Recreational Canoes Reviewed
Kineo 158, Old Town
Length: 15' 8"; Rocker: Slight; Beam: 35.5"; Center Depth: 13.5"; Weight: 80 lbs
(as tested: 78 lbs); Price: $699; www.oldtowncanoe.com
The Old Town Kineo 158 (also available in a 16-9 length) is constructed of Old Town's PolyLink3(tm) three-layer linear polyethylene. Polyethylene is a relatively inexpensive but reasonably stiff material that is good for recreational canoe construction. Old Town has been at the forefront of quality plastic canoe construction since being the first to introduce a multi-layered polyethylene canoe hull in the mid 1980s.
The Kineo 158 is a good example of a middle-of-the-road, do-a-little-bit-of-everything canoe. The boat paddles smoothly, with reasonable glide, minimal hull flex, and good tracking. At only 15 feet 8 inches long, it's a good size for occasional solo use. Solo or tandem stability is very good, making this an ideal boat to take to the lake for an afternoon of general paddling, fishing, or all-around family use. You might even be able to get away with a short camping trip if you pack light.
While it's a great material for the money, polyethylene canoes are among the heaviest on the market. Our test Kineo weighed in at 78 pounds (2 pounds less than the advertised weight).
Primary Use: all-around general day use, families, fishing, solo, or tandem
Explorer, Mad River
Length: 16'; Rocker: 2"; Beam: 34"; Center Depth: 15"; Weight: 79 lbs; (as tested: 91 lbs); Price: $749; www.madrivercanoe.com
Mad River's Explorer is probably one of the most versatile canoe designs ever created. If recreational canoes are generally in the middle of the overall spectrum of canoe design, then the Explorer lies at the exact midpoint between the two extremes.
Sixteen feet is an excellent compromise for length-big enough for tandem use and camping but not so big that occasional solo use is out of the question. Two inches of rocker add sufficient maneuverability for navigating easy whitewater, but not so much that flatwater paddling is unduly crippled. At 15 inches deep and 34 inches wide, the Explorer provides plenty of carrying capacity. The shallow V hull, while technically not as fast as a shallow arch, offers great secondary stability for shifting loads (read: children and dogs!).
The Explorer we tested was processed in Mad River's Triple Tough polyethylene construction (the boat is also available in Royalex and Kevlar). As with the Kineo, the biggest disadvantage is the weight-in the case of our Explorer a staggering 91 pounds, well above the advertised weight of 79 pounds.
Splitting the difference results in performance compromises. If you want a boat that does everything, then it won't be the best at any one thing-other than perhaps being the most versatile.
Primary Use: a little bit of everything, predominantly tandem with some solo capability
Tripper S, Clipper
Length: 16' 6"; Rocker: Minimal; Beam: 33"; Center Depth: 14"; Weight: 66 lbs; Price: $1,595; www.westerncanoekayak.com
Western Canoeing has been building canoes under the Clipper brand for more than 25 years. Its lineup includes a wide variety of "composite" canoes, constructed of both fiberglass and Kevlar material.
The 16-foot-6-inch Tripper S made available for this review was constructed in the company's standard fiberglass layup and is a downsized version of the company's popular 17-foot-6-inch Tripper touring canoe. The "S" definitely stands for solo use; at 33 inches wide, the canoe is fairly narrow, greatly enhancing ease of solo paddling but adding an element of "sensitivity" when it's paddled tandem. (In other words, it helps if tandem paddlers know what they're doing!)
The Tripper S is an outstanding solo-tripping or cruising canoe, however, with excellent speed (thanks to its relatively long waterline), tracking, and carrying capacity.
Quality fiberglass boats are light, stiff, and excellent value for the money, and the Tripper S is no exception. Our test boat tipped the scales at a very manageable 67 pounds and was the stiffest canoe paddled of the boats reviewed (the hull is reinforced with laminated foam ribs and floor). The Tripper S is also available in Kevlar.
Primary Use: solo cruising or tripping, with occasional tandem use
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