While we are talking seats, this is my only (minor) gripe in the boat. Low enough to feel comfortable and aid stability but high enough to allow my size 10s to slide under for keeling (which I sometimes do.) The center seat is also only arms length from the "solo"/front seat so it can be used as a table for your gear, depth sounder, etc.
It allows you to lay (up to 10’) rods flat across all three seats & well below the gunnels keeping them protected and at right hand. More importantly though, the center seat option (vs center portage thwart) is a great addition to the fisherman. Knowing a bit about row boat design, I think this hull should perform really scoot under oar. Other observations: While I haven’t rowed the canoe yet, I think it’s a nice option that will allow me to cover long distances quickly.
#OLD TOWN CANOE SERIAL NUMBER FULL#
BTW, I found that a slightly wider 7.5" paddle (and later a 240cm kayak paddle) aided greatly in speed, tracking and maneuvering of this full figured boat. A relaxed J stroke is all that was needed to keep it on track with a 5 knot quartering wind.
This is important since wetting the entire 15’+ of hull aids in tracking and stability. (It’s the tradeoff for maneuverability and fast water safety vs tracking.) For Solo paddling, sitting (210#) in the front seat and facing the stern, the boat trimmed out nicely with only a 15# anchor tucked up forward. Cross wind can be a nuisance in this boat but I think that true of any keel less, shallow draft canoe and not overly unique or problematic in this boat. The arched floor flattened out when in the water but it hardly “oil canned” when stood in and there was almost no speed robbing flexing when underway. Largely I think because OT hit it right with the combination of the stiffer Royalex, arched hull and longer length. So how does it paddle? Well as expected, it’s not a rocket ship but it does move decently for a hull of this width and fullness. Much easier IMHO than fully lifting short canoes ovwerhead.) Rather than lifting the whole boat up, you just get one end up onto the racks and then lift & slide the other end into position. IMHO, extra length in a canoe makes car topping easier. This makes out of water handling more manageable. The keel less Royalex hull, seemed to slide right over most with little deflection or scratching.Īs for weight: At 68# (for this middles seat rowing version), this canoe is lighter than most in the 16’ class and nearly 20# lighter than those 14’ "sporting" canoes / pool toys sold sporting goods stores. It landed square on the side of the bow and had no notable damage/scratches to show for it! I’ve since hit & slid across and grounded on several underwater rocks. I figure most looking at this boat want it for "sporting canoe" anyway.įirst off, it is tough! On purchasing the boat, the seller dropped the bow onto asphalt from my trucks roof rack. Given I haven’t seen a lot of detailed reviews on this canoe yet, I’m going to do a in depth general and solo fishing review here and follow up on it latter. Based on this list, and the fact that stumbled onto a heck of a deal, I picked up a (used) Osprey 155. That meant something stable, maneuverable, keel less, durable(!) and friendly to both solo/tandem paddling (My Stowe Mansfield does all this very well but is just too nice to punish in some of these places). Recently, I craved another mid-sized fishing canoe that might double for some occasional mild river running. In fact, I’ve had around 20 to date and still collecting. This could be an issue if you frequent tight/turning creeks and streams where there are obstructions.įirst let me say that this isn’t my first canoe. The only downside to rowing the boat is that you need a good 10-12' of clear water width to move the boat. With a set of 6.5' aluminum oars, a light stroke pushes the boat nearly a whole boat length without loosing momentum and with no tracking issues ( even with a light/mod crosswind.) There is no doubt that of the traditional paddling, double paddling and rowing I've done in this craft, the oars will give you twice the speed at 1/2 the effort. In this position, the 155 moves like you would expect from a properly trimmed 15+' double stem boat. It also allowed me 5'8 or so) to rest my feet on the front seat edge as kind of a foot brace. I found rowing from the 12" position tight and limiting in stroke length (note: the oarlocks are low as compared to a traditional rowing boat.) However, in the latter position, it's much more comfortable and less restrictive. If you turn around to row, the forward oarlocks are about 15" from the seat. If you sit facing aft in the center seat, the aft oarlocks are positioned about 12" behind the leading edge of your/center seat.
The Osprey 155 comes with 4 oarlocks that can be set up either side of the center seat. Having had a chance to row this boat a few times now, I figured I'd pass on some thoughts.
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