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After reading and posting on the “Whatever happened to Canoe lifejackets?” thread, I started looking up information on new PFDs. I have always used a regular Class 3 PFD, choosing one that fit my body first and wallet second. I hadn’t looked at PFDs for a while since purchasing one around six or...

How cold does it have to be to develop “cold cracks” in a Royalex canoe? Reading this forum, I have become aware of the issue of “cold cracks” in Royalex canoes. Being in the South, where it is rare to have extreme or extended cold, it is not a condition that I have seen except in pictures and...

Wishing a good winter solstice to all, and as the the days become longer may your pleasures grow. For those up North, remember that your paddling season is getting closer day by day.

I posted this on the WCHA website earlier this week, but thought that I would post it here too. I am interested in the background of these veneer constructed canoes, so if anyone has any knowledge about them or the Allied Aviation Corporation. I picked up an interesting old canoe last week...

I just returned from a 6,600 mile, two and a half week motorcycle journey from South Carolina to California, Oregon and back. Along the way I watched for canoes on cars and saw a grand total of FIVE canoes! Where are they hiding? The first that I saw was a well-used Grumman on a car in...

Oh, what to do. A friend passed away a while back and when his estate was settled his son called me and said that his dad wanted me to have all his woodworking and outdoors equipment. In his woodshop among and under much clutter was a 14 ½’ x 36” tandem non-folding Folbot complete with about a...

There is a Blackhawk Shadow 13 for sale not too far from me. I might go look at it, but would like to know a bit about it. I cannot find any specs for this canoe in my searches and I am really curious about the "paddler weight range": i.e. am I too big for it at 180 lbs.? It looks pretty...

Although I have been a still photographer for many decades, I have never made the leap into videography. I have thought about it from time to time in conjunction with my outdoor activities, but weighing the cost, learning curve and potential use of the cameras I never went beyond reading a bit...

I picked up a used, like-new Millbrook Outrage this week. When I say like new, I mean no scratches or signs of use on the hull and has not even had kneepads glued down. It has the “factory equipped” foam saddle, hip pads, double thigh straps and air bag lacings, but it looks like the previous...

I am happy today; I just made my first paddle! Many years ago I had picked up a copy of “Canoe Paddles A Complete Guide to Making Your Own” by Graham Warren and David Gidmark with the intention of learning how to make a paddle. As it often happens, life got in the way and the book sat on the...

I am considering getting a 6-canoe trailer for occasional transport duty and also canoe storage (verses building a dedicated 6-canoe storage rack in my shop). I have looked at a couple of trailers, both home-made and commercial, and talked to a couple of local dealers. It looks like the...

When I picked up a wood and fiberglass (Northland Canoe, most likely) this weekend, it came with a few accessories. They included three old split Feather Craft paddles, which had seen much better days, and a Shaw and Tenney 48" paddle. The S&T has some repairable splits and I am planning on...

I would like to pick the brains of those in this forum and see if you know who may have made this canoe. This is my first wood canoe since I started paddling over four decades ago, so my knowledge is limited in this area. I hope to learn more about wood and canvas as I progress. I just pick up...

Well, I added another one to the collection. I found another canoe in need of rescue. It is a red Bell Flashfire, 1999 production, that is in good “mechanical” shape but has cosmetic issues. The biggest is quite a bit of oxidation on the gel coat. I rubbed it a bit and the white film does come...

I have recently purchased a brand new canoe, a rarity for me. It is a Northstar in Blacklight layup and is beautiful. I have already put my first very small scratch on it and figure that more will come with use. Since it is still relatively pristine, I am debating getting a canoe cover (Red...

I am getting ready to replace my old 100' rope that is getting old and worn. I started carrying it while whitewatering (along with a throw bag), so it usually lives in my ready pack and gets thrown in to the canoe when I paddle flatwater. I was thinking about getting some 8mm static line...

After counting up all the open canoes, kayaks and C1s that I have owned since taking up paddling, I ended up with (so far) 34 boats. I was wondering if this canoe total is normal in the population of paddlers on this website and so decided to try a poll to find out.

Northstar Phoenix I finally did it. I ordered a new canoe. This is the first canoe that I have ever custom ordered, I usually buy used boats. Here is why I got it: I currently have three fast, straight-tracking solo touring canoes and a couple of solo whitewater boats, a Hornbeck 10 for my...

Perhaps some of you who have or have had an early 1980's Sawyer Kevlar canoe could answer a question for me: Was the interior of the Sawyer Kevlar canoes, especially a DY Special in Expedition Kevlar, left in a clearcoat or painted? If painted, do you know what color? I have a 1983 DY Special...

I am selling my Mad River Monarch decked canoe in excellent original condition. Designed by Verlen Kruger for his 28,000 mile 3½ year canoe journey, this 17’2” solo Kevlar canoe is designed to handle all conditions. This Monarch is in Mad River’s “Indian Brown” (Dark Khaki) on both deck and hull...