I've got a houseboat and a runabout. Also a Jet Ski. I use the runabout to get back and forth when the houseboat is out on a beach, and would like to get a spare ride for when there's a problem with the runabout. I'm hoping to sell the Jet Ski and get something else. Right now I'm thinking about getting a canoe and an outboard motor for it. Can anyone tell me some things about it, since I've no experience with it? What size motor for about a 13' canoe? What about using an electric motor, if that's a reasonable consideration? Where to find good prices on used canoes (I'm in the Atlanta, GA area)? Thanks for any help!
Right now I'm thinking about getting a> canoe and an outboard motor for it. Can anyone tell me some> things about it, since I've no experience with it? What size> motor for about a 13' canoe? What about using an electric> motor, if that's a reasonable consideration? Where to find> good prices on used canoes (I'm in the Atlanta, GA area)?
Canoes are designed to be paddled. Using an outboard for the short distance from the houseboat to the beach will be more trouble than it's worth.
Right now I'm thinking about getting a> > canoe and an outboard motor for it. Can anyone tell me some> > things about it, since I've no experience with it? What size> > motor for about a 13' canoe? What about using an electric> > motor, if that's a reasonable consideration? Where to find> > good prices on used canoes (I'm in the Atlanta, GA area)?>
Canoes are designed to be paddled. Using an outboard for the short distance> from the houseboat to the beach will be more trouble than it's worth.
True, but there are some square-stern canoes designed so to allow a small motor or engine to be mounted.
I thought Old Town canoe had a square-stern too, but I didn't find any on their website. I guess maybe they stopped making them, if they did at all, ever.
No practical application other than a trolling motor - and they're designed to be used under slow & gentle conditions. If you're going to have such a small canoe, paddling should be enough.
Canoes are designed to be paddled. Using an outboard for the short distance>> from the houseboat to the beach will be more trouble than it's worth.>
True, but there are some square-stern canoes designed so to allow a small > motor> or engine to be mounted.
They may be available, but a motorized canoe just doesn't appear to make sense for the OP's purpose.
Chopping off the stern will increase drag, so paddling will be slower and more difficult. Putting a trolling motor and a battery in a 13' canoe will double its weight, and even a small gas-powered outboard will weigh half what the canoe does. Hooking it all up will take more time than any time saved in travel to/from a beach.
Depending on how many people and how much gear he wants to carry, a good rowing dinghy may make even more sense.
Canoes are designed to be paddled. Using an outboard for the short distance> >> from the houseboat to the beach will be more trouble than it's worth.> >
True, but there are some square-stern canoes designed so to allow a small> > motor> > or engine to be mounted.>
They may be available, but a motorized canoe just doesn't appear to make sense> for the OP's purpose.>
Chopping off the stern will increase drag, so paddling will be slower and more> difficult. Putting a trolling motor and a battery in a 13' canoe will double> its weight, and even a small gas-powered outboard will weigh half what the canoe> does. Hooking it all up will take more time than any time saved in travel> to/from a beach.>
Depending on how many people and how much gear he wants to carry, a good rowing> dinghy may make even more sense.
Possibly. I did a Google search on "square stern canoes" and turned up a number of different manufactureres though. Evidently it's something that may be a lot more popular than the canoe purists may with to admit, yano?
No practical application other than a trolling motor - and they're> designed to be used under slow & gentle conditions. If you're going to> have such a small canoe, paddling should be enough.
What about laziness or disability? Or extremely long distances, and a combination of either of the aforementioned?
Canoes are designed to be paddled. Using an outboard for the short
distance> >> from the houseboat to the beach will be more trouble than it's worth.> >
True, but there are some square-stern canoes designed so to allow a
small> > motor> > or engine to be mounted.>
They may be available, but a motorized canoe just doesn't appear to make
sense> for the OP's purpose.>
I have to disagree. I have a friend who uses exactly this kind of rig as a runabout. He has an old aluminum canoe with a square-stem used for mounting an outboard motor, and it works just fine. You can also buy manufactured motor mounts for this purpose. Not to be flaming, but I for one am willing to assume that the OP knows better what his purpose is than you or I.
Chopping off the stern will increase drag, so paddling will be slower and
more> difficult. Putting a trolling motor and a battery in a 13' canoe will double> its weight, and even a small gas-powered outboard will weigh half what the canoe> does. Hooking it all up will take more time than any time saved in travel> to/from a beach.>
If it's the kind of rig my friend uses, he probably wouldn't be paddling at all, and he probably wouldn't be disassembling it every time he uses it. You can also trailer a setup like this, so the weight is probably irrelevant (at least in *this* scenario).
While I am also not a big fan of motorized canoes, they have their place in the world, like it or not.
Frederick Burroughs 22 May 2005 16:07:35 [ permanent link ]
John Kuthe wrote:
I did a Google search on "square stern canoes" and turned up a number of> different manufactureres though. Evidently it's something that may be a lot more> popular than the canoe purists may with to admit, yano? >
My brother pulled a square-sterned Mad River off a neighbor's trash pile. It's a heavy, wide fiberglass canoe, obviously designed for fishing. The wood gunwales and seats had rotted, but he was able to find and fit replacements. Now, he finds it a bit impractical. He hasn't put it in the water once.
-- "This president has destroyed the country, the economy, the relationship with the rest of the world. He's a monster in the White House. He should resign."
- Hunter S. Thompson, speaking to an antiwar audience in 2003.
