Family canoe for 3 kids and 1 adult (single parent)

[ProdigiousN00b]

I have searched the forums for hours about suggestions for a family canoe and they were all for 2 adult families. So I figured I’d post this here as it hasn’t really been addressed in the past. I am looking to get a canoe for the family (kids aged 7, 5, and 3) to start using while car camping, as well as introducing them to wilderness tripping - something I grew up doing and where my heart lays. I have lots of canoe experience but my children do not. Because they do not have much experience, and no second adult to stern, I am not willing to get two small canoes. I am considering one larger canoe for now and then later down the road getting something smaller for solo/tandem use.

I have been considering a 17 prospector (swift or nova craft), 17.5 prospector (Souris River), Quetico 17 or 18.5 (souris river), 18 prospector (nova craft), 16’6” prospector (holy cow) and a 17’4” explorer (holy cow canoe) all with 3rd seat options. I’m still undecided on materials for each. I’m leaning more towards a Kevlar or tough stuff, maybe blue steel.

Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions?

 

[yellowcanoe]

I suggest staying away from all Prospectors though they are all different and not necessarily true to the Chestnut Prospector.

Sounds horrid but a 17 foot Grumman would serve you well for your outings now with the seven year old in the bow and presumably the others just behind the seven year old on any sort of seat..( milk crates are fine) . Because trim is so important and your load will vary ( as the kids grow) being beholden to a third fixed seat makes little sense. Ideally the kids would sit side by side nicely in that seat and the seven year old in the bow. But kids being kids they seldom sit for long that way and the seven year old is still light so as to make handling a chore ( especially Prospectors..bow high they are sails in the wind and wind from the stern can blow a rockered boat all over the place broaching).

The two of us used a Grumman with our kids for many years for a day trip. When we wanted to do an Allagash trip the youngest was six and able to paddle and we rented a second canoe.

If your heart is set on a Prospector bunch all the kids as far forward as possible.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Welcome to site membership, PN!

You have a lot of choices available among 16'-18' tandems. I don't think the decision making for your situation is that much different than for two adult families. I put a wide cane center seat in my first canoe, a 16' Mad River Exporer, and it worked well for small kids as well as for myself solo.

I also think some of the many so-called Prospector variations are too rockered for easily controlled lake use and some don't have a lot of primary stability, which you probably want with small kids. And just speaking for myself, I probably wouldn't spend a lot of money on this first canoe. There should be tandems available on the used market.

There is no right or perfect canoe for all purposes, but there is usually a good range of reasonable alternatives. You're already looking at quality brands.

 

[Johnny 5]

A Northwind 18 with a DIY 2 person sliding center seat may work until the kids are older.

Northwind 18 with DIY center seat

 

[memaquay]

The souis river 17 Quetico is a nicely sized general hull. It should fit the bill well.

 

[stripperguy]

When our kids and nieces and nephews were young (and us too) we usually paddled a USCA cruiser. Ours happened to be a stripper, built by me, but any comp cruiser would fit the bill nicely.
Plenty of room, great primary stability and easy to paddle from a single station.
You should be able to find plenty of used ones on Craigslist, marketplace or wherever.

 

[Woodpuppy]

I take 2 of 4 kids in a Northstar Polaris- a 16’9” tandem with a center seat. I sit in the center and spread the kids out to trim the boat. I could easily put the other two in it with us, on a sling seat or throwable cushions. There are also fancier sit-on-the-floor seats out there, but kids are resilient and the throwable cushions are fine. Sometimes I can even get them to paddle.

 

[Sdrew22]

Hemlock Eagle