I’m thinking of getting a 15’4" square stern canoe— the one at Dick’s (Old Town Rogue River/Saranac/Sportsman, depending on what company is selling it).
I could add to it a small 3.5hp Tohatsu or Mercury (same motor) for about $1,000. This motor only weighs 40 pounds. This same canoe/motor combo shows on Youtube doing 8-10mph, which is plenty for me.
I could easily car-top this canoe (with the right technique, it’s 120 pounds!) and put the motor in the trunk as long as it didn’t have fuel in the integrated tank. I could store the motor away from the canoe since these motors are easily stolen.
My car, at this point, doesn’t have a trailer hitch, so a hitch and trailer combo would run me an additional $300-400 which I could always add later.
I’m trying to get motorized on the water faster than a trolling motor can push us, without dumping $4K on a new setup or buying used/unknown quality motors.
Anyone else using one of these square stern type canoes? Looking for ■■■■■■■■.
This would be used for freshwater and inshore saltwater, and perhaps the occasional trip out to the Charleston Bump fishing for the legendary wreckfish . Will they hit a trout trick??? [:0]
I posted this and didn’t realize that “Gheenoe” was, in many places, a name of an actual brand/product. I’m not referring to that, but meaning it in the common xerox way…
I’m using a 15’ 6" Riverhawk which, depending on who you listen to, is a direct copy of a Gheenoe. I highly recommend it or a real Gheenoe. It also is 120lbs although it feels heavier. I bought it used for about what the one’s at Dick"s cost. The bottom design really does make a difference in the tippyness of the boat. I duck hunt and fish out of it with two guys in it and it’s pretty comfy, for what it is. I’ve owned a couple of normal canoes that I used motors on and the difference is significant.
Hurricane, lol, I’ve seen similar things done (20hp, and some “tuned” 9.9’s, on other forums). I take my 4 year old son with me so I’m not going to do anything nuts. I may put a 6hp even though it’s only rated for a 4hp, because the 6hp is the same weight (Tohatsu/Nissan/Merc)
On the down side, the 6hp must be registered/taxed.
If I decide not to go with the 6, I’ll just get the 3.5. It’s cheaper than the 4hp, about the same power, but 20 pounds lighter.
Matt, I agree with Gamerunner. I used to have a flat stern canoe with a 5hp and wouldn’t dare stand up in it. I have a Gheenoe now with a 5 hp and it is much more stable. You might want to check out www.microskiff.com. They have a lot of info about Riverhawks and Gheenoes.
can i ask a stupid question here?
what would the benifit be to using a Gheenoe be over say a 12 or 14’ jon boat
seems to me the jon would be much more stable, lighter, just as shallow, or better, and much more to choose from.
I’m definitely considering them, but buying them new is going to cost me at least $700 more than the Old Town canoe.
With my budget as it is, I am not sure I can justify that. I am almost dead-set on buying a brand new motor, because I cannot risk a breakdown from a used motor when I have my son out there with me, even though I still will only go short distances and will always have paddles/oars.
I’ll keep an eye on CL to see if anyone posts a Gheenoe or Riverhawk, I really do like the looks of them.
FWIW this Old Town canoe gets really good reviews for being stable. It HAS to be more stable than my 12’ canoe.
I owned a classic gheenoe for several years and they are way more stable than any canoe (even a square back). Wait and find a gheenoe in your price range. Look on Craigslist, microskiff.com, florida sportman boatstore, and customgheenoe.com. You can do anything on a gheenoe that you do on a “normal” boat; pole, through a cast net, pull a tube, climb on from water, etc.
I’ve had a 13’ Riverhawk and currently use a 13’ Gheenoe I use in my dad’s pond and in small rivers. Had a 5 hp Yamaha on the Riverhawk and got 15mph gps(just have to put gas tank up front and battery in middle). Check Riverhawk and Gheenoe websites, sometimes have 2nds that are a lot cheaper.
quote:can i ask a stupid question here?
what would the benifit be to using a Gheenoe be over say a 12 or 14' jon boat
seems to me the jon would be much more stable, lighter, just as shallow, or better, and much more to choose from.
The larger Gheenoe type hulls are at least as stable as a 12’ Jon.
Also quieter, MUCH easier to pole, and Jons can get uncomfortably hot in the Summer.
When it comes time to dump the cash, if I can find a Gheenoe or Riverhawk, I will go that route. But cash is so tight that even a $200 difference in price is simply just going to force me to get the canoe.
