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PabloKabo
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There are a number of folks selling just what you're looking for "used". The Royalex canoes are abundant on the used market. Yes, in some cases they are heavy 60-85#, but they're super resilient and tough.
If you're looking for something new, the IXP is a strong option.
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dschult2
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I'll throw another option out there. Nova Craft Prospector in the Tuff Stuff layup. Very lightweight but easily capable of Class II rapids. Or if class III is your thing it also comes in Tuff Stuff expedition.
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billconner
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Swift Canoe's expedition layup with the basalt/innegra would be in that group.
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RedLakePaddler
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I have used a Kevlar Mad River Explorer on a class 2 river near where I live. It has hit many rocks with No more than scratches. It weighs 56 # and is an expedition grade canoe.
Unless you are going to paddle heavy whitewater I would look for a canoe with the IXP layup or similar. T Formax and Royalx are good canoes but are heavy and over kill for most paddlers. At my age I have the 60# and under for my canoes and 50# and under for my tripping canoes.
Carl
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IronRangeMike
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+1 for IXP. I have a B17 in that layup that I absolutely love. It’s about 50% heavier than a comparable Kevlar layup but takes way more of a licking and keeps on ticking. I posted a detailed review of it here a couple years ago.
Northstar B series thread
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Blatz
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If your going to be doing some rock bashing stay away from Tuffweave. T Formax similar to Royalx will slide over rocks rather than grab the rock. I have no experience with IXP but know some serious river trippers have used it.
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JATFOMike
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I think it would be tough to beat the combination of weight/durability of the Northstar IXP layup. I've been paddling a Northstar Phoenix in the IXP for 4 years now and have been very pleased with the performance and durability. I've had a couple pretty good impacts on rocks in rivers that made me cringe....I was sure that I had cracked the hull, but after inspection, had barely a mark. You've probably already seen the videos on Northstar site concerning the IXP layup. Additionally, there are some YouTube vids posted by Bear Paulson (GM for Northstar canoes) on river trips he has taken using boats in the IXP layup. In one of the vids, they wrap a boat on a rock and it looks like it isn't salvageable. They eventually get it freed and after bending the aluminum gunwale back into shape and lashing a stick in to replace a thwart that got knocked out, the boat was essentially "good as new" and they finished their trip with it. Two of my buddies were on that trip and they are huge fans of that layup now. The B-16 model probably fits the style of boat you are looking for as far as small tandem/solo "prospector style" boat. A buddy of mine bought one last year for just the reasons you mentioned. he doesn't plan on running class 3 rivers with it so instead of the IXP, he went for the blacklight layup which probably isn't as durable as the IXP, but a little lighter...only a couple pounds heavier than the "Kev-light" layup. His only gripe with the blacklight is it shows scratches really bad...purely cosmetic, not functional.....
Hope that helps,
Mike
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keth0601
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dschult2: "I'll throw another option out there. Nova Craft Prospector in the Tuff Stuff layup. Very lightweight but easily capable of Class II rapids. Or if class III is your thing it also comes in Tuff Stuff expedition."
I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one of these as well after watching "alone across the arctic", but I don't have any dealers near me which is why I kept it to the layups from northstar, wenonah, and esquif.
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keth0601
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Anyone have first hand experience in comparing some of the newer tough/heavy canoe layups out there?
I'm looking at getting a prospector-style 15/16ft canoe for river tripping around here, but also potentially for solo(ish) trips with younger kids who won't be paddling all that much. Durability is the primary concern followed by weight.
It looks like I have options around here for layups from Wenonah, Esquif, and Northstar so I'm basically looking at Tuf-weave VS IXP VS T-formex. They all seem to differ in their construction (VS basically just the royalex and poly we used to have).
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