Kayak/canoe recommendations?

[goldfinch]

Canoes:
We have an aluminum canoe that is heavy and bullet proof. We like it for lakes because the design has a "keel" that keeps it from blowing around in the wind.

We have a kevlar canoe that is light as a feather. Good for rivers. I don't like it for lakes, it blows around too easily.

I favor canoes. But I grew up in a canoe. We even had one rigged as a sailboat. I have been on many multi-day canoe trips through the BWCAW in Minnesota and Quetico in Ontario.

Kayaks:
I have several kayaks. One is polyethylene. It is for rivers. It is about 8 feet long. I don't recall the width but like kayaks of this type they are fairly wide with a flat bottom. However, mine is narrow enough that it is still easy to paddle. It is maneuverable but does not track as well as a long kayak, like a sea kayak. Sea kayaks are narrow and more v shaped, making them more stable but harder to turn. There are recreational kayaks out there that are longer than my kayak but shorter than a sea kayak, some are two person, but I really have no experience with them. They tend to be pretty wide. I also have no experience with the sit on top type of kayak. But Maine is somewhat like Minnesota, the weather is not that friendly for a sit on top kayak.

I also have two inflatable kayaks by SeaEagle. One is a big honking thing that easily carries two people and a dog and maybe even a kid. It has a keel but is vulnerable to wind. I like taking it to the tidepools on the gulf of Mexico for messing around, not really trying to accomplish anything. The width makes it a bit awkward to paddle for long periods of time. I also have a small SeaEagle inflatable that actually doesn't do bad in rivers and white water. It also is not good in the wind and I only use it on a lake if it is really calm. It is about the size of my composite kayak. It is easy to paddle, I like the width. It is very stable. The small inflatable is currently the boat I use the most. It can go in the bin of my motorhome and I can take it anywhere. It is great for when I am alone.

I can carry an aluminum canoe myself on my shoulders, but it isn't easy. I can carry the kevlar canoe myself on my shoulders easily. I cannot easily carry my kayak. The shape is awkward for carrying, and it is heavy, so I use a little cart. I can break the cart down and put the parts in the kayak when I am underway but it is a tight squeeze. I also now use the cart for the canoes and the inflatables too unless they have to be portaged over a difficult trail. It is easier to stash the cart in the inflatables than in the plastic kayak.

I have kayaked for years and canoed my entire life. I have never rolled the kayak. I know that I could exit if it did roll over however. I have only had a canoe dump twice in my life. Once when screwing around as kids. The other time was on a canoe trip in the everglades when my spouses shoulder hit a branch and we all ended up in the drink.

I'd never do a camping trip with my kayak or in any of the recreational kayaks I have seen. A sea kayak in the right water would be fine for carrying gear.

If you are going to be out alone I suggest a kayak. For two people I would tend to favor a canoe.