Isle Royale Forums

Nick wrote:Canoes....evil...evil...evil.... Kayaks, good!

OK Nick, you're on!
Show me this kayak: 42 lbs, 2 person, payload 1000 lbs, carry all gear in 2 packs, doesn't require you to be an inventor to easily portage by 1 person, and doesn't drown you upside down in the water. I think it's called a CANOE!

OK, try paddling to Ryan Island from the Siskwit river landing at Malone in a 35 MPH NE headwind. You'll find yourself at the SE end of the lake looking like this:
My kayak cuts right through the wind.

Your witness.....

Ahhh, the straw man argument--confusing brains (lack of) with equipment. They obviously deserved to end up in a tree. 35 mph headwinds I'm in camp flying a kite! (are they legal on I.R.?) Not going anywhere in a hurry. And never paddling on a flooded river in ANY boat, especially not a toy canoe!

Ingo wrote:

Nick wrote:Canoes....evil...evil...evil.... Kayaks, good!

OK Nick, you're on!
Show me this kayak: 42 lbs, 2 person, payload 1000 lbs, carry all gear in 2 packs, doesn't require you to be an inventor to easily portage by 1 person, and doesn't drown you upside down in the water. I think it's called a CANOE!

I've seen some tandems that do a pretty good job with a large load. You apparently have never seen my kayak portage rack. The boat goes nicely on my shoulders and I have a nice view, too. And, we learn to roll our kayaks so we don't end up upside down. Have ever rolled a canoe? (OK, I'll give you the 1/2 roll). If canoes are so great, how come we've never seen an Eskimo in one?

Hey, JohnH, feel free to jump in anytime here!

I have to say I am rather enjoying your "conversation" with Ingo.

I will say canoes and kayaks have their respective places- give me a kayak on open water any day!!
A canoe for portaging through lake to lake.

Please continue your discussion, but first let me get a beer and some popcorn......

Aaaahhhhhh thats better (as he eases into his chair)

I'm having fun spectating too...John, I gave up beer so please, have one for me. This could take a while.

I like the independence of the kayak.

I paddle with a few people who can roll their canoes. Pretty impressive.

Well get your beer and your popcorn ready cause here it comes! I will portage and paddle my 42lb kevlar canoe any day over a kayak. You are not going to find a sea kayak less than that. So let's portage our gear and boats on the Duncan-Tobin portage and see how your kayak portage rack works out for ya. or how about the portage from Lake Richie to Moskey Basin(2.1 miles)? Or even the portage from Chippewa Harbor to Lake Richie ?(1.2 miles)? Or how about the portage from Chippewa Harbor to Lake Whittlesey? (that is nice and rocky for over a half mile). If you have portaged your kayak on any of the above portages with a kayak, I would love to hear about it. Portaging from Malone Bay to Siskiwit Lake does not count. My grandma could do that little portage.

With a canoe you can portage much easier for access to a variety of inland lakes and harbors. With a kayak you are much more limited to the outer parts of the island or big Siskiwit Lake. Kayaks are better for base camping and the choppy waters of the big open waters. In a canoe you get deep in the island and the opportunity to paddle on the interior lakes that are just gems to paddle on. The waters here have a much more isolated feel and are much more intimate than the big open water. I am not against base camping but if given a choice I would rather be moving each day so I can paddle and see as many lakes and as much of the island as possible on a given trip.

So go ahead and enjoy your kayak out in the big open water




Serious canoeists are smart enough not to paddle in 35mph winds. I will just lay in my hammock and enjoy the serenity of the inland lakes and bays while reading a book. Enjoy sharing a campsite with the power boaters reving up thier engines while I am on Lake Whittlesey listening to the peace of the loons.

It is a proven fact that kayakers just are not that bright. For instance, in this example, the kayaker is really having a tough time here by a lack of common sense.



It is also pretty easy for a kayaker to paddle in 35 mph winds in this example. You can't really get turned around here now can ya? Get some training wheels for that thing will ya?


