# New Canoe



## Glenn (Aug 12, 2010)

This was just too good to pass up. A patient at my wife's office had a canoe for sale...Old Town, Guide 147...never used. It's been sitting in the garage for two years. It also had a new set of oars and a roof carrier kit(foam blocks and straps). 

We took a look at it last night. As you can see in the pics, it still has the foam on the bow and stern. The seat backs were still taped to the seats. So yeah, brand new. We worked out a price and her sons helped us load it up. It was a short drive; maybe 3-4 miles. The lady was so excited we bought it, she just wanted to see it get some use. Plus, she was thrilled she didn't have to deal with listing it for sale on craigs/newspaper and then deal with unknowns to come look at it. 

I haven't canoe'd in years. We used to up at Lake Winnipesaukee back in the day, but I was always more interested in our jet ski.....or if I did take the canoe out...swamping it. So this should be fun. We're going to bring it up to VT and do some exploring. We'll launch it from that pond on Rt 30, just outside of Brat; where the West and CT river meet.


----------



## thetrailboss (Aug 12, 2010)

NICE!  It has been a great summer for water sports!


----------



## jaytrem (Aug 12, 2010)

Glenn said:


> We'll launch it from that pond on Rt 30, just outside of Brat; where the West and CT river meet.



Awesome, there are a ton of nice lakes up there to paddle around.  Grount Pond which is above Somerset is probably my favorite, nice and quite.  Sadagwa Lake, south of Lake Whitingham has a cool floating island that you can paddle into.  My parents were out yesterday at the Rt 30 place, unfortunatly the restaurant on the other side they were going to apparently burnt down a couple months ago (The Marina).  Anyway, enjoy!!!


----------



## thetrailboss (Aug 12, 2010)

Old Town makes great canoes.  My inlaws live 5 miles from the factory and I visited it on the 4th of July weekend.  The factory store is nice and they even have a pool inside for you to demo your kayak/canoe.


----------



## Glenn (Aug 12, 2010)

Thanks guys! I don't know much about canoes, but I did know that Old Town makes a good one. From what I can tell, it's built well and it doesn't weigh too much. I think I read it's about 75 lbs. 

jaytrem,
Total bummer on the Marina burning. We were sad...we had wanted to go there for my wife's b-day...but the fire happened a few weeks before. One of our neighbors in VT is a contractor and he has a shop in that same complex. I'll see him Saturday, so I'll try to get the lowdown on the rebuild. 

If you (or anyone else) has any other suggestions on SoVT canoeing, I'm all ears.


----------



## RootDKJ (Aug 12, 2010)

Nice Glenn!


----------



## drjeff (Aug 12, 2010)

I'm trying to figure out how the Glenn/Mrs. Glenn canoe adventure will play out.  Will it be Glenn paddling away as Mrs. Glenn basks in the sun in the front seat??? Or will it be Mrs. Glenn making some comments from the bow about how Glenn isn't paddling enough/on the wrong side/etc??  :lol: :beer:


----------



## SkiDork (Aug 12, 2010)

question about canoes:  We did some canoeing this past weekend, first time in quite a while (ever?)  They seem very tippy side to side.  Took me a while to get used to it.

The over-riding thought in my head was:  If we flip this thing, how difficult would it be to right it, and get back in? 

Would it actually fill with water and sink to the bottom?  It was aluminum


----------



## Glenn (Aug 12, 2010)

drjeff said:


> I'm trying to figure out how the Glenn/Mrs. Glenn canoe adventure will play out.  Will it be Glenn paddling away as Mrs. Glenn basks in the sun in the front seat??? Or will it be Mrs. Glenn making some comments from the bow about how Glenn isn't paddling enough/on the wrong side/etc??  :lol: :beer:



HA! Either one is totally possible! I'm thinking a combo of both! :lol:

dork,
From someone who's been there, done that...all on purpose. The canoe will kinda float under water when it's full of water. It will just sort of bob around the surface a bit. It's won't drop like a rock right to the bottom. You'd be able to tug it back to shore. It's a workout, but doable.


