All things CANOE

[RiverOtter]

In the interest of sharing info and learning from each other, I'll open the discussion and hopefully others will chime in with knowledge, questions and/or experiences.

After much deliberation and research, I recently ordered and picked up my custom built Clipper canoe at Western Canoeing and Kayaking in Abbotsford.

I settled on the 18'6" Mackenzie Ultralight Kevlar with black trim, as it ticked the most boxes for my needs. I wanted a stable canoe for big lakes, big loads and extended trips. I wanted a boat I could load/unload myself if needed and had a removable 3rd seat added that positioned me to paddle solo if I wanted. The Mackenzie comes standard with adjustable foot brace(rear) and sliding seat(front) to maximize comfort and paddling efficiency. I had thigh wedge pads added to allow me further lock up with the boat if water got rough. I also had the wilderness lashing kit added to keep my gear secure in the canoe on wilderness trips. The final touch I had added was plastic guards to protect the gunnels.

[RiverOtter]

The foam blocks on the gunnels are for hauling on the roof. I haven't attached the thigh wedge pads yet.
The canoe as pictured with all the accessories is under 70 lbs. If I were to remove the gunnel guards, third seat and lashing system it would come in at 63 lbs. Not bad for a boat with a 1600 lb safe load rating.

[Blockcaver]

Very very nice canoe!!!! Bet you’ll love it!

We bought the smaller version, a 17’ Kevlar Ultralight Clipper Tripper two years ago….52#s spec weight. Really like it on the river by the house and it’s so easy to carry around, put on the truck etc. We were coming from a 85# 17’ Gruman Whitewater we bought second hand 40 years ago that served us well.

[KBC]

Following this one. Getting a Canoe and hunting with it is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Unfortunately I know nothing to contribute.

[Arctic Lake]

We have the Clipper Tripper 17.5 feet ,fibreglass with the bucket seats . Bought it second hand in good shape . Thought about brand new but was too much cash at the time . I like to look after my stuff so I thought brand new it’s going to get scratched up on the underside after a few beach landings anyway .

Im toying with the idea of the Mackenzie with the square stern but then I’m not sure about paddling it if your not using a motor ? ThIngs to think about .
Arctic Lake

[MRP]

Been canoeing 55 years my dad was pi$$t when I bought it home. I’ve have had 8, have 4 and a project at the moment. My advice to new canoeists is go get wet. Put your swimsuit on get out in shallow water and play with it, tip it, flip it, fill it with water. I’ve never tipped one by accident. When taking newbies out make the rules clear, follow them or don’t get in.
Motors, 4hp is more than enough 2 it good, 15 is a wild experience . If you’re going electric v-stern is is not necessary, I much prefer to clamp it to the side using two peaces of 4”x6” 1/2” plywood for in and outside spaces.

13’ sports pal light and handy but for a moose requires 2 trips to do it safely. My almost 40 year old 17’.6” clipper is my favourite but I’m getting old and it’s not Kevlar. I’ll trade my well experience canoe straight across for a new Kevlar one. LOL

[RiverOtter]

This is the canoe we upgraded from, a 17' Valhalla that I bought near new in 2000. It has a keel, which is pretty well unheard of anymore, save for aluminum canoes, as it covers the seam. It will pack 700+ pounds comfortably on flat water, but has limited secondary stability which makes it a lot less forgiving in waves or when moving side to side. It's also fiberglass and weighs nearly 90 lbs, which makes it less appealing to load/unload on roof tops.
It was a great canoe to learn on and it logged a tonne of lake miles.

[RiverOtter]

Loaded up for a day of fishing on a mountain lake.

[RiverOtter]

We have the Clipper Tripper 17.5 feet ,fibreglass with the bucket seats . Bought it second hand in good shape . Thought about brand new but was too much cash at the time . I like to look after my stuff so I thought brand new it’s going to get scratched up on the underside after a few beach landings anyway .

Im toying with the idea of the Mackenzie with the square stern but then I’m not sure about paddling it if your not using a motor ? ThIngs to think about .
Arctic Lake

No experience with flat back canoes, but they've never really appealed to me. My thoughts have always been that if I'm gonna lug around a gas motor and fuel tank, I might as well just have a little flat bottom or V-hull tin boat that I don't need to worry much about scuffing or bumping things with. Lol.
If I were to power a canoe, I think I'd opt for a side mounted electric, and then I wouldn't have to give up the tranquility of canoeing.

Just my thoughts, not telling you how you should spend your money...

[Downwindtracker2]

When I bought my Western Mackenzie Sport ? a 16'6" freighter with a V-stern. It's a freighter cut down by a couple of feet for the V-stern . The owner used one for hunting, too. When the question of Kelvar came up, his comment was how else can you feel 20 years younger. I put a 4.5hp on it, it went scary fast.