What about laziness or disability? Or extremely long distances, and a> >combination of either of the aforementioned?> >
In that case, a 13' canoe would be a travesty rather than a help.>
Hey, if it's what the poster wants, who are we to deny him or her, yano? Advise him or her that a non-motored canoe may be better, but ya can't dissuade some people from what they want! (I know, I work in an outdoor sports shop, sometimes.)
What about laziness or disability? Or extremely long distances, and a> combination of either of the aforementioned?
OP said use was to go from houseboat to beach. Doesn't sound like a long distance involved...
In case of disability, a canoe should definitely NOT be considered before a more stable dinghy, regardless of whether it will be rowed/paddled or powered.
Laziness? Could be, but IMO this NG is not here to promote it.
Small. Very small. An electric at about 40 some whatever the measurement (foot pounds per rev or some such) is or a 2 or 3 hp gas motor. I'd advise gas. Get a 4 stroke, if possible. Less noisy and less polluting, though more expensive.
I'm not sure I'd even want a motor on a canoe that small. I have used an electric 40 something on a 16 and a 17 foot canoe and it's about right. 13 footer will be nimble. You'll have to go carefully with a motor on it. And balance the weight well.
What about using an electric>motor, if that's a reasonable consideration?
You'll have to maintain the battery. But if you're only going a few miles, should be no problem. They're delightfully quiet.
You said islands? Out in the sea or on one of the Great Lakes? Big waves are possible out there. Dinghies take big waves better than canoes do. And you can row them if you run out of gas or the battery goes dead at least as easily as you can paddle a canoe. Rowing always seems to me to give more efficiency than paddling. And a 10 or 12 foot dingy would probably carry more cargo than a 13 foot canoe. Of course canoes are cooler than dinghies...
Used canoes should be popping up all over the place now that it's spring. Mostly 17 foot aluminum or Coleman plastic ones, though. Keep an eye on the want ads and look at what eBay has to offer in your area. But be advised that there are comparatively few 13 footers built and bought, so the used market in them will be scanty. You may have to buy new if that's the size you want.
Cyli r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels. Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.
On Sat, 21 May 2005 22:41:17 -0500, "Franklin" <frank999@fastmail.co.uk> wrote:
(snipped)
You can also buy manufactured>motor mounts for this purpose.
You don't even need that. A piece of wood on the inside of the canoe to make the motor screw on tightly works fine. I've also done it without anything, but it's hard to tighten it up enough. I think the piece I used was about 10 inches long by 4 or 5 wide and maybe 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Unless the canoe is an easily deformed plastic one, it's no sweat. Even then, no problem as it's above the waterline, except for the looks of it.
Cyli r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels. Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.
On Mon, 23 May 2005 04:22:36 -0500, Cyli <cylise@gmail.com.invalid> wrote:
On Sat, 21 May 2005 12:43:05 -0400, dh@. wrote:>
(snipped)>
What size >>motor for about a 13' canoe? >
Small. Very small. An electric at about 40 some whatever the>measurement (foot pounds per rev or some such) is or a 2 or 3 hp gas>motor. I'd advise gas. Get a 4 stroke, if possible. Less noisy and>less polluting, though more expensive.>
I'm not sure I'd even want a motor on a canoe that small. I have used>an electric 40 something on a 16 and a 17 foot canoe and it's about>right. 13 footer will be nimble. You'll have to go carefully with a>motor on it. And balance the weight well.>
What about using an electric>>motor, if that's a reasonable consideration? >
You'll have to maintain the battery. But if you're only going a few>miles, should be no problem. They're delightfully quiet.>
You said islands? Out in the sea or on one of the Great Lakes?
It's just an inland lake. At first I really wanted to be on a large body of water like an ocean, but have since come to appreciate how much less expensive it is for fuel and to maintain a boat on a lake like this (Lake Lanier, GA) than it would be in a different environment.
waves are possible out there. Dinghies take big waves better than>canoes do. And you can row them if you run out of gas or the battery>goes dead at least as easily as you can paddle a canoe. Rowing always>seems to me to give more efficiency than paddling. And a 10 or 12>foot dingy would probably carry more cargo than a 13 foot canoe. Of>course canoes are cooler than dinghies...
Well maybe, but I'm not really worried about that aspect of it. What I like about a canoe is that it would be easy to store and always have on hand on a houseboat, and it would be easy to carry on my car if I want to take it someplace else.
Used canoes should be popping up all over the place now that it's>spring. Mostly 17 foot aluminum or Coleman plastic ones, though.>Keep an eye on the want ads and look at what eBay has to offer in your>area. But be advised that there are comparatively few 13 footers>built and bought, so the used market in them will be scanty. You may>have to buy new if that's the size you want.
My houseboat is about 13' wide, which is where I came up with the 13' idea. I want to build a frame to put the spare boat on above the back deck, and don't want it to hang over too much on either side. It probably doesn't really matter much if it does though, so I may end up getting a longer canoe if they're that much easier to find.
Cyli>r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.>Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.>
Powering a canoe with an outboard engine is perfectly alright. It has been done for decades in some pretty tough environments. As a boy I remember a number of Maine guides running fully loaded 17' canoes up local rivers using an outboard for power.
Right now it seems that the best engine available on the market is the Mercury 2.5 or 3.5 horsepower. You'd need to buy an extra long shaft model and fit it with a shallow pitch propeller for power.
There are several 12' - 13' square stern canoes available today. The problem with a short canoe is that it is typically pretty wide, in the 38" - 42" range. This could create a space issue on your houseboat. Judging from your comments, if I were you, I'd consider towing the canoe with a snug fitting marine cover on it.