----------



## SkiDork (Aug 12, 2010)

Glenn said:


> HA! Either one is totally possible! I'm thinking a combo of both! :lol:
> 
> dork,
> From someone who's been there, done that...all on purpose. The canoe will kinda float under water when it's full of water. It will just sort of bob around the surface a bit. It's won't drop like a rock right to the bottom. You'd be able to tug it back to shore. It's a workout, but doable.



so theres not way to right the thing/empty it/get back in?  What if it just turns over?  Can you right it without swamping it and get back in?


----------



## Glenn (Aug 12, 2010)

If you don't get much water in it, you could get back in. Let's say you tip it, fall out, but the canoe is still upright. That's doable. I'd imagine that happens more often than not. We were intentionally trying to fill it with water. Reminds me....We'd do this in shallow water. Two people in the canoe, 2-3 out of it. The guys on the outisde with roll it over and over and over. While the two in it held on and tried to time their breaths as they rolled in and out of the water. :lol:


----------



## jaytrem (Aug 12, 2010)

SkiDork said:


> so theres not way to right the thing/empty it/get back in?  What if it just turns over?  Can you right it without swamping it and get back in?



I'd say it's close to impossible unless the canoe is filled with some kind of floatations.  Then you might be able to right it and kinda crawl back in from the back.  Never tried it in a canoe but it can be done in a kayak.  The key is to have enough floatations, but I don't think I ever seen anybody with them in a non-whitewater canoe.


----------



## drjeff (Aug 12, 2010)

Glenn said:


> If you don't get much water in it, you could get back in. Let's say you tip it, fall out, but the canoe is still upright. That's doable. I'd imagine that happens more often than not. We were intentionally trying to fill it with water. Reminds me....We'd do this in shallow water. Two people in the canoe, 2-3 out of it. The guys on the outisde with roll it over and over and over. While the two in it held on and tried to time their breaths as they rolled in and out of the water. :lol:



Glenn, I'll buy you a case of either Mich Ultra or PBR if you unknowing to Mrs Glenn roll the canoe of your maiden voyage this weekend!    :lol:  :beer:  You can then blame it all on me, and I'm pretty sure that she'll believe you 110%!


----------



## gorgonzola (Aug 12, 2010)

good luck with the new boat - looks nice! I bought an aluminum 17' canoe on a whim off ebay a few years back and we've had a blast with it over the years, probaly get out 4-5 times  a year on the local lakes and rivers


----------



## tjf67 (Aug 12, 2010)

SkiDork said:


> question about canoes:  We did some canoeing this past weekend, first time in quite a while (ever?)  They seem very tippy side to side.  Took me a while to get used to it.
> 
> The over-riding thought in my head was:  If we flip this thing, how difficult would it be to right it, and get back in?
> 
> Would it actually fill with water and sink to the bottom?  It was aluminum



If you have life vest on or are a super swimmer you can do it.  Put it on its side and pick/slide it out of the water, Very Hard.   You only get 1/3 of the water out before you flip right side up.  Then if you have a pale you can bail the rest of it out or slap as much out with your hand.  Then getting back in is the trick.  Flip it over again in it really gets exhausting.


----------



## SkiDork (Aug 12, 2010)

tjf67 said:


> If you have life vest on or are a super swimmer you can do it.  Put it on its side and pick/slide it out of the water, Very Hard.   You only get 1/3 of the water out before you flip right side up.  Then if you have a pale you can bail the rest of it out or slap as much out with your hand.  Then getting back in is the trick.  Flip it over again in it really gets exhausting.



thanks.  How easy are they to flip?  I felt it oscillating side to side and got scared so I tried to maintain a still position so as not to get anywhere near a possible point of no return.  But was I just being a wuss?  Can you tilt them pretty good before they go over?


----------



## Glenn (Aug 12, 2010)

drjeff said:


> Glenn, I'll buy you a case of either Mich Ultra or PBR if you unknowing to Mrs Glenn roll the canoe of your maiden voyage this weekend!    :lol:  :beer:  You can then blame it all on me, and I'm pretty sure that she'll believe you 110%!



