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#1
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Which boat?
Hi
I'm in the market for a canoe and have my eye on an old town discovery. I have also seen a number of ads fole Colemans which appear to be a fair bit cheaper. How do these compare? I would be using it for family day trips, camping trips, and a bit of fishing. All of this on the rivers and lakes of Norfolk. I'm new to this so any advise gratefully received. |
#2
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Which boat?
Hi Kev,
A fellow Norfolk paddler! I'm in Norfolk & do a fair bit of canoeing! So, what you need to do first is decide what you're gonna use it for - you seem to be settled on touring on flat water (rivers & Nfk broads), camping & fishing for the family. Are you likely to be paddling it solo at all? I'm assuming not (basically if you're paddling solo you'd aim for a lighter & shorter boat, but that doesn't sound what you're after). For family paddling & fishing, you'd want a fairly stable boat & for flat water touring you'll want it to have reasonable tracking (a hull shape that prefers to go in a straight line but is usually more difficult to perform sharp turns). For family camping you need to look at a larger/longer boat. You also want to consider the weight of the boat. Are you gonna have help getting this on & off the car or is it gonna have to be a one man job? The Discovery's are very good boats for the sort of purpose you describe, but be careful as they come in different lengths 148 (14'8"), 158 (15'8"), 164 (you get the idea), 174 and a few other lengths. How big is the family? If it's 2 adults & 1 child (average adults & smallish child) I would probably recomend the 158 - 164, for more weight, go longer, but don't try to paddle the 174 on your own - it's a bit of a beast!!! They're very roughty toughty boats (many clubs buy them for that very reason) - stand a lot of abuse! They're pretty stable & are reasonably priced. However I think the seats are about the most uncomfortable of any canoe but if you find them unbearable they're not difficult to change! The Colemans are pretty much shunned by many of those who consider themselves to do 'real paddling'!!! ;-) However, they do perform a very good service, many people who want just what you're after buy colemans & they serve them very well. They have a keel line (ridge down centre of boat on hull) which aids their tracking so they tend to be reasonably good 'straight line' boats. However they are very heavy & cumbersome. They're even more robust, stand endless abuse than discoverys. They're very heavy (think of getting it on/off the car!). I would probably say Discovery would be the better boat for you, but it depends on your finances, if you'd rather keep an eye on the pennys don't write off Colemans. There are MANY different boats on the market. Did you get the discovery idea from Norfolk Marine, Hoveton/Wroxham? They have very limited other choice. Are you a member of a local club where you can try out some boats? If not I'd really recommend that, if you want some contacts etc let me know. I'd above all recomend that you all paddle the boat before you buy! Don't know if you're looking at new or 2nd hand boats, but there are 2nd hand ones out there, they've got a few scratches but so will any new boat have after very few outings. Once again if you want more info where to look let me know & I'll point you in the right direction. All the best of luck with your hunts, fun with your paddling & if you want any more ramblings on boats, kit or where to paddle locally, feel free to drop me a line & I'll try to help if I can. Maybe see you out on the water! Jasmine Kev Coomber wrote: Hi I'm in the market for a canoe and have my eye on an old town discovery. I have also seen a number of ads fole Colemans which appear to be a fair bit cheaper. How do these compare? I would be using it for family day trips, camping trips, and a bit of fishing. All of this on the rivers and lakes of Norfolk. I'm new to this so any advise gratefully received. |
#3
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Which boat?
We went through this exact line of questions earlier in the spring, and
ended up with an Old Town Allagash 16'4". We have 2 children, aged 4 and 9, and have been out several times since purchase. It's great, wider than some, but plenty of room for all of us with dollies, toys, spare clothing, food etc etc . I think we''ll put in some extra seats in time. We though about a Coleman, but their reputation could mean that resale value is poor, and the Keelson can be a pain in the neck. Get a few lessons at your local canoe club, so you can get in and out without getting wet, and paddle in a straightish line, and just incase you have an "incident"..... Cheers J Hi I'm in the market for a canoe and have my eye on an old town discovery. I have also seen a number of ads fole Colemans which appear to be a fair bit cheaper. How do these compare? I would be using it for family day trips, camping trips, and a bit of fishing. All of this on the rivers and lakes of Norfolk. I'm new to this so any advise gratefully received. |
#4
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Which boat?
The Old Town should be a nice paddler - I'm not personally familiar with the
Discovery, but have paddled in company with various Old Towns whose owners seemed quite pleased with their boats. There are actually several Coleman canoes - a 15', and a 17', as well as several smaller models. I have paddled a 17' Ram-X several times, and didn't much like it at all. I found it very heavy to carry, and very slow, as the plastic hull tends to flex and lose water flow over the hull. The high topsides catch a lot of wind, making it a difficult boat to control in any sort of crosswind. They are, however, very tough hulls, and have excellent carrying capacity. A lot of Coleman 17s here are used for rougher jobs - carrying out quarters of moose after a successful hunt, heavy -duty camping, wilderness surveying and prospecting, and so forth. The 15' Coleman seems to be a much nicer hull - again, I can't speak from personal experience, but have been on paddles where a 15' had no problems keeping up with the pack. Main thing, for me, is to get a boat and get out on the water - if you find a few years down the road that you want another sort of canoe, you can always sell the original and get something more suited to your needs. rhayes (at) nfld(dot)com to relpy "Kev Coomber" wrote in message ... Hi I'm in the market for a canoe and have my eye on an old town discovery. I have also seen a number of ads fole Colemans which appear to be a fair bit cheaper. How do these compare? I would be using it for family day trips, camping trips, and a bit of fishing. All of this on the rivers and lakes of Norfolk. I'm new to this so any advise gratefully received. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.687 / Virus Database: 448 - Release Date: 5/16/04 |
#5
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Which boat?
