Canoe vs. kyack

C

catman

New Member
It's a sad day when decisions such as this are so importand.
I love canoeing and was going to buy one, BUT everyone says that kyacking is the in thing. Decisions, decisions. Think I'll buy a canoe cause if I want to take a girl on a moonlight cruise, I'll only need one canoe, huh?
Theres also room for camping gear, cooler, and lots of other stuff, huh?
In a kyack theres only room for your ass and a wet towel.
 
C

catman

New Member
Thats why I'm going to buy a canoe. Hey tonk, isn't a piroque one of those cajun kyack looking water things?
Besides you can't make-out in a kyack.
 
Professur

Professur

Well-Known Member
Canoes are great for flat water, but when you get into the faster stuff, you really benefit from that closed cockpit. And the weight really tells.
 
chcr

chcr

Too cute for words
Well, I don't know what a kyack is (Bill the cat spitting up a hairball maybe) but my sister and brother-in-law have been into kayaking since the mid-eighties. I prefer a canoe myself for everything but white water. Right tool for the right job. Making out effectively requires a flat bottom boat. Like a pirogue.

I used to have a red plaid canoe. :lol:
 
Professur

Professur

Well-Known Member
I just recently got rid of my canoe. It was a big flat bottomed scow, 14' long fibreglass, weighing about 100 lbs. But that sucker could float half a ton without risk. But it was just too damn hard for anyone else in the family to use. And without 4 people in it, it would just sit on top of the water and the wind would treat it like a sail.
 
chcr

chcr

Too cute for words
That reminds me, I knew a guy that had a big canoe like that with a small square-rigged sail setup. I'm pretty sure it was manufactured that way but I've never seen another. Worked pretty well as long as the wind was going your direction.
 
unclehobart

unclehobart

New Member
There are all manner of inflatable 4 and 6 seater sport boats... with mounts for small engines if you want.

Is there a reason for only having the two choices? What are the conditions in your area? I daresay there aren't too many class 4 rapids in SW Florida.
 
chcr

chcr

Too cute for words
Professur said:
He should have had a clamp-on rudder for it too. Those work well if they've got a pronounced keel.
Click to expand...

I've seen lots of triangular setups (which makes more sense to me and typically have a rudder and some sort of centerboard analog or another) but this was the only square-rigger I've ever seen. It had a rudder that dropped into place if memory serves. It was, however, much faster to paddle than to try to beat into the wind in anything like a windward direction.

BTW, I looked for an image (didn't find one) and found that there are evidently other people that spell it "kyack" (also "kyak"). Still seems wrong to me. :shrug:
 
Gato_Solo

Gato_Solo

Out-freaking-standing OTC member
Professur said:
I just recently got rid of my canoe. It was a big flat bottomed scow, 14' long fibreglass, weighing about 100 lbs. But that sucker could float half a ton without risk. But it was just too damn hard for anyone else in the family to use. And without 4 people in it, it would just sit on top of the water and the wind would treat it like a sail.
Click to expand...

Why so large? The biggest I've ever handled solo was half that size. A red, fiberglass Coleman 7 footer. Weighed in at around 70 pounds. You'd need a 10 footer to make out in, though. As for needing a flat bottom, preperation is key here. 1/4 inch plywood and foam will take care of that bit, and will only add about 30 pounds to the canoe.
 
Professur

Professur

Well-Known Member
This was a big 'laker' designed for carrying everything a family would need for a week's camping trip. Wide enough to take cooler sideways, and virtually impossible to tip. I know. I tried hard enough to put it on the bottom. Empty, I could haul my 170lbs over the gunwale and not let in any water.
 
Gato_Solo

Gato_Solo

Out-freaking-standing OTC member
Professur said:
This was a big 'laker' designed for carrying everything a family would need for a week's camping trip. Wide enough to take cooler sideways, and virtually impossible to tip. I know. I tried hard enough to put it on the bottom. Empty, I could haul my 170lbs over the gunwale and not let in any water.
Click to expand...

It's impossible to sink a canoe without the help of a band saw. You can fill them with water, and they won't sink. Thats why I like them so much...
 
Professur

Professur

Well-Known Member
Depends what it's made of, Lieutenant. Polypropylene won't sink. Fibreglass will, unless it's got flotation tanks built in.

I've sank more than a few in my day.
 
Gato_Solo

Gato_Solo

Out-freaking-standing OTC member
Professur said:
Depends what it's made of, Lieutenant. Polypropylene won't sink. Fibreglass will, unless it's got flotation tanks built in.

I've sank more than a few in my day.
Click to expand...

I beg to differ. We used to have 'swamped canoe' races on the river near my childhood home. Never sank one. Two were aluminium and three were fiberglass.
 
Professur

Professur

Well-Known Member
beg all you want. It won't change the fact that I sank 6 canoes and left a dozen girl guides swimming to shore in very wet, very see through t-shirts ... and was the camp hero for that weekend. Yours obviously were equipped with flotation tanks. Theirs weren't.
 
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