There are many more advantages of a canoe over a kayak as well. Let's look at a few shall we?

You can carry so much more gear in a canoe, like a nice comfy camp chair or how about a TV for some relaxation when getting to camp.



or carrying your favorite adult beverage in an adventure growler to enjoy while at camp. Plenty of room in a canoe for these, not so much in a kayak.



It is also much easier to rinse off your laptop in a canoe. It just would not be safe in a kayak.



And if you choose to bring your wife or girlfriend with you for a nice romantic wilderness trip to Isle Royale, you sure can't do this in a kayak!



But if you can't bring your significant other, it is much easier to call her from a canoe than a kayak to let her know that you are ok.



And the last and final reason canoes are better than kayaks is that chicks just dig the canoe more than a kayak.




Ok OK.... I had to do it. In all seriousness, I just love to paddle. I own both a canoe and a sea kayak. I have paddled my kayak on Lake Superior in the Two Harbors area of MN. I loved it and I would love to bring my kayak to Isle Royale to explore the outer parts of the island. With that said my first love of paddling is and always be in a canoe.
To think how the voyageurs of years ago made a living transporting goods for hundreds of miles in a canoe will always have my upmost respect. They were amazing people. The history of the kayak just does not go back like the canoe does and I love history and try to imagine what life was like in that era when I am camped and relaxed at a campsite.

So let's recap..... canoes....good..... kayaks.....not so much....

Ahh Shane, thank you so much! Just had someone poke their head in my office to see why I was laughing so hard. Much better defense than I could ever come up with. Love all the pics! I'll only add that a canoe is great for a young family of 4, and for dogs too (although I'm sure someone will find a pic of a dog perched on the bow of a kayak). I also must admit I've paddled a sea kayak once for an afternoon, and quite enjoyed it, but please don't tell Nick .

Always willing to support a fellow canoeist Ingo! I had a 3rd seat installed in the middle of my canoe so I can take solo trips every now and then. I really enjoy the freedom of a solo trip.

Kevinl wrote:I'm having fun spectating too...John, I gave up beer so please, have one for me. This could take a while.

I like the independence of the kayak.

I paddle with a few people who can roll their canoes. Pretty impressive.

Kevin, I may have 2 beers for you!!! (anyone else....)

Moss, I have portaged from Chippewa to Whittelsley in my kayak (I actually portaged my kayak and Tricia's).
I hope to the Great Manitou and all the Voyagurs who have gone before me that I never do the Moskey to Ritchie or Duncan Bay to Tobin Harbor portages with either a canoe or kayak (unless Ingo is along, I'll be glad to "help" him ) or unless it is one of those lightweight kevlar canoes.

johnhens wrote:I hope to the Great Manitou and all the Voyagurs who have gone before me that I never do the Moskey to Ritchie or Duncan Bay to Tobin Harbor portages with either a canoe or kayak (unless Ingo is along, I'll be glad to "help" him )

If by '"help" him' you mean CPR, then you're on!

Ingo wrote:

johnhens wrote:I hope to the Great Manitou and all the Voyagurs who have gone before me that I never do the Moskey to Ritchie or Duncan Bay to Tobin Harbor portages with either a canoe or kayak (unless Ingo is along, I'll be glad to "help" him )

If by '"help" him' you mean CPR, then you're on!

John, c'mon, I would go so far as to help you with pointing out rocks and low hanging branches and of course getting the canoe up on your shoulders and more than all that holding the stick with the bottle of microbrew dangling in front of you!!!
And being the LNT guy I am after so many presentations, I would make sure not to throw the bannana peel in front of you!!!

johnhens wrote:Moss, I have portaged from Chippewa to Whittelsley in my kayak (I actually portaged my kayak and Tricia's).

Nicely done John H. That portage is very rocky in certain areas.

And just to show that I am not anti kayak, here is a pic of my canoe and kayak together and my buddy in my canoe and me in the kayak. See, they both can get along in harmony.