You guys have any thoughts, watchouts, recommendations on this canoe, the Old Town Guide 147?
I’m thinking about buying one and wanted to know if you all had any thoughts.
Jeff
Hey, Jeff. I don’t know what use you’re planning on but I can give you a general review. For the money, it’s not a bad deal. That said, you’d get more canoe for the same money if you bought used. It’s a short wide deep stable canoe that is a pretty good fishing platform. It’s not made for whitewater or putting on a lot of miles. Due to its width and depth it’s a bit of a tub to paddle but so are a lot of recreational canoes. It’s made to paddle tandem and isn’t a good choice for adding passengers. Similarly, the bow will ride a bit high when you solo it so performance in the wind as a solo isn’t great. There are ways to deal with that problem like putting weight in the bow, etc. The Guide 147 is durable, has a bit of an oil-canning problem, and is heavy at 75 pounds. It’s good for small lakes, near shorelines, fishing, very slow rivers with no rapids, and similar. Oil-canning is when the hull dents during use and/or from the heat while on a rack or land. If you talk about your intended uses you’ll get more specific advice from someone, I’m sure. I hope this helps.
Oh, if you get it and decide to solo, sit facing backwards on the bow seat and throw a couple of gallon jugs of water into the other end to keep the bow (well, the actual stern but you know what I mean) down out of the wind.
Diane,
Thanks.
I am not a white water type of guy. Most of the streams around these parts are lazy fairly shallow affairs. Mainly, I’ll be fishing in small to medium sized lakes. If I paddle a couple miles, that would be a pretty long treck given most of the places I intend to fish.
80 percent of the time I’ll be by myself and the rest will be with my 15 year old son.
A single person sit on top kyak kind of thing wouldn’t work because I do want to be able to take my wife or son or a buddy with me some of the times and want the flexibility to do that.
I am a bit concerned about the weight and tossing it on top of the van by myself. I can lift 75 pounds over my head pretty easily but I’m not sure about it being a canoe. I suppose, lift the front up, lean it against the van and lift the back and walk it forward (at least that’s what I’ve done with canoes before).
I need to keep the price tag below 1,000 and would like to keep it in the 500 to 800 range.
I wouldn’t consider myself an experienced paddler, but I’m not a novice either. I’ve tooled around lakes in canoes before but never owned my own. An inflatable pontoon does not really interest me and I don’t have anyplace to store a john boat with a trailer. Whatever I get has to work being strapped to the top of my van.
Hope this helps.
Jeff
Howdy Jeff and Diane,
My name is jeffro and this is my 2nd post.
Diane seems to know what she is telling you…well worded!
I would Recommend the 15 foot Old Town -Discovery for almost any accasion,it will handle white water and rocks etc.,
The gunnels will work their way loose if ya run white water hard and heavy,(bangin rocks or trees etc.,)
But if a person does’nt rockin Roll too much,I would Highly recommend the Discovery.
Diane is very correct about sittin in the backwards in the front seat position by the way.
That is exactly what I do especially in white water, you have alot more control of the paddle
Canoes are fairly easy to lift once you get the hang of it
You stand ‘mid-ship’ an pull up on the near gunwale 'till the bottom is resting on your knees
Reach across to the far gunwale with one hand and jerk it up while using your knees to bounce and help propel the canoe up and over your head, with the canoe coming to rest with the center thwart on your shoulders
Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that it’s easier to lift and load the canoe by yourself than it is to have someone help you.
I have a ‘pusher’ of a canoe myself. While it’s not something you’d want to paddle a great distance, it makes a great fishing platform.
I stand in mine to cast and pole and I use a 6’ paddle so that I can paddle standing also