Right now I own an Old Town 147 Guide. The thing weighs 82lbs and I've only brought it on one trip. I'm looking at buying something else and thought I wanted a 15 foot aluminum canoe 55-65lbs. I'm seeing some arguments about going with a longer canoe despite the additional weight and size that you would have to portage.

What's the ideal canoe here?

I can't afford a Kevlar canoe and I prefer to dry foot so the durability matters. I prefer the rockier areas more than the sandy ones too. I'm used to aluminum canoes in the BW as well. Plus paddling is easy, portaging is what sucks. If I'm used to a 15 foot aluminum canoe (my buddy's canoe) then would a 17 foot really be that much easier to justify it weighing 70lbs or more?

A used Alumacraft Voyageur aluminum canoe would be a good option. I’ve used one for ten years and have been on some rough water with it and did just fine. 17’ long, weighs 56-57 lbs. -Colt

Alumacraft Quetico-15CL comes in at 56 lbs. The Quetico 17CL at 61-64. The 17 was a standard outfitter canoe before the kevlar rage. I've done thousands of miles paddling and probably a hundred miles of portaging a 17CL

It is unclear to me if Alumacraft still manufactures canoes. They are not on their website, but I swear I saw a rack of new ones at an outfitter recently. They show up on craigslist often as us older folks migrate to lighter canoes! Be patient and check ads often.

Check out, used, Grumans or Marathons who bought them out. The "light weight" comes in at about 64 pounds. Paddles better than Alumacraft and tough if you want to dry foot. I flip mine in camp and use it as table, kitchen and shelter for packs at night.

A 17 foot gives you more volume, i.e. room for more stuff. If you can fit all your stuff in a 15 foot, then go for it. A 17 foot is technically faster, but I wouldn't make my decision based on that for a BWCA trip. Plenty of people trip in a 15 foot.

I second the Grumman. I've hauled a few loads of them from Marathon NY and neither size felt to bad weight wise. Good people too. You can get a good used Kevlar for the cost of a new aluminum. But you can't beat the durability of them aluminum boats for the weight. Now the '18 square stern? Holy cow, now your talking some serious weight. But even in aluminum canoes. There is an ultra light model. It's harder to come by because car manufacturers scarf up the material pretty fast. When I started canoeing I bought four standard weight alumacraft canoes at seventy five pounds each for a total of $1000. Then they had the light weight that came in at 65 lbs. I poo pooed them because the weight savings made for a pretty thin skinned boat. But they faired pretty well over the years I think.

I found a canoe where i like the weight and price but it has a patch. I'm asking for more pictures and how they patched it, but I was also wondering if anyone would trust this canoe with a patch like this.

Just got a little more info from the guy. They say it was a small hole like a pencil was poked through then welded over and covered with JB Weld. Is the canoe trustworthy?

It is a 17 foot Grumman Eagle and they are asking $250 for it. Is this a good canoe to buy? They say it weighs 67lbs so it is just under the max I was aiming for of 70lbs. It is under budget, so that's nice, but I'm a little concerned with the canoe body style. I don't know much about the Grumman Eagle and some reviews mentioned slight instability. Is this a problem? Would it be more stable with some gear loaded?

I just wanted a second opinion before I move forward with this.

The hole. Being an aluminum canoe, a pencil sized hole will not further degrade the hull or cause it to fail. Being fixed with JBWeld is not the best and it may leak a little or the patch fail one day. Put some repair tape or duct tape in your day pack for that eventuality. You could take it to a shop that welds aluminum and make a permanent repair. Should not cost much. That would be my choice.

The Grumman Eagle 17 is the best canoe Grumman ever made IMHO. It is certainly the most seaworthy with flair almost the entire length of the hull and more arched bilge. This canoe will serve you well in wind and waves. It is lighter, faster and better designed than the Grumman Standard. At $250 it is a steal. Go for it. Down the road when you want to upgrade to a kevlar boat you will be able to sell it for $250 or more.

Ok thanks. BTW, it was welded. He says he welded it (or got it welded, not sure) to patch the hole then used JB weld just cover the spot. He said it was a precaution, maybe he did it to prevent leaks or just to cover up an ugly spot. Either way it looks to be a much better deal than I was first thinking.

Not sure I see what you mean about the arched bilge or the flair though. This one looks pretty flat across the top. The decal doesn't go much past the center. Are you thinking the Alumacraft Quetico?

Flare. The gunnel width at any given point is wider than the waterline width. No "tumblehome" as the standard model has. This makes a hull very buoyant in waves. It doesn't knife into a wave it rides up over it.

The standard Grumman has a very flat bottom and a sharp(small radius) turn of the bilge to the vertical side of the hull. The Eagle has a narrower flat section and a more gradual(larger radius) turn of the bilge into a flared side. So the flare and the softer bilge are related.

The Eagle may not have the rock solid initial stability of the Standard, but when things get rough that soft bilge and flare make for a better and safer ride.

Wow, that's good information. Thanks for explaining it so well. I told the guy I'd like to take a look at it and I'm quite a bit more confident about taking it home now.

sedges: "Flare. The gunnel width at any given point is wider than the waterline width. No "tumblehome" as the standard model has. This makes a hull very buoyant in waves. It doesn't knife into a wave it rides up over it.


The standard Grumman has a very flat bottom and a sharp(small radius) turn of the bilge to the vertical side of the hull. The Eagle has a narrower flat section and a more gradual(larger radius) turn of the bilge into a flared side. So the flare and the softer bilge are related.


The Eagle may not have the rock solid initial stability of the Standard, but when things get rough that soft bilge and flare make for a better and safer ride."

While I was getting prepared to spend 10x as much for a new kevlar canoe, I read this and think I should be on the prowl for an aluminum Grumman with a hole punched in it.

Good Luck with your new canoe A1t2o.

OCDave: "While I was getting prepared to spend 10x as much for a new kevlar canoe, I read this and think I should be on the prowl for an aluminum Grumman with a hole punched in it.


Good Luck with your new canoe A1t2o."

LOL, Thanks.

A1t2o: " I found a canoe where i like the weight and price but it has a patch. I'm asking for more pictures and how they patched it, but I was also wondering if anyone would trust this canoe with a patch like this.


"

Just an FYI- I once had an alumacraft that had a bunch of pencil sized holes. I patched with jb waterweld Puddy and when I sold it 4 years later , even after sitting outside every winter, the waterweld showed no signs of loosening up and the boat didn’t leak.

If the hole is patched well, I wouldn't worry one bit. My dad's Alumacraft canoe literally was bent in half by a tree that fell over on top of our car in about 1987. It folded up around to an almost 90 degree bend. He was able to pound it out/utilize jacks to straighten it and patch a couple small holes that resulted from the damage/repair. Still floats just fine today. It might not be as smooth in the water as it used to be (I wouldn't know, I was 7 at the time), but it can easily get you from here to there.

Although I've been tempted as I huff along on some of the longer portages, I love my Alumacraft Quetico, and wouldn't trade the stability and durability for the weight savings of a Kevlar. The only time I ever wet-foot is if I fall in. The idea of having wet feet all day long gives me shivers down my spine.

You'll like the 17 foot canoe better than a 15. IMO

I have welded many aluminum boats in my life and not to difficult although aluminum will absorb "contaminants" making it harder to weld than new material. I had an old Lund that the rivets leaked in most of the boat so welding wasn't an option. I don't remember who made the product but it was a green stick and you melted it with a small butane torch worked well for years.