FS Esquif Miramichi 20 foot RX Canoe

[Guest]

http://www.esquif.com/en/touring/miramichi/

Very little used, in excellent condition inside and out. 20’ long, 40” wide, 16” deep, 3 ½” of symmetrical rocker. 110lbs outfitted weight on the hanging shop scale.

Old Town stopped making the 20 foot XL Tripper a few years before Royalex disappeared, so the Miramichi is the last of the RX 20 footers. Motor upwind and sail downwind, save the precious petrol.

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/dc6c8bee-6223-428a-a8b4-ea64ab87df0f

Esquif builds an exceptionally rugged expedition tripping canoe; machine screw and flange washer wood carry thwarts inset in the molded deck plate carry handles, and the aluminum inserts in the vinyl gunwales are a full square box, not just an aluminum L. Even the vinyl deck plates with recessed ash carry handles have 12 pop rivets each through the inwale, not just 6 or 8 as usual. Little sturdy touches.

Fully outfitted for expedition tripping:

ED’s Canoe Extreme Duty wide seat on truss drops if a center passenger is aboard
Double-hung sculpted yoke
Webbing tie downs (26 total) on machine screw ends
Bow utility platform with bungees, compass hooks, and Scotty rod base
Full-sized (17 square foot) Spirit Sail
Dynel, graphite powder and G/flex skid plates
Custom TIG welded, adjustable height (long or short shaft) side motor mount for gas or electric motor
Retractable 20” x 13” Spring Creek leeboard if you decide to use an upwind sail. Handy with a motor at times too.
Wheel-a-Weigh heavy duty dingy/boat cart with 30 inch wide bunks

Miramichi canoe and outfitting photos:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/153467243@N07/albums/72157709254423191

$1600 for the full kit
(Calculated at 2/3 of what the canoe cost in 2006, 1/3 of what the accessories then cost)

 

[VernAK]

A very nice rig! I wish you were closer.

 

[Guest]

A very nice rig! I wish you were closer.

Vern, I wish you were closer as well.

There isn’t much call for a canoe like the Miramichi in the mid-Atlantic region and I figure it is more suited to Maine or Canada. Hadn’t really thought about 4000 miles away, but it really would shine on a big Alaska river.

 

[VernAK]

Indeed it would be nice on our larger and deeper rivers. Big enough to haul a moose out.
I've used side mounts extensively and they work very well with small outboards.
It probably is rated >1,000 pounds.

You could always drive up here and do the Yukon River before selling to me.

 

[Alan Gage]

I bet Mike knows enough people to help with transport from one watershed to the next that he could paddle/sail/motor it up to Alaska and deliver it.

Alan

 

[Guest]

I bet Mike knows enough people to help with transport from one watershed to the next that he could paddle/sail/motor it up to Alaska and deliver it.

I have visions of all of my friends helping move the Miramichi from one watershed to another.

https://www.google.com/search?q=pho...KHdzqBnkQ9QEwAHoECAgQBA#imgrc=YW38pbvIX6t4qM:

I could drive it to Maine, hang with some friends and sell it quicker there than here, and may resort to that.

I haven’t listed in locally with canoe clubs or, eeesh, Craigslist. On the whole I’d rather see it go to someone with big-river tripping needs.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Mike keep the thing.. Off you go; the Yukon River beckons.. At the end of the trip sell it there. great boat for fishermen and salmon wheel maintainers.

 

[Alan Gage]

I have visions of all of my friends helping move the Miramichi from one watershed to another.

https://www.google.com/search?q=pho...KHdzqBnkQ9QEwAHoECAgQBA#imgrc=YW38pbvIX6t4qM:

I was thinking something more like this: https://www.google.com/search?tbm=i...0j0i30j0i24.5EcITfnDkKQ#imgrc=9pJQUPUeoKbyeM:

Alan

 

[Keenan777]

Hike mike. I’m interested in your Miramichi. Send me a message when you get a chance.

 

[Guest]

Keenan, I got your PM and replied earlier this morning, with my Gmail and home phone #.

Gmail because I am always a bit confused by the private message functions of Canoe Tripping, my reply may have gone out under “Chat”.

 

[Guest]

The Miramichi is still for sale. In a couple of days I’ll put it on Craigslist and it will likely end up a fishing canoe for a couple of big boys with a motor and a cooler, trolling the Conowingo Pool on the Susquehanna.

 

[Guest]

Sold and on its way to Ontario and some big water adventures. That was the most fun used canoe sale ever. Sold to folks with exactly the kind of big trip, big boat (big dog) plans I had hoped would buy it.

