Canoe Length?

[durulz]

Like everyone else, I'd love a canoe.
But what length should I get?
Like most bushcrafters I may be carrying a few extra pounds (well, maybe more than a few...), so what length should I go for?
I'm thinking of 14' - but would 12' be OK?
All advice gratefully accepted.

 

[Shewie]

12' is fine for solo, I had many a good trip in my Pack and would have happily kept it if swmbo hadn't shown an interest.

For extended trips, solo or tandem then 15' or 16' should be about right.

 

[durulz]

Could someone also explain the difference between the different lengths - capacities, handling, advantages/disadvantages etc?
Cheers.

 

[markie*mark0]

i was always told bigger is better

 

[mrcharly]

Canoe or kayak?

If we are talking canoes, bigger makes it much easier to carry more, easy to take passengers (like a dog), and generally easier to keep going in a straight line. However they also catch the wind more, and that can be exhausting.

I have a 17'6" canoe, about as big as they get usually. It's fine for 2 adults plus luggage, or two adults and 2 kids.

If you are paddling on fast-flowing water or through congested water (say, a lake/river full of rock or trees), shorter and broader makes for easier manoeuvring.

It's a mistake to go for a very wide boat, just because it feels more stable. It will be harder to paddle, and you'll soon get your balance anyway.
DO get a buoyancy vest.

 

[coln18]

Like everyone else, I'd love a canoe.
But what length should I get?
Like most bushcrafters I may be carrying a few extra pounds (well, maybe more than a few...), so what length should I go for?
I'm thinking of 14' - but would 12' be OK?
All advice gratefully accepted.

I,ve been using a 15ft Nova craft Bob special for the last year and a bit and it really is a good size for a beginner, small enough to solo in but still big enough for tandem and kit.

They are so many technical things to consider but at the end of the day a canoe is a canoe, if your out on the water, your having fun and it doesnt matter about shapes of hull.

Check out song of the paddle forum, they have reviews of canoes on there and a explanation of what different hulls and materials do, but if you have any questions please feel free to ask either on here or by pm....

 

[coln18]

Could someone also explain the difference between the different lengths - capacities, handling, advantages/disadvantages etc?
Cheers.

A longer length canoe will be slightly faster, a wide bottom boat will give good primary stability but is more likely to tip over in real wild weather, a v hull in my opinion is a good balance between stability, tracking and speed.

I would say try to get a lighter boat, royalex rather than the triple tough plastic, but they are so much more expensive, you can pick a good 2nd hand boat up in the classified section on song of the paddle. Although a new boat is brilliant once its been in the water a couple of times it will be well scratched and look just like a boat thats a year old.

 

[John Fenna]

I am a level 4 canoe coach and my solo boats are 16'.
I would never go shorter than 15'.
Longer boats track (stay in a straight line) batter, have better capacity for airbags (white water) and load capacity (touring and white water)
Short wide boats are pigs to paddle but stable - a long boat will be just as wide but paddle better.
Flat bottom boats are stable to a point but then suddenly go.
Round bottom boats just roll over.
"Gothic arch" bottomed boats have great primary stability and secondary stability (you can lie them over onto their sides without flipping.
A 12' or even 14' boat would by either so fat as to be slow and painful to paddle or too narrow for stability and load carrying.
IMHO

 

[coln18]

I am a level 4 canoe coach and my solo boats are 16'.
I would never go shorter than 15'.
Longer boats track (stay in a straight line) batter, have better capacity for airbags (white water) and load capacity (touring and white water)
Short wide boats are pigs to paddle but stable - a long boat will be just as wide but paddle better.
Flat bottom boats are stable to a point but then suddenly go.
Round bottom boats just roll over.
"Gothic arch" bottomed boats have great primary stability and secondary stability (you can lie them over onto their sides without flipping.
A 12' or even 14' boat would by either so fat as to be slow and painful to paddle or too narrow for stability and load carrying.
IMHO

I agree with everything you say John, Also what i have noticed over the last few years is that a lot of people buy the little old town pack boats, i think they are 12ft long, this means they are easy for storage and price wise that bit cheaper. But what happens is that very quickly these boats are back up for sale, people get the bug for canoes and really want something 15ft or more.

So although the little 12ft boats are a great introduction into canoes, if you have the choice go for 15ft or above.

 

[DavidJT]

I have a 17'6" canoe, about as big as they get usually.

That's not big! This is big!

 

[Damascus]

Hi

I too agree with John, what I do say is, nothing personal but join a club even for only six months,

Firstly they will have plenty of boats, try them like cars people like some whilst others do not. I have a Wenonah prospector, not every ones cup of tea but I like it.

Secondly, you will be taught how to use a canoe properly and hopefully not pick up any bad habits, learn skills which without sounding too dramatic could save your life or an other.

Third meet like minded people, my club has a lot of people interested in Bushcraft so a bonus there too.

Hope that is of some help

D

 

[al21]

A sixteen foot canoe is the great allrounder. Paddles nicely solo but has sufficient space for two. For doubles tripping a seventeen footer is preferred. Mine is 17'2" and gets paddled as solo and double. A longer boat poles and sails better too.

Getting some instruction is well worthwhile.

Al

 

[durulz]

OK, lovely.
Cheers all.
Storage isn't an issue, but transport would be.
I think I'll aim at a 14/15 footer - that would be the best compromise.
Thanks all for clarifying details and advice - it was all gratefully appreciated.

 

[stonyman]

How easy is it to transport a 16ft canoe? would it fit on a car's roof rack? sorry for all the questions but I'm getting a bit hooked on the idea of getting a canoe.

 

[John Fenna]

How easy is it to transport a 16ft canoe? would it fit on a car's roof rack? sorry for all the questions but I'm getting a bit hooked on the idea of getting a canoe.

Easy to car top carry - I carry two or three on ordinarry roof bars.

 

[stonyman]

Excellent,thanks for the reply, will have to have a look for any canoe clubs in my local area, always loved canoes but never had the opportunity or the courage till now to try one out.

 

[Humpback]

Just got back from a week trip to Loch Long with all the luxuries of home taken in my 16ft. Its plenty big enough but I do suffer loading it onto my car as it is heavy so I would look at weight when choosing too.
Alan