Wow! What a great topic for a "gun forum". Canoe's are a lot like guns- ...You can't have too many- ...and you'll always regret the "one's" you let "get away".
I've got 3 Old Town's right now: The 13' "fisherman" when it was 1st introduced- with a wider more stable belly, and a- square-back stern- (this has been my most used water-craft for several years),- A Discovery 169- 16' & 9" length- great when I have "company"- and am not going "solo",- and I also have the little "Otter" kyack- Just like a Marlin "guide" gun to "grab and go". ...(any-where)
What I REALLY want though- ...is the Old Town "Pack" in RoyalX- which probably weighs less than half what my Otter does- it has one cane seat and plenty of room for tackle boxes & fishing rods.
I also have a vintage Grumman 16' Sports Boat- Which I identified only by chance- looking at a North Dakota Game & Fish publication photograph and story (several years ago) as they were using it to retreive nets of fertile Walleye Pike for the re-stocking of fry into other lakes).
This Grumman also has a full square back stern and a slightly covered prow. It is too old to have a horse-power rating- but would easily handle a 10 maybe 15 horse motor. But this early 50's craft is still a canoe.
The most beautiful, magnificent canoe I have ever seen- was in northern Manitoba- I believe it was the Cross Lake Indian Reservation- and a couple along with a friend had been some days Moose hunting, they were successful (having shot 2 large Moose), and were returning to thier home on the Reservation which was only accessable by water. I had a pickup and we were camped on the "portage way" which we were not aware of.
My pick-up made thier portage a lot easier- and we were rewarded with the best meat I have ever tasted- ( from the "hump" of the Moose).
Any-way, their "canoe" was a Hudson Bay Freighter canoe- cedar-strip- more than big enough for 3 people, 2 Moose, a large cast-iron covered "cauldron" (maybe)? Pot. (whatever) that stowed all thier gear: other cooking stuff: food, clothes,
other utensils, probably their rifle too. But they really didn't have -or need -or want -all that much.
This "boat" was big- ...But it was STILL a canoe.
(And it was also a "square-back" powered by a "new 35 hp. Evinrude outboard.)
Did I even mention a "paddle"? ...The Most I ever used one of those "things" for (through the years)- ...was to filet my fish on. But whenever my motor did fail- It was my paddle that always got me home.
pee wee
