Looking for a good solo canoe.

[SteveS]

I am a long time kayaker looking for a good solo canoe. Would be used mostly on Glades trips and other camping expeditions. I've looked around on craigslist and other forums without much luck. Anyone know of anyone looking to sell a good lightweight boat? Would prefer Kevlar or similar material but would consider a plastic or fiberglass model. I'm located in West Central FL but would be willing to drive for the right boat.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Steve

[Kim Gass]

I have used many solos with success for ten day outings.  You won't want a skin coated Kevlar boat against oyster bars. Gel coat does have a purpose!

Another principle is that you want a boat that will carry at least 400 lbs with sufficient freeboard, due to carrying water.  That means you need to look at solo canoes in at least the 15 foot range. You will also want to stand in it but that is not usually a problem if you snug up to chickee ladders.

I have used a Curtis Nomad, a Hemlock Peregrine, a Placid Boat Works Rapid Fire and a Swift Raven ( huge stable solo but its a wee slow).

Currently I have the Glades boat of my dreams a Mad River Monarch.. Check Watertribe for any for sale. They get snapped up fast and are pricey.

Use www.searchtempest.com rather than ferreting around individual sites like E bay and the craigslisii  Too bad the Egret in Tampa is a mite small.

Spray skirts really help in any solo canoe particularly on the Gulf.

[SteveS]

Thanks for the recs Kim. Appreciate it.

[yakmaster]

I'd been a pure Kayak guy, until I met my first  monarch! 

It's still "kayaky"  enough so that you don't feel like you've sold your kayak soul for some comfort... 

But the first time you pack and everything doesn't have to be in 9" dry bags AND  you can carry as much as if you were car camping.  AND she paddles like a dream...   You will be in love too! 

Kim Gass said:

I have used many solos with success for ten day outings.  You won't want a skin coated Kevlar boat against oyster bars. Gel coat does have a purpose!

Another principle is that you want a boat that will carry at least 400 lbs with sufficient freeboard, due to carrying water.  That means you need to look at solo canoes in at least the 15 foot range. You will also want to stand in it but that is not usually a problem if you snug up to chickee ladders.

I have used a Curtis Nomad, a Hemlock Peregrine, a Placid Boat Works Rapid Fire and a Swift Raven ( huge stable solo but its a wee slow).

Currently I have the Glades boat of my dreams a Mad River Monarch.. Check Watertribe for any for sale. They get snapped up fast and are pricey.

Use www.searchtempest.com rather than ferreting around individual sites like E bay and the craigslisii  Too bad the Egret in Tampa is a mite small.

Spray skirts really help in any solo canoe particularly on the Gulf.

[vivian]

I would love to have a mad river monarch but can't seem to find any. How old would you say one could be in the used market? They were manufactured by mad river many years ago. Kim your recomendations are very good. I will be selling my Hemlock Kestrel after season is over if anyone is interested. It does have the usual gel coat scratches but is structurally sound, used spray deck is included it is in the premium layup, weighs 29lbs.

I weigh 160 and load that boat for 10 day trips no problem. It was designed for smaller paddlers.

[SteveS]

Vivian, I'd be very interested in the Kestral. I was looking at the Peregrine. I'm 160 but fairly tall. I follow your blog and that canoe looks awesome. It looks like it would be a perfect canoe to transition into from a sit-on-top.

[Kim Gass]

Steve if you are tall the Kestrel is too small for you,  One of my canoes is a Peregrine.  The rule is that weight really matters less than height. Unfortunately my Peregrine is not up for sale.

Why if you weigh the same does height matter. Your center of gravity is higher. However that water load does compensate! The Everglades makes some solo guidelines kind of academic.

Now if you can go to pnet and rip the Monarch out of Yanoers hands I would try to help get it to you. I know he has one.

[vivian]

Steve, you are welcome to try the kestrel. As Kim mentions it maybe too small for you if you are tall. I am 5'6" and find it perfect. I will send you a friend request so I can email you should a friends solo come up for sale.

[SteveS]

Do you like having those covered decks? I would think it would make carrying larger things like coolers difficult? Also, seems like it would make packing/unpacking more difficult. I'm asking out of ignorance, I've never seen one in person.

I'm not in a rush really, I'd prefer to wait out and find something used for a good price but I'm heading south for a solo trip in a couple weeks and...you know...it's always fun to have a new toy to test out.

To be perfectly honest, I've always been pretty happy with my sit-on-top. I agree with whoever said it is more about the person and less about the boat. I'm also a backpacker so I'm kind of used to traveling light and as a result I've accumulated some pretty lightweight compact gear. I do a lot of fishing and photography and find it to be a pretty good platform for both. It's 16 feet and does well with the wind. Really the only thing I'd like to be able to carry without so much difficulty is a compact 35 quart cooler and maybe a better camp chair. I'd also like some space to keep my camera pelican case in front of me instead of always reaching for it behind me.

I've spent the past couple of seasons debating on whether I wanted to get a traditional touring kayak but after reading some of the threads here I think a canoe would be a better fit for my needs. I think a small cooler is a must. It opens up tons of cooking options for the first few days plus who doesn't love a cold beer or an ice cube in a glass of bourbon at the end of a long day of paddling.

[Kim Gass]

Vivian and I both have spray covers. They are flexible as they are fabric  and have many snap points so you can accommodate gear that stick us a little ..at least mine is. That's what allows us to take small boats on the Gulf and in chop.

I don't carry a cooler but have no problem with a 7 gal and a 4 gal water jug plus a 30 liter ( that is about the same as a 35 quart cooler) blue food barrel. Of course a Pelican case. I use a Helinox chair..doesn't take much room.

[vivian]

The spray deck I do like especially when loaded with 10 days worth of gear and water. Crossing windy bays or coastal areas you can get water coming in when one of those rogue waves hit. The cover also keeps all your bags clean and dry. It rained three days the entire time we were paddling. The cover kept rain water out and me dry when I unfurled the spray skirt. Also nice if it is windy and cold.

On the chickee you unsnap one side and throw your gear in, not really a big deal. When in the backcountry and winds low I don't use the deck.

[SteveS]

I meant the covered decks in the Monarch. Doesn't look like there are any hatches from the pics. Just stuff everything in front and in the back under the hard deck with a little space for taller items behind you?

Spray covers look like a must in a canoe especially in an open bay. I was out a couple weeks ago and paddling across Lane Bay in a 25-30 knot wind wasn't too bad in a kayak with a rudder. Can't imagine that in a canoe. Guess you just have to adjust your route and hug the mangroves when you can.

[Kim Gass]

The Monarch has more room than anyone needs. It can carry WAY more than the Kestrel or the Peregrine. The decks are partially covered. Thats where the soft goods go. The buckets for food and barrel go under the decks.  The cockpit is some six feet long. There is plenty of room for yet another barrel and also the water containers. Monarch is over 17 feet long and 26 inches wide.  And taller than a kayak.

Right now my dilemma is whether the Monarch, being so long, will fit in Charley Creek. The tides will be perfect at the end of the month for us.  Last year we traveled the Wood River and anything longer than 15 feet would have been a problem.