I agree a 13' canoe is short and you have to be careful in turning it too
quickly. I have a 17 foot aluminum canoe that I paddle solo with a kayak
paddle. Many times when I go solo, I rig up a battery and a very small
trolling motor. Used it cost me $35. It has 5 speeds and I usually paddle
with it on 1 or 2 and make good speed, equal to 2 experienced paddlers.
When I crank it up to 4 or 5, I put the paddle down and hang on. The boat
scoots along leaving a wake and the bow pretty high. I need longer cables
to move the battery forward. I go all day on one charge. You can go
several miles and return, no problem. I use this rig for wildlife
photography. The motor allows me to hold positon in wind or current and
helps hold the bow in the direction I want.
I made my own mount out of wood and use a couple of c-clamps to hold it till
I buy wing nuts and bolts. Forget gas if you can. If you do this, increase
speed gradually and SLOW DOWN befor any quick turns or you will be going for
a swim.

dh@. wrote in message ...
On Mon, 23 May 2005 04:22:36 -0500, Cyli wrote:

On Sat, 21 May 2005 12:43:05 -0400, dh@. wrote:

(snipped)

What size
motor for about a 13' canoe?

Small. Very small. An electric at about 40 some whatever the
measurement (foot pounds per rev or some such) is or a 2 or 3 hp gas
motor. I'd advise gas. Get a 4 stroke, if possible. Less noisy and
less polluting, though more expensive.

I'm not sure I'd even want a motor on a canoe that small. I have used
an electric 40 something on a 16 and a 17 foot canoe and it's about
right. 13 footer will be nimble. You'll have to go carefully with a
motor on it. And balance the weight well.

What about using an electric
motor, if that's a reasonable consideration?

You'll have to maintain the battery. But if you're only going a few
miles, should be no problem. They're delightfully quiet.

You said islands? Out in the sea or on one of the Great Lakes?

It's just an inland lake. At first I really wanted to be on a large
body of water like an ocean, but have since come to appreciate
how much less expensive it is for fuel and to maintain a boat on
a lake like this (Lake Lanier, GA) than it would be in a different
environment.

Big
waves are possible out there. Dinghies take big waves better than
canoes do. And you can row them if you run out of gas or the battery
goes dead at least as easily as you can paddle a canoe. Rowing always
seems to me to give more efficiency than paddling. And a 10 or 12
foot dingy would probably carry more cargo than a 13 foot canoe. Of
course canoes are cooler than dinghies...

Well maybe, but I'm not really worried about that aspect of it. What
I like about a canoe is that it would be easy to store and always have
on hand on a houseboat, and it would be easy to carry on my car if
I want to take it someplace else.

Used canoes should be popping up all over the place now that it's
spring. Mostly 17 foot aluminum or Coleman plastic ones, though.
Keep an eye on the want ads and look at what eBay has to offer in your
area. But be advised that there are comparatively few 13 footers
built and bought, so the used market in them will be scanty. You may
have to buy new if that's the size you want.

My houseboat is about 13' wide, which is where I came up with the
13' idea. I want to build a frame to put the spare boat on above the back
deck, and don't want it to hang over too much on either side. It probably
doesn't really matter much if it does though, so I may end up getting a
longer canoe if they're that much easier to find.

Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli
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