Submitted: 07-25-2007 by krr
I recently purchased the Charles River PolyLink3 version 85 lbs. The general purpose was for family use on the local lakes and dams near Ogden, UT. I have canoed most of my life, yet this is my first personal purchase. We have 4 young children and all fit comfortably in the canoe. I can easily load the canoe onto the car myself, (6'2" out of shape 31 year old). It helps to have a towel or something over my shoulders, as the wood yoke can be painful digging into my neck and shoulders. I love the maneuverability i.e., the ability to "turn on a dime." My wife isn't a strong paddler, but with a good J-stroke and her paddling on the other side, the canoe tracks very well, thus eliminating the zig-zag effect I was originally concerned with. Stability is better than average, based on my overall experience with other canoes. I have done very little soloing in the canoe, yet find it easier to keep the canoe straight with just some weight in the front to compensate for my slightly obese build. My experience with the Charles River thus far, is that it lives up to the Old Town label of "ideal canoe." |