Submitted: 08-04-2009 by Bernoulli 
I got a Discovery 158 5 years ago used from an outfitter for $275 and it is a great family canoe for local lakes and rivers. I bought portage pads from Piragis that bolt on to the thwart and I don't have too much trouble portaging shorter distances (half mile or less) but this certainly isn't the canoe to take to the Boundary Waters.
It's very stable for the kids and it is a tank. If I'm worried about a tricky landing and the kids dumping us out, I can ram the bow right up on shore and I have no concerns about how the boat will handle it. You won't win any races in this boat but it is a good all around family trooper. Using the bent shaft paddles on the lakes seems to help quite a bit and I paddle it solo by turning it around backwards and kneeling while resting against the tractor seats. I'm not running races or doing anything worse than class II all over Ohio - for that, I couldn't ask for a better boat and value. |