Best Family Float Canoe

[eric1978]

So what would you guys say the best "family float trip" canoe would be with our Ozark streams specifically in mind? The baby is coming in a few weeks, and as soon as she's old enough to swim, she's gonna be wrapped in PFDs and doing floats with me...I know it's a little premature to be thinking about this now since it'll be a few years, but I'd like to start getting some ideas so I can jump on a used one if I stumble across the right deal.

I need something I can put all three of us in (my wife is only about 110...normally, and I'm currently a fat pig)

will hold plenty of gear for two and three day trips

will be maneuverable enough for me to do all the steering from the back (she's a worthless paddler and at times it seems I'm not much better)

and most important, at least for a few years, pretty stable so we can minimize swamping with the little one with us.

It will most likely end up being an Old Town or Wenonah, but I'm open to all suggestions. Whatever it is, I would prefer Royalex. Thoughts and experiences?

[jdmidwest]

Fat pig, worthless paddler, and enough gear to sustain a woman and a baby for 3 days, you will need no less than a 19 footer with a trolling motor or small outboard. You may want to invest in a river jon or a big jet boat.

In all reality, a 19 foot square stearn alum canoe handles quite nicely and can carry alot of stuff. They can be floated on most Ozark Streams. Put a 3-5 hp outboard or a nice trolling motor and you will have it made. My first canoes were square stearns in 17 and 19 foot. We floated many times without motors and they handle nicely on most water with a little experience. Put a motor on them, we could troll holes, motor back up and get snagged lures, power thru still water, or outrun a storm. I still have a 17 ft square stearn AlumaKraft canoe sitting beside my 17 foot Grumman. Since I only do day trips, my yaks are all I use.

[eric1978]

Me plus wife and kid plus gear equals no more than me plus a buddy plus gear plus several cases of beer...and I've done that many times. I won't be getting anything longer than 17 feet, mainly because I've got nowhere to put it and it would be too heavy. Thanks for the idea though.

[Coldspring]

You might check into a Mohawk Nova 17. Very stable and fairly light. If you could find one other than factory direct.

[eric1978]

I thought Mohawk went out of business, no?

[fishinwrench]

OT Discovery 169 is the gold standard as far as I'm concerned. The heavier you load her, the more stable she gets. The Canoe that is....not the Wife

[Flysmallie]

OT Discovery 169 is the gold standard as far as I'm concerned. The heavier you load her, the more stable she gets. The Canoe that is....not the Wife

As bad as I hate to I will agree with wrench. And as long as you don't raise your seats all the way to the top and have a drunk wheatenhiemer in the front they are very stable. I have had my two oldest daughters in mine and it's never been a problem. My oldest is bigger than your wife, and at 5' 10" she is probably taller than you.

They will hold a ton of gear and great boat to solo in on an overnight float. I can, and do, take a lot of stuff.

[Gavin]

There are lots of canoes that will fill the bill...I like my Wenonah Spirit II, but the Disco 169, or Tripper are good boats too. They all carry tons of gear.

[Coldspring]

I thought Mohawk went out of business, no?

No, they're back on the water. They were building some in Fort Smith, I should have got in gear and went down to get one at a bargain when they closed shop there. They've moved all operations to Chatanooga. I could be wrong on this.

[eric1978]

The heavier you load her, the more stable she gets. The Canoe that is....not the Wife

CLASSIC!!!

There are lots of canoes that will fill the bill...I like my Wenonah Spirit II, but the Disco 169, or Tripper are good boats too. They all carry tons of gear.

Holy cow those are some loaded canoes. I have a bunch of backpacking equipment so a lot of my camping gear is small and light...I'm sure I could stay under the loads in those pics...even with two females with me.