A couple of cedar

[Erica]

Here are a couple of cedar strip canoes for sale in Florida. Anyone want to comment on them? I could fall in love with either one, but not sure either is practical for me.

https://sarasota.craigslist.org/boa/d/canoe-12-cedar-strip/6411373187.html

https://orlando.craigslist.org/boa/d/custom-built-cedar-strip-canoe/6404361709.html

This one is a wee bit out of my price range.....

https://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/boa/d/15-cedar-strip-canoe-built-by/6409771946.html


Erica

 

[dogbrain]

Those 3 canoes are vastly different, what are you looking for?

 

[Grandpa Paddler]

Number 3 just a wee bit out of your price range? Our 1st house, brand new, wasn't much more than that. All are gorgeous boats and I'd be afraid of scratching them. I'd have to hang one in our living room and call it a work of art.

 

[sailsman63]

Hi, Erica! Welcome to the forums. Either of these canoes could be the right boat for somebody. As dogbrain stated, we need to know a bit about your physical condition, experience, paddling style and water conditions to even begin to guess what might be right for you.

Thoughts on the canoes as such by someone who has built a couple of them:

The first two are very different boats.

• The first is stubby, with a lot of rocker. This canoe will like to turn, and will probably have more water resistance when you try to stretch your legs a bit. No idea what design this might be.
• The second is much sleeker. It almost looks like a barracuda (and a build thread on this forum by Alan Gage) that has been squished lengthwise... (I'm now waiting for someone more experienced than I to correct my crazy mistakes.)
• Second one seems to be a better build finish, as well. Not dissing the first one, as they both look to be in good physical condition.

 

[Erica]

Thank you, both. I thought the first one had a lot of rocker too, and can't imagine wanting to take it into white water. For that matter, can't imagine taking the second on a long trip. Either would be scratched and that would be terrible. And I have no idea what salt water would do to it. It's just that they are so beautiful. Does anyone actually use this type of beautiful cedar strip boats for anything "real" (like tripping?)

As for myself, I think I introduced myself a while ago, but briefly I learned enough solid white water to get into remote areas without motor boats, but am not interested in play boating or running white water "for fun." . I have made long (2-4 weeks) wilderness rail or fly in trips on rivers rarely traveled in Quebec, and have also paddled in the northeast, Boundary Waters, Wisconsin, Everglades, Florida, France, Sweden on shorter trips. I paddle solo or tandem and almost never with groups. I am less fit than I used to be, having aged somewhat over the years.

 

[Alan Gage]

I build my own cedar strip canoes and use them for real. I also build them lighter than most builders with thinner strips, lighter trim, and carbon and kevlar. To me, for the most part, a canoe is a canoe and they're made to be used. I don't see a lot of beauty in cedar strip canoes although I do appreciate the work that goes into them. I build strippers because there's no cheaper, faster, or easier way to build your own canoe. Aesthetics take a distant second.

If I was buying a canoe to take on an extended wilderness trips with moving water I wouldn't buy a stripper. Not because I don't think they can handle it but because I wouldn't trust someone else to make one strong enough and light enough for my uses. For the same money you can buy a nice used kevlar hull. But for local paddling or short 1-2 week wilderness trips without much whitewater I wouldn't think twice.

Alan

 

[Iskweo]

Strippers are fine for normal tripping. We have a couple and use them all the time. There are repairs in order at the end of the season for sure but its not a big deal. I also use wood / canvas canoes for shorter trips. Like you I am getting older and my trips are much shorter now. I have been pondering bulding a smaller stripper to replace my w/c solo. Like Alan says, there is no faster or easier way to put together a decent canoe.
The second one might make a decent solo. The first is tooooo short for any serious paddling. For tandem work we have used a kevlar Swift Mattawa for years. Only proving that any boat will do if you do your part. Our current craze is the Jack's Special ( chestnut chum copy) stripper. A realllllllly nice tandem made into a solo.

If you ever want to take an old lady canoeing, drop me a line.

Christy

 

[memaquay]

Second one is probably the best option for a solo, but the way he made his outer stems makes me question the rest of the canoe build.

 

[sailsman63]

the way he made his outer stems makes me question the rest of the canoe build.

How so? That's a two-piece, inside/outside stem. A fairly well-known technique, though a bit out of favor among the builders here on CT. If the outer stem is hardwood, it my be a bit more impact resistant than the overlapped strips that most of us use. (At the expense of some extra weight)

I'd love to see some higher-resolution closeups to be certain, but from what I can see of the finish work, I expect that this one was put together by an experienced builder. The build weight seems about right for a standard 6oz/6oz layup.

Erica

Now that I've taken a closer look at your intro: You would almost certainly not like the first, stubby (tubby?) canoe. For the second, I might ask the seller if you could meet for a test paddle. Take enough ballast to simulate your typical trip load.

If I wasn't sort of addicted to building them myself, That looks like a canoe that I would be interested in.

 

[memaquay]

I'm a two stem guy myself. In over 30 builds, only went stemless once. Take a close look at the one shot that shows a profile. Looks to me like the outer stem is not flush with the hull, but sticks up at the end, like he was going to mate it with a keel. Perhaps my eyes are playing tricks, but that's what I am seeing.

 

[sailsman63]

I'm a two stem guy myself. In over 30 builds, only went stemless once.

Ahh.. Sorry, I keep forgetting that...

I see what you are saying. Looking closely, I'm inclined to think that It's an optical illusion. The pictures posted here are a little... limited... though, so no way to tell for sure.

 

[dogbrain]

Looks like you'll need to buy a seat for that second one too, but it does look like a nice hull shape for a solo. Probably too narrow for a tandem. My friend built a canoe with a protruding outer stem. I never asked him why, but maybe he thought it would act as a skid plate. Me, I'd rather spend that kind of money on a light kevlar solo canoe.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

In order, those three canoes are:

Too short.
Too heavy.
Too expensive.

 

[alsg]

I built my own cedar strip canoe with no prior experience and it is very sturdy, reasonably light for its size and fine for tripping. That said, with use you will get scuffs and scratches and possibly worse that will need periodic maintenance. If you aren't comfortable, at a minimum, sanding and varnishing, I wouldn't recommend owning one.

 

[memaquay]

If you aren't comfortable, at a minimum, sanding and varnishing, I wouldn't recommend owning one.

Good advice there.

 

[Erica]

Thank you all for your comments. I feel much more relaxed now about giving up on owning a wooden boat. ;-)

 

[alsg]

Or you could just get comfortable with the idea of sanding and varnishing!

 

[stripperguy]

Thank you all for your comments. I feel much more relaxed now about giving up on owning a wooden boat. ;-)

Congrats on your recent purchase, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

But...don't entirely rule out a stripper! Properly built, they can be very rugged, and there's really no reason to baby them, they're just boats.

The ones below have been used and abused for a few years with barely any noticeable effects. One of those boats is over 20 years old!!

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[Erica]

Beautiful boats!!! I'll keep it in mind.