Essentially, I’m doing the best I can go get something that’s just as portable (car-top) as my 12’ canoe, with a portable outboard on it. Currently I do not have place to store a boat trailer, but I can store a canoe.
+1 On microskiff.com there’s a lot of good info on the site and some really cool rigs.
Keep your eyes open I bought my 15’6" from a guy in Georgetown for $450 used of course. Do a CL search using something like SearchTempest so you get more than just the local adds.
As for the diff between a small jon boat initial stability is better in a jon boat but the gheenoe/riverhawk has better secondary stablility. I’ve had mine leaned over far enough that it was taking on water, intentionally, and was able to right it with a high brace. Not sure I could have done that in the jon boats I used to use in the creeks back home.
I know it is extremely old school, but, the fear of mechanical failure can be buffered by a pair of oars. Yes, …I said oars. I never see them on boats anymore. But, after fishing the Bow River in drift boats for a week, twice, I decided to rehab my 1954 14’ Crestliner and put the oars back in it. 1969 9.8hp merc on the back. The oars are great. More work, but, they do work. And, my old Crestliner gets as skinny as anything out there and runs about 12-15mph with the old Merc.
I’m NOT suggesting an ancient MERC. It is a game of sorts for me to see if I can get it going again each time she stops. Most people wouldn’t like this game. But, oars work on a 12-14 aluminum hull.
Agreed, PalmerScott. I actually made my own oars for my canoe. I row this thing all over the place right now, but I’m really wanting to have something to open up my fishing range, and something nice to scoot around in with my wife for a romantic evening out on the river.
My oars are fairly heavy, they are solid hickory, lol. But they sure do work. I gave up on making DIY oar locks and bought some of the articulating type that clamp on to your oar, and then sit in the peg bracket. I mounted the brackets on a 2X4, which I clamp to the thwart of my canoe. Works great, except I have to row in the direction I’m facing. If I try to row backwards (the most efficient way), the canoe digs in and is very hard to track straight. But goes strait as an arrow when rowing “the wrong way”.
An alternate to a new outboard and new Dick’s canoe is to spend hundreds less on a used Gheenoe/Riverhawk/jon boat with an older 2 stroke that runs and spend a couple hundred to get it in tip-top shape. Keep the fuel fresh and replace the plugs, filters, and fluids every year. You can do most if not all of the maintenance yourself.
Here is one I found on Craigslist: http://charleston.craigslist.org/boa/3371178980.html
If you can get it for $850, spend $300 for a hitch and $200 for plugs, filters, new fuel line, and lower unit lube, then you are good to go for less than $1400.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
An alternate to a new outboard and new Dick’s canoe is to spend hundreds less on a used Gheenoe/Riverhawk/jon boat with an older 2 stroke that runs and spend a couple hundred to get it in tip-top shape. Keep the fuel fresh and replace the plugs, filters, and fluids every year. You can do most if not all of the maintenance yourself.
Here is one I found on Craigslist: http://charleston.craigslist.org/boa/3371178980.html
If you can get it for $850, spend $300 for a hitch and $200 for plugs, filters, new fuel line, and lower unit lube, then you are good to go for less than $1400.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
I have a ■■■■■■■■ conoe that ive had for 10+ years. fgured i work with what i got so just rigged it up over the last year or so for fishing. I have a 2.5 hp mercury and mounted a trolling motor up front. I made the out riggers/stabilizers out of scotty’s rod mounts, PVC and crab bouys. With the vessel fully loaded (two adults, anchor, motors, battery and cooler full of ice, beer, and the occassioal fish) it will move along at about 9 +/- mph with the merc. I drop the out riggers down when i’m trolling or site fishing. I was a little sceptical at first about the out riggers, but they work amazing. I can troll and both people can stand and fish with ease, something that i wouldn’t even attempt without them. I used to load it on top of my truck which isn’t too difficult since it only weighs about 70 to 80 lbs, however I picked up a little trailer on CL for $200 over the summer and it makes life alot easier, not having to load abd unload everything out of the canoe when you transport it.
If the boad landing is busy i can just take off the motor, pick it up and drop it on the trailer and head to the house. If i didnt already have the canoe i don’t know if this would have been the first route, but it has worked out great. I wouldnt run it through the harbor but its great for getting in that skinny water and best of all i have far less than $1000 in the whole thing.
. Will they hit a trout trick??? [:0]