On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 20:26:37 -0500, Jeff Miller
wrote:

wrote:


While I take no issue with your pointing out the stability of the Gheenoe, I
would question your claim of "similar to an old town." While Old Town did/does
make a square-stern canoe or two, they aren't, at least IMO, at all similar to
Gheenoes. For example, a large 18.5' Penobscot weighs in at about one-third of
the Classic and almost one-fifth of the largest 16' Gheenoe.

Another possible consideration is the "canoe only" factor mentioned by sportinus
- are any/all of the Gheenoe models considered "canoes," at least as to
sportinus' requirements? The 13' model, which must be the one you have, looks
more like a jon boat/skiff/pirogue hybrid than a canoe, but YMMV.

I'm not knocking the Gheenoe in the least, I'm just wondering if it is actually
fits into the "canoe" category in which sportinus is asking for recommendations.

actually, i've got the 15'4" gheenoe. gheen has added new custom models
that are much heavier than mine...those are probably the ones you looked
at. mine is rated for a 9.9 hp max.

http://www.gheenoe.net/
http://www.marshbunny.com/mbunny/boats/gheenoe.html

mine weighs about 120. i can pick it up with great effort...or, i once
could. it's "similar" to the old town discovery with the square
stern...it's not identical. it's nothing like a jon boat, skiff, or
pirogue in my opinion. it's heavier and sturdier and more stable than a
typical canoe, but i think it's closer to a canoe than you. i've paddled
it single-handed in a creek for more than 10 miles, and i've motored it
around the shoreline of the pamlico sound. 3 of us have fished from it
(with a cooler and fishing gear). at 110 pounds, the 15' discovery
weighs almost as much as my gheenoe. the 16' penobscot isn't similar,
and weighs about 60 pounds (1/2, not 1/5, the weight of my gheenoe) and
the 18'6" penobscot weighs about 80 pounds (2/3, not 1/5). i think the
gheenoe is a superior product for fishing or hunting purposes, and it
ain't a jon boat/skiff/pirogue...but ymmv. g

OK, and again, I'm in no way knocking any of the Gheenoe craft. First, I've no
doubt that they are closer to a canoe than am I - for example, I'd become rather
irate if you attempted to clamp an outboard to my stern, whereas, both the
Gheenoe and a canoe would likely take little or no offense and while the Gheenoe
and canoe would be fine with being paddled by all and sundry, the results of
such an attempt with me would be, well, different (unless, of course, the "all
and sundry" in question was Heidi Klum, or something one hell of a lot more like
her than the Gheenoe is to an Old Town Canoe).

That said, the ones I saw were the 13', at 120 lb., which is why I thought it
was the one you had, the 15'6" Classic, at 225 lb or about 1/3 of the 80 lb.
18.5' Penobscot, and the 16' Super, at 350 lb. or about 1/5 of the 18.5'
Penobscot. None, IMO, look like Old Town canoes, even the Discovery - they look
like hybrids, including characteristics of pirogues, jon boats, and skiffs.
Under certain circumstances, this would make them much more suitable than a
canoe (with motors, for example), under others (such as one-man handling), it
would make them unsuitable or even completely not useable. As we are talking
about something that is basically only what one can see, as far as things like
the dynamics of the hull and other characteristics go (there is no "under the
hood" that would count), if it LOOKED that similar to a canoe, it would BE that
similar to one and have little or no advantage under the circumstances in which
most users would find themselves.

TC,
R