Looking To Buy A Canoe

[eric1978]

I can safely say that I am dollars well ahead by purchasing vs renting, but Bobber makes a good point if you only plan to float 2-3 times a year, might think again.

Maybe, but if you have a trailer, (or just a pick-up...my solo fits fine diagonally in my bed) you never have to mess with changing racks. And if you only float 2-3 times a year, you'll still come out ahead 10 years from now, because you would have paid about the same for 20 or 30 rentals, but instead you'll own your canoe, which will still be in fine shape if you take care of it. Canoes can last a long time if they're not abused.

But the biggest problem with not owning one is you can't float streams that don't have liveries, and the streams that do have liveries are so busy in the summer that I really don't want to float them anyway. Owning gives you the freedom to float wherever you want whenever you want. I say buy one, but don't get the most expensive one they make unless you'll use it a lot and you have the money to blow.

Just remember when you're getting ready to buy, like everything else...point of diminished returns.

[fiveweight]

I usually consider it a wash whether to drive a few hours and rent a canoe for a single day or get a shuttle. Just to avoid the hassle I usually just rent - it's true while a float might cost you 40 bucks a shuttle might only save you 10 or 20 bucks which is nearly what the extra gas costs. If you live near where you float and go with a friend, it's different but there is certainly no sense in driving 2 cars multiple hours so you can have one at the take out. If I'm going somewhere for more than one day I bring my own.

Where I've found the biggest advantage to owning your own canoe is on flat water where shuttling is not an issue. I bought mine to spend 2 weeks in northern Minnesota after college, and on that trip with a friend we were nearly able to pay for the canoe (that is, if there had been anywhere on those lakes to rent in the first place). Having your own canoe will open up a lot of smaller ponds where you can't rent one and often even where there is no boat launch so you might be able to find quite a bit of water that doesn't get much pressure. I've even come across situations where an outfitter may be willing to shuttle you somewhere they don't offer regular float trips. For example, if you want to have them drop you off way up the river and still park well above their location - otherwise they would have to pick you up if you rented one from them, which costs extra plus you have to arrange a meeting place and be there on time. I also love leaving my car somewhere and not have to worry about getting to the take out point before some place closes. This may give you a couple extra hours on the water in the summer on a single day trip and can significantly save costs on multi-day trips.