Canoe or 2 Kayaks ?

[Frank Bradfield]

Thinking of buying 1 or 2. If I buy canoe , both me and g/f can go with lots of gear. Kayak, looks like it would carry less gear and would have to buy 2. Not so much for ocean but rivers, cooler of beer, cooler for fish, fishing gear, maybe even some overnight camping trips.I guess if i ended up doing some class 2 or 3 rapids the kayak would be better. I know some of you guys love kayaks but are they really that great ? Looks like i'd be more comfortable fishing from a higher seat like a canoe than sitting so far down in a yak ? Thanks for any help ! Smart azz replies will be dealt with by management !
frank

[bman]

I would get two Yaks in a heat beat...
More versatile, stable, easier to paddle- and if you ever want to go by yourself it is so much better.
I much prefer the back support of a good Kayak seat to a canoe seat.

For the cost though you could get a john boat and a small motor- that would be my first choice.

[Flint River Pirate]

I would get two Yaks in a heat beat...
More versatile, stable, easier to paddle- and if you ever want to go by yourself it is so much better.

I much prefer the back support of a good Kayak seat to a canoe seat.

I agree 100%. Those canoes can be tricky and are really tippy.

[4C's]

On the john boat or a gheenu, I've got a canoe with a big hole in it .....right in the top and easy to fall through.

[jsuber]

two kayaks definitely.

[Flint River Pirate]

I have a 13 foot Gheenoe and I love it. That might be a good route for you. Mine has a 46 lb thrust trolling motor and it will haul tail.

[Steve Stinson]

You could always get a tandem kayak if you didn't want to buy two. My buddy fishes out of a tandem Native Watercraft sit-inside that I bet would handle almost as much camping gear as a canoe. That being said, I would rent each and see which you like best. (This advice is coming from a guy with 4 kayaks, a canoe, and a 17' alum. boat, so you can see how well it worked for me).

If you want to borrow a canoe or a kayak or two, let me know.

- Steve Stinson

[Charles]

I have a Old Town Guide 147 and a Heritage Redfish 12. I prefer to fish out of the canoe. Roomier; I have more space for my gear, I don't have to minimalize, and it's all much easier to get to.

More stable; I'm not effectively locked into one sitting position, solo I can turn the boat around and switch seats if I want to change how the boat handles, and in the canoe I can, and often do, stand to pole or fish.

Drier; in the canoe I can wear 12" rubber boots and expect to stay dry the entire day; in the kayak, a SOT, I expect to get wet from the waist down. It will happen. Not a problem in warmer weather, but this time of year staying dry requires wearing chest waders.

Sometimes I take the kayak just to take the kayak, but the only real advantage it has over the canoe is it sits lower to the water so is less affected by wind. And it's a little faster, but I don't consider it enough so to be of any particular advantage.

If I suddenly decided I wanted a new boat today, I would get a Guide 160. I would also look at the 160 if I were going to be regularly carrying another person.

Oh, and with the canoe I can take my tow vehicle with me if I want to take out somewhere else.

[MudDucker]

riverhawk or ghenoe for sure. I've got 3 of them, so I must like them.

[boggob]

soundling like a parrot: check out a gheenoe. www.customgheenoe.com has a forum with classifieds.

[Frank Bradfield]

Great feedback, this is what I needed. Thanks

[Charles]

Oh, one other thing. Lots of canoes come with lots of different kinds of seats. My canoe has black, plastic, molded seats. Sitting down wearing just a bathing suit on a hot, sunny August day after the boat has been out in the sun for a while leads to the distinctive sensation of fried fanny.

But that's okay. It only takes once before you figure out to cover those black, plastic seats with a towel.

[Harmsway]

Frank, there is a lot to consider. Don't forget that there is such a thing as a tandem kayak. My advice is to consider just how independent and out-doorsy gf really is. If shee needs baby-sitting the whole time, then get the canoe. Otherwise, better to have her own craft (bickering about where and when to paddle has ruined many a trip).

[WaltDawg]

Kayak for sure. Fished out of both. Yaks handle the wind, chop and are easier to haul when your by yourself. Unless you're taking the kitchen sink with you, two kayaks for sure.

[Tidedancer]

I vote for two Kayaks