Right then, it's time that this was sold
It's now reached what I'd call "it's right price", in other words the price
I'd expect to pay for a second hand SP3 in good condition.
Thing is; I could buy this boat today, paddle it for two or three years and barring serious damage or excessive wear and tear, I could sell it for the same money at the end of that time. That's why I never buy new canoes these days. Open Canadian canoes are one of the few items where If you buy
quality second hand and don't abuse them, you can sell them on without losing money.
The SP3 from Nova Craft is quite simply the
very best polythene Canadian canoe you can buy-anywhere. Forget Old Town, Clearwater, Coleman, Mackinaw, Riber, Hou, Venture, Mad River etc, the SP3 trumps them all, in quality of build, fittings, looks and straight forward "paddleability".
The SP3, like
all polythene boats, is heavy but it's also bomb proof. It's extremely well fitted out, far better quality than it's
nearest rivals, which are the Mad River Explorer TT and the Venture Prospector and it's traditional looks are a pleasure to behold.
The SP3 (
admittedly along with the Explorer and Venture prospector) is a boat that will not only suit beginners but will also be equally good to paddle for improvers and seasoned paddlers alike. As your skills and confidence develop, the boat is capable of tackling anything you can throw at it, from canals, lakes and lochs, to moving water, white water and big open water too.
I owned one for a year and a half and it's easily the best all round open canoe I've paddled and this includes super lightweight carbon kevlar offerings etc. I got rid of it because I simply couldn't manage the weight off the water, (because of my spinal injury issues) and I've regretted the sale ever since
My mate bought one however and I've taken every opportunity to paddle his boat in preference to my own, twice the price plus, light weight boat ever since.
This is my mates boat on big open water;
And this is me paddling his boat;
And me paddling my own SP3:
[video=youtube;jTx9Yjh4fTg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTx9Yjh4fTg[/video]
I love these boats, I speak from hard earned experience and actual ownership and they're unbeatable in their class. Absolutely ideal for beginners as they can take the heavy knocks and bangs but paddle as well as boats of twice and even the three times the cost. Once you've learned to paddle, you can either "upgrade" to a lighter model or else just keep paddling the "tank", they paddle better than quite a few high priced boats anyway!.
Anyone looking for a polythene boat would do well to snap this up.
Hope this helps
very best wishes
Steve
