Anyone familiar with the Sportspal models
 

As I'm trying to due my research I ran across the Sportspal line of
canoes. It seems to be a match of what I'm looking for; stability,
light, they claim it is virtual impossible to tip over, will not sink,
and can handle 2 adults easily. Here is the link
http://www.castlecraft.com/sportspal_double-end.htm
Does anyone own one of these? How do they handle? Are the claims
true? Are they built well? durable? Can you attach an electric motor
to them? Are they priced right? I'm looking for a canoe to fish from
(solo and with a partner), paddle around with my kids, on forest
preserve lakes and a few rivers. What are your opions pluses and
negatives. Thanks in advance.

"Sportinus" wrote in message
ups.com...
As I'm trying to due my research I ran across the Sportspal line of
canoes. It seems to be a match of what I'm looking for; stability,
light, they claim it is virtual impossible to tip over, will not sink,
and can handle 2 adults easily. Here is the link
http://www.castlecraft.com/sportspal_double-end.htm
Does anyone own one of these? How do they handle? Are the claims
true? Are they built well? durable? Can you attach an electric motor
to them? Are they priced right? I'm looking for a canoe to fish from
(solo and with a partner), paddle around with my kids, on forest
preserve lakes and a few rivers. What are your opions pluses and
negatives. Thanks in advance.

A friend of mine has a Sportspal; a 20 to 25 year old square stern model.
We used to use it for waterfowl hunting, and did attach an electric trolling
motor. It could easily have taken a small outboard.....say, five horse or
so. Can't tell you much more about it other than it seemed to be well made,
not exceptionally heavy, and is about as stable as one would expect a canoe
to be......which is to say, I've got a whole bunch of shiny new nickels say
I could tip it in a heartbeat. :)

Wolfgang

"Sportinus" wrote in message
ups.com...

As I'm trying to due my research I ran across the Sportspal line of
canoes. It seems to be a match of what I'm looking for; stability,
light, they claim it is virtual impossible to tip over, will not sink,
and can handle 2 adults easily. Here is the link
http://www.castlecraft.com/sportspal_double-end.htm
Does anyone own one of these? How do they handle? Are the claims

Mine is now 25+ years old, a good fishing
platform (with rowlocks that make it convenient
for solo fishing), lightweight but large load-carrying
capacity but so beamy it is slow. Years ago iin
northern Maine I spotted a lovely looking spot on
the West Branch Penobscot that a local confirmed
was good for trout, put Sportspal in water and
started across the river, there at least 100 yards
wide. Trouble was, in a current of perhaps 6 m.p.h.
my maximum speed was 4 m.p.h. so I was sooner
or later headed for the Gulf of Maine, and turned
back sooner. But it is OK on lakes or slow rivers,
also a good play toy for children since sponsons
make it unsinkable.
--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 14:39:41 -0600, "Wolfgang" wrote:


"Sportinus" wrote in message
oups.com...
As I'm trying to due my research I ran across the Sportspal line of
canoes. It seems to be a match of what I'm looking for; stability,
light, they claim it is virtual impossible to tip over, will not sink,
and can handle 2 adults easily. Here is the link
http://www.castlecraft.com/sportspal_double-end.htm
Does anyone own one of these? How do they handle? Are the claims
true? Are they built well? durable? Can you attach an electric motor
to them? Are they priced right? I'm looking for a canoe to fish from
(solo and with a partner), paddle around with my kids, on forest
preserve lakes and a few rivers. What are your opions pluses and
negatives. Thanks in advance.

A friend of mine has a Sportspal; a 20 to 25 year old square stern model.
We used to use it for waterfowl hunting, and did attach an electric trolling
motor. It could easily have taken a small outboard.....say, five horse or
so. Can't tell you much more about it other than it seemed to be well made,
not exceptionally heavy, and is about as stable as one would expect a canoe
to be......which is to say, I've got a whole bunch of shiny new nickels say
I could tip it in a heartbeat. :)

Wolfgang


iirc, the Sportpal has a 52 inch beam and huge foam sponsons.
it is a barge of a canoe, and you'd have to *really* work at it to flip one.

/daytripper (not that I'm saying you couldn't do it, tho ;-)

I bought a Novacraft Angler at Canoecopia last year and fished from it all
summer. Its a great fishing platform in lakes and slow rivers. It is not
very maneuverable in current. I'm 300 plus and can stand and cast in it.
When I deliberately swamped it, popped up with less than an inch of water in
it.
"Sportinus" wrote in message
ups.com...
As I'm trying to due my research I ran across the Sportspal line of
canoes. It seems to be a match of what I'm looking for; stability,
light, they claim it is virtual impossible to tip over, will not sink,
and can handle 2 adults easily. Here is the link
http://www.castlecraft.com/sportspal_double-end.htm
Does anyone own one of these? How do they handle? Are the claims
true? Are they built well? durable? Can you attach an electric motor
to them? Are they priced right? I'm looking for a canoe to fish from
(solo and with a partner), paddle around with my kids, on forest
preserve lakes and a few rivers. What are your opions pluses and
negatives. Thanks in advance.

"daytripper" wrote in message
...

iirc, the Sportpal has a 52 inch beam and huge foam sponsons.
it is a barge of a canoe, and you'd have to *really* work at it to flip
one.

No doubt they've got a variety of models. The one I used was nowhere near
that wide. I never measured it, but I'd guess it was 36 or less.

/daytripper (not that I'm saying you couldn't do it, tho ;-)

Trust me on this one. :)

Wolfgang

iirc, the Sportpal has a 52 inch beam and huge foam sponsons.

it is a barge of a canoe, and you'd have to *really* work at it to flip
one.

/daytripper (not that I'm saying you couldn't do it, tho ;-)


Trust me on this one. :)

Can I try, can I, huh?

--
Frank Reid
Euthanize to reply

Frank Reid wrote:
iirc, the Sportpal has a 52 inch beam and huge foam sponsons.

it is a barge of a canoe, and you'd have to *really* work at it to
flip one.

/daytripper (not that I'm saying you couldn't do it, tho ;-)


Trust me on this one. :)

Can I try, can I, huh?

The sad part is you wouldn't have to try. ;-)
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:46:46 -0500, Frank Reid
wrote:

iirc, the Sportpal has a 52 inch beam and huge foam sponsons.

it is a barge of a canoe, and you'd have to *really* work at it to flip
one.

/daytripper (not that I'm saying you couldn't do it, tho ;-)


Trust me on this one. :)

Can I try, can I, huh?


We could put both of you in one at once and be sure to have someone
with a digicam there to film it.

But you guys have to get it to shore and bail it out.

Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli
email: lid (strip the .invalid to email)