My dog wants a canoe

[Schattenjager]

There is soooo much I do not know about watercraft and canoes top the list.
Max said that as he gets older (just turned 8) he would still like to go out for adventures, but perhaps a little something more relaxed than mountain hikes. After we talked it over a while, he wisely suggested a canoe! His input stopped there.

Can you help me find Max - a 97 pound German Shepherd - a suitable, light weight canoe we can take out for an overnight camping trip? I am assuming something with a flat bottom would be smart for dog / gear reasons. Light weight would be very important too as it is just the two us and he is somewhat lazy these days. Over night camp gear being the usual stuff - tent, sleeping bag, back pack and my new SPOT, should not take up a lot of room or weigh too much.

I have looked at REI's selection and have seen some Old Town's that are pretty neat, but they all have a lot of support beams which really cut down on space for Max and his waterborne chauffeur - especially on longer stints.:snorkel:

Any suggestions?

 

[mountainpete]

I have a Mad River Explorer and I really love it. It can take a beating on the rocks and works well for fishing. However, I do believe it weighs close to 80 lbs so it's not that easy to handle for one person unless you get one of those cart things.

Pete

 

[jsmoriss]

My wife and I canoe with our dog in an Ally 811. If you want to attract attention, get an Ally canoe. :-D I love 'em, but they're also a little pricey...

In any canoe, I suggest you find a piece of non-porous mat for the dog's space. This will keep him from slipping and his nails from scratching the bottom. The best place for him is probably between your legs -- usually in the stern seat. I'd stay away from rivers until you can predict his behavior. It's also better to have him lay down so his movements affect the canoe less (body mass is lower).

js.

 

[findleywarren]

canoe

I have a old town with all the crossbars you speak of. The supports are really for lashing gear on a extended trip and very needed in my opinion. I suggest getting a small two person canoe for you and the dog. But before spending any money rent one and take the dog out for a 3 hour tour. Its turly amazing how fast you end up in the water if your dog decides to go fishing or catch a bird. good luck

 

[seth_js]

I don't know anything about canoes or kayaks, but here are some pics of a friends German Sheppard a couple weeks ago. She loves to ride on the kayak. She was a little upset that she got kicked off, but she got over it.

 

[FourByLand]

Can't believe they kicked that dog to the curb... shame.

 

[Dave]

Flat or flowing water?

We have a big and heavy Old Town Guide. We added the skid plates and it will flat take a beating. Most of our paddling is on shallow gravel bottom streams, so having something that can hold up to being drug through gravel is what we needed. The biggest disadvantage is that it's heavy, both on land and on the water.

You can buy a canoe that's tough and relatively light, but like most things, that gets expensive fast.

The local hiking/paddling/climbing/camping/bicycling gear store here in St. Louis has an annual event where they bring a bunch of different types of boats to a local lake and they let you try them all out. You might try contacting your local stores to see if they have any sample boats/events.

BTW, dogs love canoes!

 

[Schattenjager]

Well, I have been doing some shopping - geez - these canoes are as bad as trail rigs for want of modifications, build, ground clearance etc. :bike_rider:

Thinking about this in detail, I am curious about protecting the canoe from the above mentioned gravel etc. as well as the inside of the boat from dog claws and gear. I see there is some armor available, but what about having the bottom Line-X'd - both inside and out? If its good for truck beds, it would have to be good for the canoe bottom - and they can make it smooth if needed. Inside it would provide GREAT traction for me and the pup as well as keeping the gear in place during high seas. Ok, I'm going a bit over board with this (intended pun) but I think the idea has some merit.

On to construction: the composite canoes are uber light weight, look super cool, and cost more than I make all year. For those with canoe experience - is it really worth it to shave pounds from the canoe? I would think I could handle the heft from truck to water and back, but never having done this, I need some input.

Max is most excited and appreciative of your input!

EDIT: what about one of these for $800?
http://www.merrimackcanoes.com/osprey-review.html

 

[Dave]

If it were me, I'd go for the lightest canoe I could afford, especially if you're planning on many trips where it's just you and the quadruped.

My canoe is made from PolyLink, a three layer Polythylene. The up side is that it's cheap and tough. The downside is that's one of the heaviest materials used in Old Town canoes. In all honestly, I probably could have done with the skid plates, but we just wanted the piece of mind...we have been known to hit unseen rocks at a pretty good clip. The rest of the bottom does have scrapes and scratches, but I've never hesitated to drag it over a boulder while loaded. They are meant to take some abuse as long as you're not hung up on the bottom of the boat (no pun intended) being cosmetically perfect.

It's kind of like putting a scratch in your truck. The first one hurts, the rest just have a story behind them.

The floor area of our canoe is slick, but it's never been a problem for our dog to keep her footing. By law, our gear has to be secured to the canoe anyway, so I just make sure to tie it in so it can't shift too much.

 

[Nullifier]

my first recomendation of it just the 2 of you is look for a shorted boat. Les skin friction will make easier paddling. I would recomend abel angler. royalex construction is super durable and light (54lbs). This canoe is very stable and you can sit on the bow seat facing the stern to get ina better position for a "solo" paddle.

You could also look at a Bell Morning star in kevlar (36lbs) a little longer bit the light wieght of the kevlar hull is nice and the stiff composite hull is super easy to paddle.

 

[Schattenjager]

... I would recomend abel angler. royalex construction is super durable and light (54lbs). This canoe is very stable and you can sit on the bow seat facing the stern to get ina better position for a "solo" paddle.

I am have trouble locating any info on the able Angler.

 

[kerry]

There are a huge range of choices out there. As an owner of about 14 canoes and 4 kayaks, I've made a lot of them. My favorite boat is a fiberglass Gene Jensen designed Whitewater III built by Mohawk and raced in the 1978 Downriver Racing championships. It's a fabulous design for its intended purpose but the best part of the boat is that it cost me $50. I can guarantee you that I've got a lot more pleasure out of that $50 than Eliot Spitzer ever dreamed of getting for $5000.
What I'm trying to say is that if you are concerned enough to think about scratching the bottom, get yourself a $50 boat.

 

[Nullifier]

I am have trouble locating any info on the able Angler.

Here is a link to the web site for Bell angler. They show the fancy heavy folding seats go for the base model with standard seats. Get a "sitbacker" for a back rest if you want one it will save yo a ton of $ and weight!

http://bellcanoe.com/products/default.asp?page=product&id=597&catid=195

 

[RHINO]

hey shatt i'm in this process also, i have been fishing from a jonboat but i want something smaller/solo'ish. i was really thinking about a fishing kayak but i am leaning to a canoe again, just so much more space. i am really looking at the old town (pack?) its 12ft made for solo but with lots of room for a dog and some gear and get this it only weighs 35lbs. for about 700 bones.

my local shop has one in stock and it is crazy light.

http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/generalFamily/pack.html

 

[Hoss86]

I don't know anything about canoes or kayaks, but here are some pics of a friends German Sheppard a couple weeks ago. She loves to ride on the kayak. She was a little upset that she got kicked off, but she got over it.

Hahaha, Great pictures. :hehe: