Canoe Considerations

[Eledhwen]

Of late I have been looking at canoes of various kinds. When I was a lot younger we used to canoe a great deal but that fell by the wayside over the years as life grew more complicated. Now I am looking at resuming river travel...both for the fun of it and for hunting...or reaching some hunting territories otherwise out of reach. It is also good exercise.

I think it was Greg...might be mistaken..who did some photos of using a canoe in his Ranger kit. I'm after doing that as well. I live hard beside the Connecticut River Trail...which now reaches into Vermont, and I am not far from the Northern Forest Canoe Trail...which starts in upstate NY and runs up into Maine, if memory serves.

I'm thinking of a fiberglass or 'plastic' canoe...yes, not very compatible with Ranger stuff...but I can effect painting and such to help and I need it to be lightweight as portaging a heavy one is not the kind of fun I am after at this stage. Otherwise I'd build a stripwood canoe and use that.

I am in a raffle for winning on from the NFCT, but I never win such things so that isn't going to happen. Looking at used ones, and newer ones on sale. I ought to have one soon. I also have my migratory birds hunting stamp so that is another good use.

Not interested in kayaks, not at all, nor punts or small boats. Just canoes.

Might be nice to some river rangering.

Just some idle canoe considerations.

Eledhwen

[Ringulf]

I am not sure if you have ever considered making a kit, but CLC (Chesapeak Light Craft) make a whole range of craft (including canoes) that are very light, wood and epoxy, and easy to build. The nature of the materials allow a very woodsy bright look and I have seen many beautiful interpretations with scrollwork and runes and all types of stuff. The most attractive part for me was that they are wood but they are also very light and sturdy, suprisingly so. Just thought it might be a fun option for you, considering how handy you are.

[Eledhwen]

I have a lot of patterns and resources on making cedar strip, or just strip canoes. I currently haven't anywhere I could actually build one, however, so purchase is the only recourse at the moment.

Eledhwen

[Peter Remling]

Coleman used to make some lightweight plastic canoes, appxly 70lb if memory serves. The plastic was very durable and extremely quiet when striking or being dragged over a pebble strewn riverbed. I'll take a look and see if they're still being offered and what going prices are.

As to the canoe treking, I believe you're thinking of Chris Russo's trip a number of years ago that he posted pics of.

[Peter Remling]

As far as the Coleman canoe goes, apparently it's no longer made. There are a few on Ebay at the moment starting at about $150 and going up to about $ 400. They are for local pickup only though. If you like them, I'd check out your local paper and Pennysaver to see if there are any available locally.


I believe this is the Chris Russo thread you mentioned:

http://ranger.budgetauthenticity.org/fo ... sland#p416

[Eledhwen]

I'm going to see about finding a place to build a cedar strip....or perhaps a Maine canoe..those are cedar and canvas. A 70# canoe is too heavy...I'd be trekking with my kit of course, and portage is necessary, so keeping the weight under control is a must. A friend may let me use a lean to on his barn to set up and build. With a space where I can leave it in situ as I go, it will go faster in the building, especially since I won't be using power tools.

I could go kevlar, but that fabric is expensive...really expensive...although it would make for a very light canoe.

I will figure it out. Might get lucky and find someone selling something decent in these parts, or something. One way or another, I aim to do some river trekking.

Eledhwen

[Greg]

Chris documented a full weekend or two...I only showed a few day trips.

Good luck; it's the best!

Side note: agreed. Kayaks = poo.

[ineffableone]

I have wanted to build a birch bark canoe or a cedar strip canoe. They are awesome. One of these days I will have the time and space and be able to build one.

Ray Mears Birch bark canoe build


You can also do a Spruce bark canoe BTW, however they tend to be heavier than birch bark canoes.

[Eledhwen]

Birch bark canoes are awesome..however around here birch is scarce and small these days. There was a time when Massachusetts was 99% lumbered off in the 19th century. I have been hunting about for some of those old fiberglass birch bark look canoes, but they are rare nowadays, or priced to a fare thee well. A real one I could have made and shipped here for about 1500.00. Ouch. So I will probably build a cedar strip canoe from white cedar (a Northern species of cedar) and make it a bit broad in the beam for stability and the carrying of a bit of cargo, as it were. I love cedar anyway, for its appearance and its resistance to rot...and it is often found in boreal forests...common here in the North. Moreso further North.

I am still eyeballing the various feeds and papers for folk selling used ones...it comes around now and then. Phoned a fellow last eventide about one for 200 bucks with accessories but it was gone. Just as well, it was aluminum and I'd prefer not to go aluminum if I can avoid it. Beggars and choosers and all that, however.

Still, might be I can sort out the forms and have a go at strip building at a friends place. That would take up most of this years season I suspect, but better than nothing.

I can paddle and portage all the way up the Anduin (Connecticut River) to extreme Northern Vermont. The river is just about 300 meters from my building here, with a launch spot about a mile away. Plenty of primitive campsites along the way. I could go to Old Forge New York and hit the Northern Forest Canoe Trail...that one goes 740 miles up to Fort Kent Maine, dipping into Quebec along the way. So yeah, rivers, lakes, ponds..we got 'em...and I could get into Canada for some fine fun up there...if I wanted to bother with a passport. I mourn the days when we used to go up to Montreal for a day or a few of shopping and wandering about. No passport needed, just your license. Oh well.

Anyway, yeah, I will probably have to build one myself. Well, two; my lass needs one too. I would prefer two smaller types to one larger.

Eledhwen

[Peter Remling]

Your comment on a canvas canoe made me look it up. This seems real easy to build and extremely light:

https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcaf ... anoe+build

[Eledhwen]

Yep, I have a guidebook on construction inbound to assist. The Maine Guide Canoe has been a mainstay in the North Woods for a very long time. I may wind up giving it a go rather than strip building.

Eledhwen

[Eledhwen]

Motivation: this video log of a 17 day solo canoe trip into Savant Lake by one Wintertrekker (YouTube handle) was made in 2013. He has a fair few wilderness trip logs on his page, but this one I keep watching. What lovely country! It has about 16 parts though.

Now do it in Ranger kit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQSPElOBrFE

Eledhwen

[ineffableone]

Motivation: this video log of a 17 day solo canoe trip into Savant Lake by one Wintertrekker (YouTube handle) was made in 2013. He has a fair few wilderness trip logs on his page, but this one I keep watching. What lovely country! It has about 16 parts though.

Now do it in Ranger kit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQSPElOBrFE

Eledhwen

Wintertrekker is one of my favorite youtube channels. I love his videos and have been avidly watching them for years. Though sometimes when he does multi parts, I wait for the last one to be posted to start watching so I can watch the whole thing through.

I love his winter hot tent videos, and his canoe trip videos. I just really enjoy his videos in general. They are well done and the man goes some amazing place.

[Eledhwen]

Last year he got flown into Northwest Ontario for a 24 day solo canoe trip. Amazing stuff. His canoe trips are my favorite.

Eledhwen

[RikJohnson39]

I own a couple canoes and have done multi-day trips out of them.
BUT, they are plastic boats and I do not have the tools or space to make a real wood canoe.
Nor can I find any paint that will stick to the plastic to make the canoe look like wood or bark.

I've been thinking of ranging along a river or lake but that would require certain 'modern' items like a PFD (I cannot swim) and I would have to figure out a Period way to keep my bow, blade and gear dry.