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Niether of us has canoe expirience, but that will change shortly. I've been looking at two different canoes and need help making up my mind. Do I get the Mad River Adventure 14 or the Old Town Guide 147? Please tell me why you selected what you choose. Thanks in advance for your help...
I'm always shopping the want ads for used canoes near me. Those two models seem to pop up more often than most. it's particularly interesting when you note that the Mad River Adventure models haven't been around very long. That would seem to indicate that a lot of folks don't fall in love with these models for long.
What others have said about the lack of performance in 14' tandem canoes is correct. Of the various 14' models I'm aware of, those two aren't on the list of what I would even consider. Just one drawback they both have is the molded seats that require you to face in one direction. It is a common and useful practice to solo a tandem canoe from the bow seat, facing the stern, so your weight is closer to the center of the boat - which isn't comfortable to do on those molded seats. Having said that - you can also solo one of these with molded seats by sitting in the stern seat and placing sufficient ballast (I have used a water-filled dry-bag) in the opposite end to trim the boat. Between the two, I would get the Old Town because it will be the more versatile and the easier of the two to recover from being swamped.
If you must stick to that price-point, I would either shop used or look seriously at the Old Town Discovery series - specifically the 169. You may be able to find a used Old Town Penobscot, which is a good all-around 16-footer, with good performance - and in that price range, should be in very good condition. Or - you could save a ton of money while you decide if you even like canoeing, by finding a used Grumman or Alumacraft. Should have no trouble finding a good one in the $300 or under range.
I have been through the whole transition from short/wide and flat-bottom to long/narrow and rounded or vee bottom canoes thing. If you want to skip past the preliminaries, just get a higher-performance canoe (such as the Penobscot - or the Wenonah Adirondak that someone else mentioned) and learn how to use it properly while getting used to the "lively" feel of the hull on the water. Your overall enjoyment will be much better.
Find a paddling instructor if you have one available in your area - otherwise, get one of the good paddling instruction books, such as "Paddle Your Own Canoe" (one of the best). There is a lot more to making a canoe go where you want it to than paddling on one side or the other. In fact - you may want to go to the books first, to help understand the mechanics and dynamics of the different boats. There is a good explanation of the difference in hull design
here. If you settle on either the Guide or the Adventure just to get on the water, you will still benefit from instruction. Just don't write off canoeing if you don't enjoy that particular boat. You may find that after you bore of the performance of the "beginner" boat, that something longer, narrower, and rounder is easier and more fun to paddle - and less likely to spill you on rough water.
At any rate - either of those two you are now looking at will be better than a Coleman or a Pelican - or any of the similar boats on the market.
