I've got an old vinyl Rogue River 14ft. canoe thats got the molded center seat/ live well / drink holders. Ive seen similar ones by Pelican at Cabelas, REI, etc. Between hunting trips, fishing, family camping, etc. I have really put this canoe to good use over the years. I bought it off Craigslist for 300 bucks about 10 years ago, and have definitely got more than that out of it.
My daughter is autistic and has some other special needs, so as a family in Colorado, we have been finding some awesome places to camp, by taking the canoe in and paddling back to secluded areas. Also, my daughter loves to fish and just paddle around.
The problem is, a family of 4 and camping gear, in an old 14ft. canoe thats probably not the most efficient design, is probably not an ideal scenario. Plus, this canoe is HEAVY. I believe its advertised as weighing 98lbs.
So, I've been looking at purchasing a better canoe, something lightweight, in the 16 to 18ft. range, that on a stretch could be paddled solo, but more often, carry my me and my wife and my daughter in the middle, or 4 people occasionally.
I've scoured Craigslist, and have seen some Wenonah's but people want over 1K bucks for canoes that look like they are 20 years old or more. Anything in a reasonable price range is either as heavy as what I have now, or is old and beat up. So, I have been drooling over the idea of buying a new high end canoe, probably in one of the thicker kevlar layups. I really like the idea of the Wenonah Boundary Water 17 or the Northstar B-17, or something similar. But man, these things are $3500 or more when priced out the way I would want it.
Anyone purchased a high end canoe like this? Regrets? What are some things to look out for? From Craigslist prices, they obviously hold their value, so should I just pull the trigger?
My daughter is autistic and has some other special needs, so as a family in Colorado, we have been finding some awesome places to camp, by taking the canoe in and paddling back to secluded areas. Also, my daughter loves to fish and just paddle around.
The problem is, a family of 4 and camping gear, in an old 14ft. canoe thats probably not the most efficient design, is probably not an ideal scenario. Plus, this canoe is HEAVY. I believe its advertised as weighing 98lbs.
So, I've been looking at purchasing a better canoe, something lightweight, in the 16 to 18ft. range, that on a stretch could be paddled solo, but more often, carry my me and my wife and my daughter in the middle, or 4 people occasionally.
I've scoured Craigslist, and have seen some Wenonah's but people want over 1K bucks for canoes that look like they are 20 years old or more. Anything in a reasonable price range is either as heavy as what I have now, or is old and beat up. So, I have been drooling over the idea of buying a new high end canoe, probably in one of the thicker kevlar layups. I really like the idea of the Wenonah Boundary Water 17 or the Northstar B-17, or something similar. But man, these things are $3500 or more when priced out the way I would want it.
Anyone purchased a high end canoe like this? Regrets? What are some things to look out for? From Craigslist prices, they obviously hold their value, so should I just pull the trigger?