Like everything else, the "best" boat depends on where, how, when and who is using the canoe or kayak, and its usually a matter of compromises. On moving water, my 16' Old Town Kennebec, a big whitewater boat no longer made, is ideal for hauling large loads, up to 1100 lbs ...unsinkable, indestructible, can be paddled solo or tandem, basically a bathtub with pointy ends. But it is a lot of work to paddle solo on flat water and virtually impossible to track into the wind on big water. For this reason I have a 2.5hp short shaft outboard and side mount. I also have a "saddle" made out of a giant block of styrofoam so I can paddle solo from a kneeling position with absolute stability and maximum control in moving water, but it is also perfect for shooting a bow . My 18' Old Town Columbia has half the payload capacity but moves easily through big swamps and lakes without a sound. My sit-on-top kayaks, 11' and 12', are great for fishing and playing in the boulder gardens in the river and paddle easily enough to be enjoyable in the swamps and even in the surf. I can scuba, jump shoot waterfowl and shoot carp from a SOT, but there's definitely no room or capacity for hauling out a big buck. you also get wet in a SOT kayak, so you have to dress appropriately..Gore Tex pants or bibs work great.
Topic: boats and bowhunting (Read 3845 times)