LMAO! She'd be mighty PO'd at me! :lol: Maybe she'll roll it. But it would still probably end up being my fault.


----------



## amf (Aug 12, 2010)

One word of advice... don't call those things you hold in your hands to propel the boat "oars"... its a mark of a real gaper! :-D


----------



## SkiDork (Aug 12, 2010)

amf said:


> One word of advice... don't call those things you hold in your hands to propel the boat "oars"... its a mark of a real gaper! :-D



Thank you sir may I have another


----------



## bigbog (Aug 12, 2010)

Nice Glenn!    ...drjeff's _rolling_ first weekend out......rotfl...  With any form of plastic, if you want a hull that won't oilcan, it's usually made as a sandwich of materials = heavy to lift = one reason for many composite boat's pricing.

Use the two-wheeled carts..the cart can handle one end...just picking up one end and pulling is nice over carrying the old fashioned way if you're not experienced at that.  Really makes extinct the "Thank you sir may I have another"..lol.  
The weight makes the canoe worthwhile in the water = it's not a slow barge!
Keep your upperbody over the keelline and stay loose in the hips..   I think you'll find the boat a lot more quiet(stable) that in order to paddle tandem with Mrs....pick up some ½" to 1" med. density pieces of foam for the both of you to kneel on = getting weight lower will add a lot of stability when paddling.  The painful part of kneeling is not getting some foam ankle blocks to rest on.  Just placing shoe/sandal toes on hull floor when kneeling is a killer on one's feet...that's where the pain resides that everyone relates to kneeling.   One whole block of thin foam with both kneeling pads and ankle blocks glued on is great...it's just one piece of foam to carry, just throw the darn thing in, step in, and paddle away..
Once you two get comfortable in it....you'll enjoy it.  Fwiw..it's also a good length to paddle solo.  
Sorry about rambling..I do a little teaching...fwiw(lol)(not my lifelong goal..lol, but started eons ago).  Aside from getting your paddling strokes together(ie traveling in straight line)....that's just about it


----------



## Glenn (Aug 13, 2010)

No rambling at all bigbog...those are some great tips! I appreciate it.


----------



## wa-loaf (Aug 13, 2010)

Glenn said:


> No rambling at all bigbog...those are some great tips! I appreciate it.



What Bigbog said more or less. We always used those square cushion flotation devices for padding kneeled on them and just leaned back against the seat. Much more stable and pretty comfortable actually. Used to paddle all day like that when I was a camp counselor.


----------



## tjf67 (Aug 13, 2010)

SkiDork said:


> thanks.  How easy are they to flip?  I felt it oscillating side to side and got scared so I tried to maintain a still position so as not to get anywhere near a possible point of no return.  But was I just being a wuss?  Can you tilt them pretty good before they go over?



Depends on the model but they do flip.   My 60 pound springer flipped mine out in the middle of the lake.   After struggling for 15 minutes to get back in I made him swim in.


----------



## Glenn (Aug 15, 2010)

We took the canoe out yesterday for it's first voyage. We went to the West River....in Brat. 

We had thought: "Oh, we'll go in that lake". Well, it's more like a large pond...and ind a few spots, we hit (sandy) bottom. :lol: I think the dry weather had something to do with that. If you know Route 30, we paddled up river to the area just behind CVPS and the chocolate factory. We found a little island, and stopped for a snack and some water. After that, we paddled back down the river and went towards the route 5 side of the pond/lake. The Marina restaraunt has been torn down. :sad: 

We had a great time! It was a lot of fun. The canoe was really easy paddle around, launch and just manuver around in the water. The only issue we had was heaving it up on the roof of the Grand Cherokee. Those if you who know my wife, know she's probably weighs 5lbs more than the 75lbs canoe. So I think I'll get one of those one man loaders that hooks up to the 2" hitch on the Jeep. 

Again, great time. Glad we got it.


