Thread: 2 person decked canoe inland and inshore recommendations

It seems to me that a decked canoe such as the Fiddlehead has a couple of disadvantages for car-topping.

You are probably committed to carrying it upright. There seem to be protrusions that would make carrying it upside down difficult. That could be a problem in heavy rain.

It also seems to me that the extra material in the deck would add to the weight. That would increase the instability of the vehicle and require more effort to get the canoe up onto the roof rack.

I would also expect a lapstrake construction to be heavier than a strip built canoe of even a S&G. I like the idea of keeping the amount of weight I have to lift onto the car as low as possible. Perhaps I have been spoiled because my lightest 5.2 metre kayak is 8kg and my heaviest 5 metre kayak is 13kg.

Comparing canoes or kayaks just by looking at photos and even looking at plans is not as simple as it might seem. A lot of people would assume that a wider canoe would be more stable. However, that may not be the case as it is the waterline beam that matters, not the maximum beam. Even two canoes with the same waterline beam won't necessarily have the same stability. It depends how much of the length of the canoe is close to that maximum waterline beam. A canoe with very fine ends would be less stable than one that has some volume in the bow and stern.

However, as far as I can tell from the photos, I would expect the Fiddlehead to have slightly less stability than the Lutras since a lot of other features of the shape look similar.

I believe that a 14'6" canoe is very close to the minimum length for two adults. A canoe that length with 200kg on board will be slow. In fact, I think that 150kg is more than most canoes that length could cope with efficiently.

Have you considered a slightly longer canoe and a lighter method of construction? That could give you a faster canoe with no increase in weight.

I should point out that you need to be aware that my advice is tainted by my personal prejudices. I am horrified at the idea of anyone using a double paddle in a canoe. I think they can be controlled better using the correct strokes with a single paddle. You also don't get as wet using a single paddle.

I am also a great believer in keeping the weight down and having an efficient design. The efficiency is not necessarily for going faster. It can also allow you to get there with less effort or to go further in the available time.

Thanks for your comprehensive reply anewhouse.

Very impressed with your lightweight builds. For me as long as the canoe can be managed onto roof racks by one person, that is light enough as once on the water it is less important. I agree a strip and glue may be lighter but I prefer the lapstrake look much more.

In relation to stability I have seen that waterline beam is important and even more so end beam. Both on my shortlist have flat bilge panels but am unsure of the end profiles. I may buy both plans to compare them.

Moderator - am finding the refresh/autosave in this text box too slow and painful to use comfortably.

Thanks anewhouse.

why not a double kayak?

Originally Posted by ian

why not a double kayak?

One of the advantages a canoe has is that it is often possible to paddle as either a double or a single, where a double kayak isn't easily paddled solo.

Although if a canoe gets too wide, it can be quite awkward and inefficient to paddle it solo.

Just a thought, but couldn't you simply build a double kayak with one long cockpit?

Originally Posted by Sumbloak

Just a thought, but couldn't you simply build a double kayak with one long cockpit?

Ha ha! I can never tell whether posters are trolling for bites - Ian.

I am trying choose between two boats which I've nominated. Important points to clarify are:
Portability - at this stage am presuming I can manage either on my own, and that in most instances it won't matter which way up it is on the roof racks.
Stability - am thinking they are similar in the absence of knowledge of how firm the ends are at the waterline
Capacity - To carry 200kg should I stretch plans to 15 foot say.
Inland/Inshore - is a coaming of some kind essential for coastal cruising?

I know I can modify either plan so I guess stability and capacity of the hulls is paramount.

Thanks Trevor

Moderator - I've realised that in the latest version of Internet Explorer, its all those blinking gifs causing tiresome refreshes.

Nope, not trolling. Double kayaks are usually built with two separate cockpits, which makes solo paddling very awkward for trim, but there's no obvious reason why you couldn't build with one long cockpit. You'd need a suitable skirt for it, but it should be workable.

And IE is continuing its great tradition of being useless.

Originally Posted by Sumbloak

Nope, not trolling. Double kayaks are usually built with two separate cockpits, which makes solo paddling very awkward for trim, but there's no obvious reason why you couldn't build with one long cockpit. You'd need a suitable skirt for it, but it should be workable.

And IE is continuing its great tradition of being useless.

Sumbloak, I thought Ian might have been trolling, and you joking. Perhaps you have been drawn in by him ).

I'm sorry but I'm not looking for anything like a double kayak, though I can tell you like them. Too long for equivalent stability and capacity.

Trevor

Trevor

you are aware that the Lutra Voyager is rated at 334 pounds of positive buoyancy?
This is about 50kg less than your desired 200kg.

when I was in my 20s I owned a Mosquito catamaran
whilst I could lift the 55kg hulls by myself, they got really heavy really fast -- so for me the weight of any car topped boat would be very important.

Just looking around at some canoes I like, and noticed that the IGO has a maximum recommended displacement (boat and crew and whatever else) of just over 200 kg.

http://gentrycustomboats.com/IGO%20page.html

To get one that will comfortably handle a 200 kg load on inshore waters, you will need a fairly large canoe.