want 1 (old)-man canoe

At 80 I want to sell my motorcycle and buy like a 13-foot Coleman or other light but durable canoe. Live near a great river. No kayaking experience, but might that be the route to go?

Donald,

What do you plan to do while paddling. Or what will paddling assist you with acomplishing? Asking your self these types of questions might help choosing between a Kayak or Canoe.

A Canoe and a Kayak each use a different technique for entering and exiting. So that might be something to consider.

I've always thought of a Canoe as being like a 4x4 3/4ton truck. It may not go fast, yet it can go a lot of places and carry a lot of stuff.

A Kayak is like a two-seater - small, nimble, can go places, and can carry some stuff.

Just some thoughts.
Daniel

Hey, Daniel, thanks for the response.
I canoed as a Boy Scout dad on 4 50-mile trips years ago. Built a 15-foot Trailcaft from a kit and could maneuver it single-handed. But canoeing isall I know -- or knew.
At this age I'm envisioning day or half-day trips floating our gentle river -- some through ranch land, some tourist country. So far it's just a whim. I haven't shopped yet.

I get the impression kayaks are lighter than canoes generally, which would be a definite plus. I'd be car-topping on a Ford Focus 5-door (which incidentally holds my bass fiddle inside). I'll be looking around.

Appreciate your thoughts,
Don

Don,
A while ago I had a 16ft Roylex (plastic) canoe that weighed in at near 81 lbs. My 17ft sea kayak weighs in at near 65 lbs. There are some “Transitional� or “Day Touring� kayaks that weigh-in in the 50ish pound range.

For me paddling a recreational kayak is kind of like paddling a barge. I didn’t mind doing it for an hour or two. But I didn’t want to go much longer than that. I found the Day Touring (Transitional) kayaks easier to paddle for longer periods of time. I feel Day Touring (Transitional) kayaks can better handle a wider range of weather and water conditions.

From what you have said about the paddling you want to do, it sounds like a kayak in the Transitional or Day Touring categories may be of interest.

As you indicated Coleman has a kayak. As does Pelican International. There are lots of choices when it comes to kayaks. Perception, Current Designs, Dagger, Old Town Canoe, Wilderness, Valley, P&H and others offer a kayak in one or the other of these categories.

I’d suggest also looking at kayak racks by Thule or Yakima. They each have a rack that has arms that comes down the side of the vehicle to about waist height. You place your kayak on the arms and take advantage of some mechanical assistance when putting the kayak to the top of the vehicle.

Before actually purchasing a kayak, may I suggest you contact a local paddling shop and take at least the basic strokes and rescues training? This will give you a chance to figure out if kayaking is something you want to do, try their kayaks, talk to some folks with differing degrees of experience and opinions, and establish contacts.

Some say a kayak should fit like your favorite pair of jeans. I believe a kayak should fit more like a comfortable pair of shoes. Like your comfortable shoes, it should be something so comfortable you can wear (sit in) it all day and still feel comfortable in it at the end of the day.

Good luck on your explorations.

Daniel

Thanks, Daniel. That tells me where to start. Nice talkng to you.
Don