Why are used canoes so cheap?

[lovett88]

Just tossing around the idea of picking one up. I can’t fish liberty because I don’t really want to be stuck fishing just the three body’s of water. Again tossing around the idea of getting a canoe because later I could put a motor on it if I needed. What are some of the advantages of using one? And also why do so many people let them go under $400 or so used. I’ve seen some Coleman, old town, mostly plastic. Then some aluminum REALLY cheap. Is it worth it? I’ve just never been in one.


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[Big Mike]

Like anything, the quality and usefulness of the canoes varies. You can buy new Coleman’s for under $400, they weigh a ton and handle like a Buick Roadmaster. Canoes made out of Royalex weigh significantly less, 50-65 pounds depending on length and you probably won’t find one of those cheap since they dont make them anymore. The Old Towne Camper was a very popular fishing platform because of its primary stability, I still use mine on the rare occasion. One thing to consider with a canoe is if you’ll fish solo or as a duo. Paddling and controlling a canoe meant for two as an individual can tax your skills and lead to more time paddling than fishing. Canoes are also prone to wind blowing you places you don’t want to go on a lake, much better on a river. If it was me I’d look at picking up a used Jon boat for a reservoir runner. You can find used ones in the $200-$600 range for lower end ones.

[bignose]

Ditto what Big Mike said.

Some of the advantages of a canoe:
I find the higher seating position much more comfortable than any kayak. If you are solo paddling, you may have to find a different seating position than the thwarts provided for dual paddling to balance the craft.
They can hold a lot more "stuff"
You can put a kid or a spouse in one (may or may not be an advantage LOL). Many of the cheaper canoes you'll find are because the "family" outgrew them.
You may find that a canoes stability is different than from a Sit on top yak. My 16 foot Camper has great initial stability and is fine on flat water, a compromise in moving water. My 12 foot Pack canoe is the opposite, the initial stability is twitchy but is is more maneuverable in moving water.

A brief overview canoe materials: (see Austin Kayak for a more thorough discussion of canoe materials)

Aluminum-heavy, hot, noisy, dents, and loose rivets. But most are as sturdy as an old F-150. Not bad for flat water paddling and fishing if propelled by a trolling motor. You'd have to have biceps of a longshoreman to car top a large one and you better have a sturdy roof rack. Can usually find them cheap.

Fiberglass-lighter, can take a multitude of hull shapes, hulls can wear on the contact points, watch out for cracks in an older hull. Can usually find them for a very low price. The gel coat weathers up a bit.

Kevlar / Carbon fiber- very light, stronger than fiberglass, very expensive. Great for moving water

Ram-X - very light weight, but brittle. Some of the cheaper Coleman canoes are made from this. A different blend of polyethylene? I wouldn't use this in rocky areas.

Polyethylene- very sturdy, almost indestructible, but heavy. Limited abrasion resistance. This has replaced Royalex in Old Towns Discovery series. A comparable poly canoe weighs 20 pounds more than my Royalex craft.

Royalex- Old Town's name for ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) good combination of strength vs. weight. It does not mold to complicated shapes as well as Polystyrene does. The proprietary material used in Old Towns was a 3 layered material that provided it's own flotation. The external surface scratches easily. This material was discontinued in 2013. Royalex canoes were very popular and these canoes hold their value.

Tuff-Stuff- new material being promoted as the next Royalex. Nova Craft canoes are being made from this. From what I have read it is slightly lighter than Royalex but stiffer.

I'm glad that snaggedline is not a sticker for purity. My "kayak" has always been a canoe.
Do I have to turn in my membership card?

[Mark]

lovett88,

Big Mike and bignose have given you excellent insight above.

I was on the same search last year watching Craigslist for a used canoe. I wanted a larger paddle boat for some of the reasons bignose cited -- space and capacity. In particular, I wanted a boat I could use to take my grandkids for a rides. And I wanted a paddle boat that was light yet seaworthy.

John Veil located a used Ultimate 14.5 which I purchased for an excellent price. I was familiar with this model boat using one many times in Tampa. So I jumped at the opportunity to get it.

It's incredibly stable thanks to its double hull design. Yet it tracks and paddles well. It's definitely faster than my Ultimate 12. As noted above, canoes can become captive to wind. So can many kayaks. Ultimates will indeed turn into the wind. But the seat of the Ultimate is lower than a canoe's seat, which is not to bignose's liking, but it is centered in the boat which makes the boat easier to control in the wind.

I'm not sure of the weight. I've seen specs that say it's 59 pounds. It's heavier than my Ultimate 12 of course, but lighter than my Revo. I cartop it on my van

The Ultimate 14.5 is a very canoe-like paddle boat without some of the disadvantages of many canoes.

They pop up occasionally in the secondary market but not often, I think because those who have them do not want to part with them.

P1030617.jpg P1030625.jpg Me in 14.5.jpg Ultimate A.jpg

[Memory Maker]

Bignose ........... I always thought Ram x was very flexible......... it was advertised as being able to wrap it around a rock and it would bounce back into shape when you freed it and took off the aluminum frame.

[bluefishnc]

To answer the original question "why are so many available used so cheap?" I'd say because you can buy an entry level SOT Kayak for about the same used and a kayak is WAY better for most folks uses.

SOT Kayaks have destroyed the usefulness of a canoe in almost ever application I can think of. The only advantage a canoe has on a kayak these days is the ability to take multiple passengers and extra gear. Beyond that they are bulky, unstable and very tippy, handle like crap in the wind, you almost always end up in a fight/frustated experience with your paddling partner esp. if you are with someone inexperienced, and canoes are prone to damage (vs. a rotomolded SOT kayak).

I had an old town 17' for a while and it sat idol on most weekends. Our 4 family kayaks went out instead.

The only reason I think I'd ever consider one again would be for hunting applications on small rivers where I need to haul lots of gear or if I was traveling with kids under 6 or 7 who couldn't paddle themselves well. Otherwise yakity yak it or maybe hybrid it (nucanoe).

[mchottie]

^ Similarly, the kayak market is so broad and plentiful, there is a really good re-sale market no matter what type / level / style of yak. the canoe market is maybe 1/40th, i.e. there is little to no secondary market demand.