weighs 66 lbs. The mad river weighs in the neighborhood of 80 pounds.
We paid $300 for our canoe in 1979.

I'd say if the old boat is in at least "good" (no major flaws), $600 just might be worth it. Did you try haggling a little?

 

[Tater86]

Wanted to bump this-
Saw a mad river 16 ft explorer made from royalex for $600 at a garage sale. Sounded like this was a 'I know what I have' sale and not a 'I'm moving so it needs to go sale. Anyone know if that's a good deal to take on some camping/fishing? Kids would be along for camping most fishing would be solo (seemed a little big for solo but good for camping).
Any thoughts on the price?

Good price as long as it is in good condition and stored well. Need to check for cracking, repairs, fading, etc. Also, if it has wood gunwales you want to see if they were loosened every winter due to the royalex contracting. This is where a lot of failures occur on those boats.