Submitted: 08-29-2005 by jim
Outstanding! After much research for a rugged, stable, family canoe, we found the Old Town Guide 160 at 30% off at Sport Chalet.
We have a large family and the canoe successfully provided safe fun for my wife and 6 kids, ages 3 to 10 (including twins) on a local reservoir.
The boat was easy to maneuver, stable and a real joy. When it was my turn to paddle, it responded well to 4 little kids paddling + me (I only took 4 of the kids). I was able to also paddle solo with the kids in the canoe. It responded very well, much better than I remembered an aluminum rental responding.
The only slight minus is the 83 pound weight. However, we purchased a Thule rack with an "outrigger" that works as a pivot point to load and unload the canoe off of our 7 foot high van. Using this, today I was able to unload the canoe solo. (However, it probably helps that at 6 feet tall I just barely didn't need a step-stool.)
You can't go wrong if you are looking for a great family canoe for still water. |