Solo canoes

[cbbm]

Anybody paddled the Old Town Pack canoe? I am interested in a solo canoe, mainly for the Buffalo and the like..nothing real heavy. Would like to do some fishing etc..maybe camp for a couple of days. I like the Pack because it is less expensive than the other solo canoes I have found, but having said that, I want to spend my money wisely. What do you saavy folks think?

[Randy Dodson]

I would recommend going to a demo day and trying out several different canoes. Some of the outfitters around the state have them from time to time.

I've paddled an Old Town Pack and it wouldn't be my first choice but that doesn't mean it's a bad choice for what you intend you use it for. I simply don't like the keel for rivers. Even for relaxed float fishing on the Buff.

This is just my opinion but I would look for something between 14 and 15 feet long with a 34 to 35 inch width at the gunnels and some mild rocker (1 to 2 and a half inches). Either a dedicated solo or a tandem boat paddled solo from the bow seat facing the stern i.e. boat backwards.

hope this helps you some.

[Lupe]

If you can't find something used at a lower cost, another lower cost option is Mohawk Canoes. That company was just sold and is just now getting canoes out again apparently, but they tend to be pretty good deals for a brand new canoe. Of course, we might need to wait and see if their quality and good customer service continues under the new ownership...

Anyway, I have a Solo 14 and really like it for tame river trips. It's a pretty stable platform for my 75 lb dog, so I would think it would be pretty good for fishing too, and I can camp out of it even with my dog along, too. It's not the fastest canoe, but I think it's a good deal for the price.

I haven't paddled an Old Town Pack, but based on it's diminsions and the keel, I would think something like a Solo 14 or Odyssey would be more pleasant to paddle, and also would be much better if you do want to do some river camping.

It's not clear where the new Mohawk is located - it sounds like they will be shipping from both Arkansas and Tennessee. If they end up shipping from Fort Smith, you might be able to pick one up. Their website is still a bit confusing as they are still updating it, but their contact info is there for details: http://mohawkcanoes.com/home.htm

Good luck!

[okieboater]

I had an old town pack canoe.

Way back when, I used to fly fish the small lakes up in colorado and northern new mexico. these lakes are often real shallow on the edges and hard to get a fly out to the drop offs where the fish hang out. The old town pack canoe was an ideal fishing platform where you did not paddle any distance over a few hundred yards. I suspect it would have been ideal for fishing those little farm ponds you find in AR and OK as well.

It was not much for going any distance and I would not recommend it for floats on the Buffalo where you want to float miles and miles. See all the other posts for the ideal solo float canoe.

I gave mine away to somebody who was looking for one and posted on this msg board. all it was doing was gathering dirt out in back.

[trollhen]

I have a Mohowk Solo 13 I bought used. I paddle the Buffalo and a few other rivers here in Ar. It'll handle class II okay. Holds what I need, maneuvers well, and is hard to turn over, yet doesn't feel like a tank. Like most canoes, the wind will play havoc with it on open water. (For large lakes I'd want a longer, better tracking canoe or kayak.) The seat is adjustable up or down or tilted. I've bashed it once or twice. It's easy to repair and it's still going strong. I had knee pads installed and Max also added thigh pads on the side which really work well for me. (Thanks, Max) I'd recommend the solo for casual paddling, fishing, birdwatching, etc.

As always, try before you buy.

Sherri

[Cowper]

If the pack canoe is the one I think it is, the sides are extremely low - good for keeping the weight down, but makes the boat very borderline for use on moving water because even small waves will wash in over the sides.

My wife briefly considered an Old Town Pack canoe, but ended up getting a Wenonah Sandpiper instead. This has been her favorite boat of all times. It is much faster than the pack canoe (which is another way of saying "more miles for less effort"), and weighs under 40#. Also, she has run the Piney and the Mulberry in it several times, and although it takes on some water going through big waves, I think it has done far better than the Pack canoe would for the same situations. She would admit is not the right boat for a "high water" run on the Piney.

The bad news is, that boat is no longer made. The good news is, the very similar Wenonah Vagabond is still available, and is only 43#, or 44# if you get the kevlar skid plates which I highly recommend.
http://www.wenonah.com/products/templat ... 9712bf0523

Since you are wanting to camp out of the boat some anyway, I think you'd probably choose the Vagabond over the Sandpiper anyway, even if both were still available.

Now, all that said: If you can't find "used", or wait for a sale, then I think the Mohawks are in fact another very good choice to consider.

[Richard]

Then there is the Wenonah Argosy . . .
I have used it to haul wood and spilled the load in the river
I have used it in search of the illusive Ivory Bill and unexpectedly made a wet exit.
I have used it to camp out of.
I have loved it.



My only complaint . . . and it may be my lack of expertise is that it is hard to turn because the stern is firmly planted in the water.

[Randy Dodson]

The Argosy is AWESOME.

I really really really need one of those

[Eztouche]

I had a Sawyer Autumn Mist for years until it was stolen from my daughter's back yard in the Quapaw Quarter. ( Why? Who knows?. Very few novices could paddle it)
The ole boat was paddled in downriver races on the Piney, the Saline at Dierks. It paddled the Ozark Society 5 day float on the Buffalo with all my gear. It carried me innumerable times to backwater bayous, fly rod in hand. It gave me lots of after work exercise up Maumelle Creek by the 430 bridge. It was best paddled with a bentshaft, but you could lay it a little on its side and paddle it with a regular paddle and make reasonable turns.
Bill Steward and spouse have logged many miles in solo Wenonahs. You might want to check out the Wenonah site and look at the solo boats the Boundary Waters outfitters use.
"Love many, trust a few, and always paddle your own canoe"

[rdmadison]

I've paddled a Mad River Ladyslipper (name later changed to Slipper) for about twenty-five years. An incredibly strong fiberglass solo boat. Last year I bought a Bell Yellowstone Solo, since it had about the same performance in perhaps a little less weight. I intended it for granite-filled New England rivers, but so far it's only been on lakes, in Maryland and Arkansas. We got frozen and rained out earlier this month in NW Ark and the Atchafalaya, so both boats had a free 3,000 mile ride on the van.

Wouldn't try to fish out of either of these 28" or so boats, but I doubt I'd go as far as the OT Pack just for initial stability--you're giving up a lot unless your river will always have current. For the lakes on the White or the bayoux you might want a skinnier, efficient mover.