Re: canoe or kayak plans
golden cliff (c60clg1@CORN.CSO.NIU.EDU)
Mon, 1 Jul 1996 15:47:49 -0500
On Fri, 28 Jun 1996, John W Porter wrote:
> My name is Jake & I'm a Star scout . My troop is small & has an
> adventure program & can't afford new aquipment. I wanted to try to
> build a canoe out of a tree trunk but it might be easier to build out
> of fiberglass.I know that our adventure patrol wants to build kayaks
> but they can't carry much. So I guess I'm looking for something that
> can carry aquipment for a week & go white water on class five that is
> affordable.
Kits can be a great way to build equipment. Usually for fiberglass
canoes, you have to find someine with a mold. The mold is the expensive
part, the materials for the canoe itself isn't too bad.
What we do in my troop to find canoes is to take out an inexpensive
classified ad in a newspaper, especially a trading paper that specializes
in used cars and boats. We say we are looking for used canoes in good
condition. We usually get a good response that way.
We recently purchased a used canoe in excellent condition for $125. The
identical canoe retails new for $490. Also you might want to contact
outfitters that are selling off old equipment, they usually do this in the
fall.
I don't know of anything short of a raft that could hold a weeks worth of
equipment and still manage class V rapids. I wouldn't even consider a
class V rapid without a professional guide. It is much cheaper to hire
out a guide and use his equipment. For Scouts, I have always limited our
whitewater adventure to Class III and Class IV. Class III is usually
considered the maximum for an open canoe. Decked canoes such as a C1 or
C2 are usually very expensive. Kayaks are also more expensive than a
standard canoe.
Rapids are classified Class I-VI. Class VI are unrunnable. Class V are
not necessarily bigger rapids, they often times are similiar in size to
IVs but require more complex maneuvering and pose much greater risk of
life.
You can usually have just as much fun on IIIs and IVs through a
professional guided raft service.
Good luck on your quest for equipment.
YIS, Cliff Golden
Scoutmaster Troop 33; DeKalb, IL
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
