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A good friend of mine is contemplating buying an old town discovery 119.
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I know nothing about the canoe or old town canoes in general.
It seems to get good reviews but wondering if anyone as any firsthand experience with one?
He would be using it for normal flat water tripping. 2-3 night trips mostly.
Any info or opinions would be great.
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We bought an Old Town Discovery 158 (ABS canoe) at least 25 years ago and it is still going strong today. She isn't as pretty as she used to be, and she weighs a ton, but it is pretty much indestructable. I can't speak to the kayak but we have been very happy with the quality of the canoe.
Last edited by Steve E (9/04/2015 7:17 am)
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The Old Town Disco 119 is a pack canoe. It is portaged just like a pack canoe. It is not a kayak but shares a low sitting position.
There are many of them around here. They are used for fishing and dropping into a pond for fishing or floating down an river. At 11 feet waterline length they are slow for lake travel and at 47 lbs very heavy for their size. They are made of polyethlene which makes a tendency to warp over time and heat.
I have seen very few OT's in Algonquin probably because they are so heavy. The OT Pack at 35 lbs ( same boat different material..it was Royalex) was a good day boat for boating with dog. You could have a standard canoe seat in it.. Same with the 119. Not sure why I am seeing a kayak seat in that website but you can install your own.
To each their own but there is a reason most tripping solos come in at 14 to 15 feet. They are a little faster and more efficient when the wind comes up. I can think of quite a few annoying little Algo ponds that boat would be fine on.. Smoke or Canoe or Opeongo...not so much.
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Thx for the info.
Ya..Getting a lighter, longer used canoe is probably the better way to go.
See if I can help find a post labour day sale on a solo for him.
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I don't know how often solo canoes come up for sale in your area but there is a Blackhawk Zephyr for sale in excellent condition in Illinois for $525 USD.
paddling.net is almost all US boats for sale.. Is there anything in Canada to help paddlers on a budget find a boat from a private party? Or are used boats mostly coming from outfitters?
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