What model canoe?

[waterrings]

I am in the very early stages of planning a trip on the NFCT and plan to use my Kevlar Swift Kipawa which I figure would work just fine. But it did bring to mind a question. What boat has been the favorite along the trail? I’m sure everyone has one to recommend and several to not recommend. Just wondering what people’s experience has been.

Peace,
JCC

[Kalmia]

Your Kipawa will work just fine. The ideal NFCT tandem is a red pre-1999 Mad River Explorer in the ‘Kevlar Expedition’ layup, but since those are hard to find (mine is NOT for sale) many paddlers are forced into other choices…

From watching the trail registers near my home in Vermont I have the impression that the single most common tandem canoe used by through paddlers has been the Old Town Penobscot. The trail has been successfully paddled in an aluminum Grumman, a number of Wenonah Minnesota 2s and at least one Minnesota 3, home-built cedar strippers, wood-canvas canoes (both vintage and newly home-built), plenty of Royalex boats, and Kevlar canoes in everything from from ultra-light to expedition weight constructions. I heard a rumor that a birchbark canoe made it as far as Vermont last summer.

The most common serious gear failure paddlers experience is failure of their portage wheels. Bearings burn out and axles bend. Most but not all paddlers are using portage wheels for at least part of the trip. Depending on water levels and paddler skill and tolerance for whitewater and for upstream paddling there can be day-long portages in several locations. One solution is the wheel your boat and gear along the nearest roads. Another is to pay a local outfitter to drive you around (or to drive you to the top of a section of river such as the Androscoggin so you can paddle the section down river, and then get another ride back up…).

Off the top of my head I can think of three groups of NFCT paddlers that have pinned and wrapped canoes on the Saranac River. All three incidents occurred on the short stretch between Union Falls Dam and Clayburg. At least two of these were below Silver Lake Road. For what it’s worth, two of these were Kevlar canoes, and were each ripped in half. The third was Royalex canoe (a Penobscot), and it survived, wrinkled but paddleable. I’ve written previously about the section here

The right boat to paddle is the one you enjoy paddling for long distances and thru rocky riffles and Class II whitewater. I think there has been some tendency for young and robust twenty-somethings – paddling the NFCT on a shoestring budget – to choose 65 lb+ Royalex canoes, whatever they can beg, borrow, or find on Craigslist, and for financially viable retirees and mid-career professionals to choose lighter (and rather pricier) Kevlar boats.

I hope this helps! – Kalmia

[Chris Gill]

Kalmia is correct as usual. I would just say that your canoe is going to take some (maybe a lot of) abuse. If I had to pick one canoe for the whole trail my personal choice would be royalex. It’s up to you but if you’re worried about scratching your Kevlar canoe you might not want to bring it. I should mention that I have only heard rumors of Kalmia tipping over, I on the other hand have plenty of experience swimming.

Chris

[kdaanen]

And I have experience tearing a small hole in a kevlar on the lower Saranac in Plattsburg, near the Catherine Street ledges. It was patched and I made it the rest of the way. Continue to bang it up through all the NFCT rivers except the lower Nulhegan and Sr. Br. Dead River, that were missed due to low water. My friends pretty much nailed the recommendations. As a viable (almost) retiree, I’d still take a kevlar or graphite if I were to do it over again in one trip—primarily for the weight.

[waterrings]

Thanks for the replies. My 16′ Kipawa is two tone blue & white with wood gunwales, sliding bow seat, wood yoke etc. I bought it when my kids were small and couldn’t help me get a heavy boat onto the top of the car. The Kip at 52 lbs (advertised weight) solved the problem. They are now adults and getting any canoe on the car is not a problem. A 16′ royalex Penobscot was advertised at 58 lbs – only 6 lbs heavier. The advantage of royalex over Kevlar for sliding over rocks is well known and is likely worthwhile. This presumes of course that the carrying capacity/volume is similar between the two boats. If memory serves correctly I bought the Kip new for about $1600. I have kept it in perfect shape and it is likely still worth that much judging by what a new one costs today. After a through trip on the NFCT it will certainly drop in value, so much so that I might as well buy a used Penobscot and have two boats!

Peace,
JCC

[waterrings]

Thanks for the replies. My 16′ Kipawa is two tone blue & white with wood gunwales, sliding bow seat, wood yoke etc. I bought it when my kids were small and couldn’t help me get a heavy boat onto the top of the car. The Kip at 52 lbs (advertised weight) solved the problem. They are now adults and getting any canoe on the car is not a problem. A 16′ royalex Penobscot was advertised at 58 lbs – only 6 lbs heavier. The advantage of royalex over Kevlar for sliding over rocks is well known and is likely worthwhile. This presumes of course that the carrying capacity/volume is similar between the two boats. If memory serves correctly I bought the Kip new for about $1600. I have kept it in perfect shape and it is likely still worth that much judging by what a new one costs today. After a through trip on the NFCT it will certainly drop in value, so much so that I might as well buy a used Penobscot and have two boats!

Peace,
JCC

[Kalmia]

Waterrings – Are you planning on paddling solo, or with a partner? – K

[waterrings]

Either one tandem boat (Kipawa,Penobscot or equivalent) with a partner or two solo boats for the two of us. The choice of solo boats is also a decision. But we are a long way away from a though trip so there is plenty time to make a choice. Thank you everyone or your thoughts.

Peace,
JCC

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