"Julia deSilva" wrote in message ...
We went through this exact line of questions earlier in the spring, and ended up with an Old Town Allagash 16'4". We have 2 children, aged 4 and 9, and have been out several times since purchase. It's great, wider than some, but plenty of room for all of us with dollies, toys, spare clothing, food etc etc . I think we''ll put in some extra seats in time. We though about a Coleman, but their reputation could mean that resale value is poor, and the Keelson can be a pain in the neck. Get a few lessons at your local canoe club, so you can get in and out without getting wet, and paddle in a straightish line, and just incase you have an "incident"..... Cheers J Hi I'm in the market for a canoe and have my eye on an old town discovery. I have also seen a number of ads fole Colemans which appear to be a fair bit cheaper. How do these compare? I would be using it for family day trips, camping trips, and a bit of fishing. All of this on the rivers and lakes of Norfolk. I'm new to this so any advise gratefully received. You asked how Coleman and oldtown Compare. They don't. I have owned Fibre Glass canoes, Wood Canvas, I have built a stripper and have purchased about 20 canoes for variouse organizations. Oldtown is a fine boat, Heavy but a great boat. I own one, we got it when the kids came along. Grumman is good too but it is dirty, cold, noisy and sticks to rocks. The Grummans need no attention though. I like Oldtown. Coleman is slow, paddles fairly poorly and , well it is what it is. It you paddle twice a year it is fine. Go Oldtown, used if you can get one ; but OLdtown will serve you well. |
#6
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Which boat?
Hi Jasmine,
I'm fairly new to paddling but I've been out a few times and hadd some practice with kayaks in a pool during the winter. I'm going along to sessions throughout the summer hopefully with a canoe ) I'm off to Canada for a week canoing so hopefully I'll get better from that. I have a friend wit an old town and another with a coleman. Both reckon theirs is best hence the question here. Of the two I preferred the old town but had to ask as the coleman is cheaper. I'll start looking for a secondhand one as I don't think she who must be obeyed will let me spend out on a new one. It looks as if I could do with two boats ) I'll probably end up on my own on occassions. Thanks for the advise Cheers Kev ----- Original Message ----- From: Jasmine Waters Sent: Thu, 20 May 2004 10:08:11 +0100 Subject: Which boat? Hi Kev, A fellow Norfolk paddler! I'm in Norfolk & do a fair bit of canoeing! So, what you need to do first is decide what you're gonna use it for - you seem to be settled on touring on flat water (rivers & Nfk broads), camping & fishing for the family. Are you likely to be paddling it solo at all? I'm assuming not (basically if you're paddling solo you'd aim for a lighter & shorter boat, but that doesn't sound what you're after). For family paddling & fishing, you'd want a fairly stable boat & for flat water touring you'll want it to have reasonable tracking (a hull shape that prefers to go in a straight line but is usually more difficult to perform sharp turns). For family camping you need to look at a larger/longer boat. You also want to consider the weight of the boat. Are you gonna have help getting this on & off the car or is it gonna have to be a one man job? The Discovery's are very good boats for the sort of purpose you describe, but be careful as they come in different lengths 148 (14'8"), 158 (15'8"), 164 (you get the idea), 174 and a few other lengths. How big is the family? If it's 2 adults & 1 child (average adults & smallish child) I would probably recomend the 158 - 164, for more weight, go longer, but don't try to paddle the 174 on your own - it's a bit of a beast!!! They're very roughty toughty boats (many clubs buy them for that very reason) - stand a lot of abuse! They're pretty stable & are reasonably priced. However I think the seats are about the most uncomfortable of any canoe but if you find them unbearable they're not difficult to change! The Colemans are pretty much shunned by many of those who consider themselves to do 'real paddling'!!! ;-) However, they do perform a very good service, many people who want just what you're after buy colemans & they serve them very well. They have a keel line (ridge down centre of boat on hull) which aids their tracking so they tend to be reasonably good 'straight line' boats. However they are very heavy & cumbersome. They're even more robust, stand endless abuse than discoverys. They're very heavy (think of getting it on/off the car!). I would probably say Discovery would be the better boat for you, but it depends on your finances, if you'd rather keep an eye on the pennys don't write off Colemans. There are MANY different boats on the market. Did you get the discovery idea from Norfolk Marine, Hoveton/Wroxham? They have very limited other choice. Are you a member of a local club where you can try out some boats? If not I'd really recommend that, if you want some contacts etc let me know. I'd above all recomend that you all paddle the boat before you buy! Don't know if you're looking at new or 2nd hand boats, but there are 2nd hand ones out there, they've got a few scratches but so will any new boat have after very few outings. Once again if you want more info where to look let me know & I'll point you in the right direction. All the best of luck with your hunts, fun with your paddling & if you want any more ramblings on boats, kit or where to paddle locally, feel free to drop me a line & I'll try to help if I can. Maybe see you out on the water! Jasmine Kev Coomber wrote: Hi I'm in the market for a canoe and have my eye on an old town discovery. I have also seen a number of ads fole Colemans which appear to be a fair bit cheaper. How do these compare? I would be using it for family day trips, camping trips, and a bit of fishing. All of this on the rivers and lakes of Norfolk. I'm new to this so any advise gratefully received. |
#7
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Which boat?
Thanks all for the advise. Looks like the coleman is out of the equation.
Cheers Kev ----- Original Message ----- From: Kev Coomber Sent: Wed, 19 May 2004 18:48:50 +0100 Subject: Which boat? |
#8
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Which boat?
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