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Choose a Canoe

Buying a canoe is a difficult decision. There are hundreds of models to choose from. There are a wide variety of materials. The first step to take is to determine how you will use your boat. Will it be for lake paddling? Will you float rivers? Ocean surfing? Expedition tripping? Whitewater? Fishing ? How many people will you usually take in the canoe ? Where will you store the boat ? With canoes, carefully selected designs features will result in a canoe best suited to your needs. There are three overall design features you will want to consider :

(1)Length. Overall measurement from bow to stern ends greatly affects performance. Generally a longer boat is faster, a shorter is more maneuverable. Also, longer boats can carry more load on average.

(2)Width. Measured at two points on the hull--the width at the gunwales is the overall width of the boat; width at the 4" waterline approximates the maximum width of the boat as it normally rests in the water. The wider the canoe, especially at the 4" waterline, the more stable it will be. Also, the narrower canoes tend to be faster than wider boats.

(3)Center depth or height. This is the distance from the gunwales at the center of the boat to the water. At the bow and stern, another measurement of height is made. The greater the depth of a canoe, the more load it can handle. The higher the bow and stern, the more water it will shed in waves. However, deeper boats are more difficult to maneuver in the wind.

After thinking of the design configurations that seem to suit your paddling preferences, you should now look at hull configurations carefully. Let's look at them in a little more detail :

Keel Line. Looking at the canoe from the side, the keel line is the shape of the hull bottom from bow to stern. A boat with a straight keel line has very little curvature or "rocker". This boat will track well in the water, will have good forward speed, but will be difficult to maneuver. A boat with moderate rocker will have a slight curve from bow to stern. It will turn easily, yet also track reasonably well. This is a good all around configuration. A boat with heavy rocker will maneuver very well, but track poorly. Whitewater boats have heavy rocker.

Symmetry/Asymmetry. A symmetrical hull is shaped the same in bow and stern. It handles predictably. An asymmetrical hull has different shaped halves. Usually the stern is wider than the bow. This design feature can be used to enhance forward speed or stress maneuverability.

Mid-section shape. A cross section of the canoe taken in the middle will yield one of three distinctive shapes. A flat bottom boat is the most popular design for all around recreation boating. These boats are stable and are ideal for float fishing, family use, and camping. A shallow arch boat has a rounded hull. This design feature is used in performance boats to enhance maneuverability and speed. This hull shape is found on most whitewater boats. Boats with the V-shaped hull are designed to enhance downriver speed.

Above-waterline shape. Boats whose hulls flare out are designed to deflect water and give stability in heavy waves. Flare increases the gunwale width of the boat, however, making it harder to paddle quickly. A boat whose hull is straight out of the water is designed for speed and quick stroking. Finally, boats with tumblehome (flare followed by a turning toward the center line) are designed to allow the paddler to make more upright, more powerful strokes. Both whitewater and racing boats employ this design feature.

Square stern canoes. These boats are designed to be used with a small motor or to be rowed. Paddling them is more difficult as the square stern creates a drag on the boat. They also difficult to back paddle. As an alternative to a square stern canoe, you can use a motor mount. This is an ideal solution for occasional motor use.

Basic Canoe Composition

Fiberglass. Fiberglass boats are made of glass fibers (either cloth or mat) reinforced with plastic resin. There are many lay-up and production techniques used to produce these boats. Generally, the cheaper and heavier fiberglass boats are made of chopped fibers sprayed in a liquid form into a mold. Or fiber mat is impregnated with resin in a mold. These boats can be thick but are not considered strong.

Quality fiberglass boats use cloth (of many types) laid by hand with reinforcement in stress areas. They can be made much lighter and stronger than chopped or mat boats.

Generally, with fiberglass boats, you get what you pay for. The lighter, more expensive boats are also the most durable.

Fiberglass canoes can be made in a wide variety of designs, weights, and colors. They are lighter, easy to repair, but more fragile than plastic boats.

Royalex. Royalex ABS is a thermoplastic laminate manufactured by Uniroyal. It is an exceptionally tough multi-laminate composed of ABS plastic, ABS form, and cross linked vinyl skin. A flat sheet of Royalex is heated in an oven and then vacuum formed into a canoe hull. Hardware is then attached to make the strongest canoes available. Each manufacturer specifies the make up of the Royalex used in their boats as well as the colors, hardware used, and design of the mold.

Royalex's big advantage is strength and durability. Major repairs are seldom needed but can be easily made. Abrasion is the only real problem in normal use and this can be significantly reduced by using skid plates.

Royalex canoes are tough, flexible, and durable. It is the best material for whitewater canoes or any boat that will be used on rocky rivers.

Crosslink 3 Polyethylene. Crosslink 3 is a proprietary process used by the Old Town Canoe Co. to manufacture their excellent line of Discovery canoes. A powdered plastic is melted in an heated mold, and the entire mold is then rotated in two directions simultaneously. This forms the outer skin of a canoe. Next, another layer of polyethylene is added to the mold. This foams when heated and creates a foam core for the hull. Finally, a third polyethylene layer is added to form the inner layer of the hull.

The resulting boat has a foam core and polyethylene skin. It has excellent abrasion resistance. It is littler heavier than other materials, but is available at very attractive prices. It can be repaired if punctured, but this should be done by an expert. Crosslink 3 does seem to have a faster solar degradation factor than Royalex. Discovery canoes seen to last 12 to 15 years.

All of this is a lot to process, so let us summarize the factors affecting your canoe purchase.

First, decide what you want to use the boat for, when and how it will be used, and how you will care for it.

Second, pick a general design that suits this use- length, width, and center depth and height are the three factors to consider here.

Third, look at the various elements of hull configuration. These include keel line, symmetry, mid-section shape, and above-water-line shape.

You should now have a general idea of type of boat you want. Here at Appomattox River Company, we have more boats in stock than just about any place you can imagine. We even have some demos models available for you to try.

It won't be long before you are enjoying your new boat from Appomattox River Co. See ya on the River !!

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