----------



## bigbog (Aug 16, 2010)

Sounds great Glenn....paddling, especially by using torso twisting motion with firm arms, instead of using all arms & no torso = nice upperbody workout in the outdoors, like skiing...can't beat it.
An alternative in transporting canoe,
 If you have bars pick a spot ~3-5' in back of vehicle and put thin foam square on ground, put one end of canoe on it,,stand it up leaning on rear of vehicle(4x4?).  Pick up canoe by the end plate and simply push canoe up onto bars, then tiedown.  Straps or/and(my pick) non-stretch rope...in addition to straps.  A little time-consuming but work well.
$.01_alternative....fwiw


----------



## Glenn (Aug 16, 2010)

That may not be a bad idea. I guess parking is a key issue too. When you're on the side of rt 30, 10 feet from another vehicle behind you and cars & trucks are whizzing by. Had we been in a parking lot off the road, it probably would have been easier.


----------



## tree_skier (Aug 17, 2010)

Glenn;552270 The Marina restaraunt has been torn down. :sad: 

.[/QUOTE said:
			
		

> It burned to the ground a few months ago.  They say they will rebuild but haven't heard any timeline


----------



## bigbog (Aug 18, 2010)

I used to have to deal with that scenario when living around Boston.  Anyone who parks that close to a canoe on top deserves a little note underneath the wipers explaining.....or else they just want to make you suffer thru an unload.  You have to love people who act like morons....  
$.01

*Have been paddling every so often these last couple summers with rentals...but fellow down in VA is unloading a nice solo boat that's $1k+  underpriced via used-market.  IS 5yrs old but you'd never know it...  Brain is focused on skiing but when ya' see the unreal deals = payback multi times over in on-the-water-enjoyment.


----------



## Glenn (Aug 23, 2010)

Picked up one of these Friday:  http://www.cabelas.com/p-0030168.shtml

Looking forward to testing it out.

Oh, and an update on the Marina in Brat. My neighbor leases some workshop space from the owner. They're going to rebuild. I believe the job is out to bid currently.


----------



## bigbog (Aug 23, 2010)

Looks good man.  
A couple other tidbits...that I actually started doing only a couple years ago...
1)  Tie the thwarts(cross bars between gunwales) to the roof rack bar(s) = this is THE secure tie that eliminates fore/aft moving.  It can be a PITA...but once tied....they're the most solid ties of all.
2)  The ties/knots around the bars, outside of/against the gunwales, preventing sideways movement.

$.01


----------



## gorgonzola (Aug 23, 2010)

^ short heavy duty bungees work great for this


----------



## bigbog (Aug 23, 2010)

Yes...bungees work well, especially for short hauls(while totally off-road) = can't beat em'.  *EDIT...but don't skip the thwart-to-rack tie for fore/aft security.


----------



## Glenn (Aug 24, 2010)

Good tips guys. 

I'm looking foward to testing the loader out. I'm thinking I should be able to secure it to the roof rack with one ratchet strap vs two.


----------



## Euler (Aug 30, 2010)

You should really check out Grout Pond and Somerset Res. with your canoe.  Grout Pond is a lot closer to you and is a wonderful place to paddle and picnic.  Somerset, while probably quite a drive from Dummerston is a really remarkable place.  Its a huge reservoir with NO development on the shores, you'll probably encounter loons, and you'll see the North Face of Mt. Snow from a very different perspective than you are used to!  Also I'd say even with your new loader you should plan on using TWO cam/ratchet straps on the belly for short trips plus stern and bow tie downs for long trips.  It would REALLY suck to kill someone on the highway when your boat flies off your jeep.

Happy Paddling!


----------



## Glenn (Aug 31, 2010)

Nice! It looks like Grout Pond is just north of Somerset Res? We def had Somerset on our short list. While it is a bit of a drive (relatively speaking), seems like it would be worth the effort. We always enjoy turning around when riding the North Face lifts and looking behind. 

I hear ya on double strapping it...better safe that sorry. Plus, a lot of roads we'll travel are pretty twisty. Although, life should be a bit easier now that the Williamsville covered bridge is open again.


----------

