Quote:
Originally Posted by Lothar
For camping, the Discovery Series from Olde Town is great. Awesome capacity and stability. A Kayak style paddle works for many of us, but more for the rear seat. Front seat needs to produce horsepower. Good technique with a traditional canoe paddle in the front seat works best for me.
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I have an early Discovery 158 that I bought in the early '80's, when they first started making that line. It originally had "contoured" plastic seats that really didn't match anyone's behind, so they were soon replaced with proper wicker seats.
This thing has served me faithfully for 30 years now. When my kids were little, we would pile the whole family in it - including the dog - for many a wonderful paddling adventure. As my boys got bigger and they began to take it out on their own, they soon learned the value of teamwork and cooperation. Of course the dog was always in it with them, adding a bit of spice to the adventure. We even used the darn thing to haul deer out after many a successful hunt (possibly even made successful due to the fact we had to canoe to get there, thereby diminishing the crowds). Great times and lots of fond memories.
When I fell like taking it out on my own, I simply turn it around backwards and it handles just fine with only me in it. It does, however, get better if I put Katie, my Golden Retriever, in the bow. That works out to be the perfect balance, for a lot of reasons...