A floatation coat(looks like a winter jacket) is as good, and its like your not even wearing a life jacket. I have one made by Mustang.

Congratulations on your new canoe, I have a 17' Valhalla and would be lost without it.

RO

I think the best trapping boat is a go-devil. It's got a horizontal shaft that you raise and lower as you need it. It's perfect for the tough places we trap--ditches, soft bottoms, weeds and floating vegetation.

I have a homemade job I bought a few years ago. It's a fiberglass vhull about 12' long and 2.5 ft wide. The motor is a 5 horse briggs. It's light. I don't need a boat launch. I can pull up to a canal, unload, mount the motor and be on my way in about 5 minutes. With the motor attached, I can drag it up over berms and levys. It's kinda tippy. I can't carry another adult. I've had it running down ditches 3 ft wide and with only 6" or so of water.

The fiberglass takes a beating. A light 10ft jon boat with one of these motors on the back would be better--steadier. Stay out of the big water though.

Nute

Update:
Well I hate ta admit it, but things with the Pelican Colorado have not went as well as anticipated... :rolleyes:

On It's maiden voyage in the lake it seemed to do OK, a little tough to control in the wind. As I suspected lots of beaver sign on the other side...

The river was another story all together (very stable compared to what)...
Yep you guessed it, rolled it over. In Feburary that is not a good thing. All I lost was a nice pair of #9 Kliens that I have had a long time. Luckily I discovered this problem before I had a bunch of traps, tools, and other stuff onboard.

My neighbor loaned me an old 10' jon boat (riveted), but I dont think it is very good condition, and even if it was I dont think it would have the payload capacity to do what I want to do...

So I have decided to add a few accessories to the Colorado. Hopefully these items will make my Canoe the trapping vehicle, that I am looking for...


Stabilizers
These are adjustable in and out and up and down. When extended and up, the pontoons will catch ya.
Extended and down, lets dance...

[img]http://www.canoegear.com/catalog/image.php?productid=154[/img]
Hinged Motor Mount
I thought the hinge may work well as there is a lot of debris in the waters I am working...


Canoe Dolly
Load gear in canoe, and roll to the marsh...

I hope all of this stuff meets my expectations, I will do a follow-up...

Dont hesitate to add your ideas...

A question for you Claude.

Does your canoe have a Keel? They make tracking much easier on open water.

Also to help with steering control, sit in the front passenger seat, but facing the rear seat. This will shift some weight towards the middle of the canoe. Load your gear more towards the opposite half of the canoe than your sitting to keep the bow lower in the water. Canoes handle totally different depending on how they are loaded. I hope you can understand my typing.

Another little trick is to give the paddle a little bit of a hook away from the boat at the end of your stroke. With a little practice, you can paddle all day from one side of the canoe(if your one arm doesn't fall off) and still keep a straight course. Is a much more enjoyable way to paddle than doing the old "2 strokes on one side, dripping across your gear and paddling a couple on the other side to stay straight.

RO

Uh yup, it has a keel...

I dont see any difference in the Canoe between the bow and the stern...

But I will give it a try once this hard freeze is over...

OK hadda go measure them... chuckle

It is a 3 seater...
The one I been sitting in (calling it the stern) is 54-1/2" from the tip of the stern to the inside edge (mid ship) of the seat.

The other end (calling it the bow) is 43-1/2" from the tip of the bow to the inside edge of the seat...

Actually after rolling it, I decided that sitting in the seats weren't such a good idea, and continued my journey kneeling on the floor in front of the seat...

My canoe has "tractor" style seats, which makes the bow and stern a little more obvious.

In your case, if you have "bench" style seats and your measuring from the tip of the canoe to the edge of the seat that is closest to the center of the canoe, then the one with the smallest measurement is the Stern. The front seat has extra room for the persons legs, as they need to face forward. The "front" seat becomes the "back" seat when canoeing solo, for better control, unless you have enough gear at the opposite end to keep the canoe sitting fairly level in the water. Sitting backwards in the front seat offsets the amount of weight you need to keep the canoe sitting level.

Sorry if my post makes you feel like I'm talking to you like your in grade 8, but I don't know how much canoe experience you have and you can just disregard the stuff you already know.

As for the tippyness of your canoe, if you have a 36" width at the widest point and your canoe is in the 17' range it should not be a problem if you move slow and don't stand up. Mine has a fairly flat bottom which also adds to its stability. The main thing is to NOT overload and canoe and stay low and move slow.

For the record, the first canoe I bought was a 15 footer with a narrow beam, 30" or less IIRC. I didn't get wet, but I came darn close a few times before I finally sold it.

RO

My Coleman is extremely stable (for a canoe!). I used to shoot rapids with it. It's been loaded with three guys, duck gear, and decoys. I was younger and braver then. It still often gets loaded with my son and I, 2 dogs, and decoys. I'm not stupid with my son.

Listen to RO. When alone, pick the seat with the least legroom. Then sit so you are facing the opposite way. The j-stroke he mentions is the only way to paddle. It takes a little practice but it will keep you dryer. A 2 bladed paddle will work (kayak style) also.

An outboard sticking far off the side will de-stabalize the boat. They even de-stabalize the boat when they are close to the hull. The side with the engine becomes extremely vulnerable to taking in water. Turn slowly and compensate with your weight.

Bet you're glad that you had on a life jacket!

I was seriously entertaining thoughts of buying a new canoe ( I have had & used canoes for most of my life.), when I had to have my knees replaced. That sort of ended the project.

However, I had seen a canoe that was very interesting for application as a trapping boat. Here is the link:

http://www.bearcreekcanoes.com/canoe.html

Bear Creek makes two models that I believe would be almost tailor-made for trapping use.
Those models are the Big Duck and The Odd Duck. These two boats are different from any other canoes I have ever seen.

I remember there was an article featuring these two canoes in FFG several years ago.

Adios,
45/70,
RKBA !!!

That looks like one scookum trappin' rig! I especially like those 2 brown counter weights in the front.

Do those outriggers work good?

RO