Ashley and Keenan were wonderful shop visitors. Twice; they came, they looked and beheld the outfitting accessories, and drove home to think about it. There was some serious pondering going on, inside the shop and out.

P7070004 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I have a feeling Ashley is going to enjoy sitting in the bow, watching the compass and occasionally saying “A bit more to starboard, if you please” while Keenan lays out on a corrective paddle rudder. I saw a glint of future sailing pilot in her eye, and she needs an easily readable deck compass on her sailing thwart.

P7070001 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

When they drove down to Maryland the second time I was pretty certain they were leaving with the Miramichi. Since I knew they were in, and really enjoyed their company, and since they again brought dog companions of my favorite breeds, a sweetheart Heeler and a big goofy Newfie, I thought it only proper to throw in a few extras.

Some minicel wedges for their barrels, which they maybe didn’t really need, but I have dozens. Some cored cylinders of mincel from hole-sawing beverage holders, which they definitely didn’t need, but I have so many the Xerox box lid doesn’t close properly. Still doesn’t, I should have foisted off more of those.

A piece of Dragonskin, so they can shape minicel knee bumpers for any of their canoes. I had pre-band sawed lengths of 3” thick minicel to give them, but dammit forgot to send them north.

Ashley has a bow utility thwart for her conveniences, so Keenan needed a little somethingsomething of his own. It is a big boat, outfitted six ways to Sunday, and needs a fancyass two-holer canoe console. The Starship Enterprise NCC-1701 Glenn MacGrady model with photon torpedo slots would be perfect. With a couple of Duckhead coozies inserted to fill the spaces.

P7050010 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

The Miramichi has Duckhead stickers, and the shop Gogetch, if anyone sees it on the water please stop and chat them up

I had a couple of unused DIY versions of the smaller downwind vee sail, made with either stainless steel tubing or old Eureka tent poles battens. The big Spirit Sail is good on that giant canoe, but sometimes the smaller one is all you really need.

Because the OEM carbon fiber battens are more flexing-in-gusts kindly, and shock cord fold smaller, I made them a set of shock corded carbon battens to fit the smaller vee sail. Which was good practice for making my own carbon fiber battens.

During the first visit shop talk I had another Ashley intuition, and lit up a Fire-in-a-Can. I saw a bit of enthralled pyro glinting in her eyes, and they never even got to experience the instant dark when the lid goes on. I had mentioned, in an e-mail off-hand way, that the Miramichi “Now came with a Fire-in-a-Can”

It did, a DIY Fire-in-a Can; small stainless steel pot and lid of their choosing and four slabs of virgin 145f-melt Candlewick wax, enough to fill the pot and make a bunch of feeder bricks. And a bag of pre-made feeder bricks from muffin tin and ice cube tray molds (all loaded with colorful FunkyFlames). Just coil up some thick open-corrugation cardboard candle wick, melt and pour in some melted wax.

I was sorry to see them go, especially dear Hugo. “Who’s a good boy with jowls like a Frisbee?” Keenan and Ashley were nice too.

P7110005 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I think everyone left happy. No one happier than me. Christ on a crutch I can walk around my shop again without a 20’ long canoe in the way and have projects awaiting. And I’ll never ever again have to hoist 110lbs of canoe. Although just before Keenan drove away he may have jinxed me, saying “At least you’ll never have to pick it up again”

P7110006 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I am now convinced that I will eventually run into them somewhere, and Keenan will say “Hey Mike, just grab the other end of this canoe for a second”. I would probably do so. Or reply with a single fingered gesture; it’s 50/50 chance.

Racked on their truck there was a lot of boat hanging out the back, so I clipped a scrap heat sealable fabric red flag to the stern to be street legal. The Miramichi went buh-bye up the driveway, to again obtain a proper and useful life.

P7110007 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr

I want to hear more about Ashley and Keenan’s trips, and hear some downwind sailing stories, and see some photos, even if just a smiling bow sailor selfie “Dang this is easy living. Keenan, come about 10 degrees left m’dear”.

Keenan and Ashley, you are welcome in my shop anytime if you want to do some future boat outfitting, custom dry bag ironing, minicel shaving & contact cementing or etc. But you have to bring the dogs.

 

[Alan Gage]

That's great it seems to have worked out so well for everyone.

Having recently sold two large boats you should have enough space and money for a lightweight solo.

Alan

 

[Guest]

I’m getting there.

One more tandem to go, one I really like for the solo/tandem/sailing multi-functionality, yet rarely paddle.